Felipe Massa has played down suggestions in Budapest that the cooler-than-expected weather could throw a spanner in the works of Michael Schumacher’s run of wins.
The German title-contender’s teammate, Brazilian youngster Massa, told reporters at the Hungaroring that ‘temperature has little to do’ with Ferrari and tyre supplier Bridgestone’s form since Indianapolis last month.
Hungary is usually one of the hottest races of the year, but on Thursday temperatures were in the low-twenties and – as Massa spoke – a few spots of rain could be heard on the roof of the motor home.
It will definitely rain on Friday, according to local weather source ‘Orszagos Meteorologiai Szolgalat’, and the cooler trend is likely to continue through to Sunday.
But Massa insisted: ”It is just a case of bringing the right tyres for the right track.”
37-year-old Schumacher pedalled a similar line, adding that Ferrari is ‘not weather-dependent’, but it is true that, earlier this year, Bridgestone teams struggled with a particularly narrow temperature ‘window’ for optimal tyre performance.
Moreover, Michelin has reacted to Renault’s Hockenheim defeat – where the French product blistered badly – by manufacturing 400 new tyres for this race.
”They arrived at the circuit this morning,” Michelin boss Nick Shorrock confirmed on Friday.
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