'Quali a shame, but race will be unforgettable,' says Massa

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Felipe Massa did not enjoy the best start to his very last Brazilian Grand Prix, with the Williams driver qualifying a mediocre 13th, his worst home race result ever.

Both Williams drivers were knocked out in Q2 by arch-rivals Force India, but Massa is still determined to pull out all the stops in tomorrow's race.

"It's a shame the result in the end as I was really confident after Q1 that it was all going in the right way," Massa said.

"I was happy with balance and things were working really well in the car, then suddenly the front tyres weren't working. I started to get a lot of understeer in most of the corners, so I really couldn't improve my lap time."

While Massa was frustrated with Saturday's end result, it took nothing away from the extra boost of energy provided by the loud fervor and passion in the grandstands.

"It was so nice to see the crowd screaming my name and giving a lot of love. That's difficult to really forget and I'm sure tomorrow it will be even more so I'll try to do everything I can for them.

The Brazilian is obviously preparing for an emotionally overwhelming afternoon of racing tomorrow regardless of what he shall achieve.

"I'm sure I'll feel very motivated to do a good race, and my last lap of the race will be a little bit sad but I'm sure there will be a lot of love from the people that I will never forget in my life."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.