Bahrain Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa has admitted that he is unsure whether to class BMW Sauber as a genuine title threat or see the German-Swiss team as an aid to denying McLaren valuable points.
With either Nick Heidfeld or Robert Kubica featuring on the podium at the opening three rounds of the season, BMW Sauber has established itself as a third frontrunner alongside the recognised top two but, having comfortably beaten polewinner Kubica in Bahrain, Massa is keeping an open mind.
"One thing that is clear after the three races we have had so far is that BMW has really made a step forward," the Brazilian accepted, "But, at the moment, it is hard to tell if they might be able to help us by taking points from McLaren, or if they now have to be seen as genuine title contenders in their own right.
"My start went very well and I was able to pass Robert immediately. But, even if that had not happened, I would not have had much to worry about. If you looked at Robert's lap times in Q2 and Q3 on Saturday, it was clear that he was running fairly light in terms of fuel - or at least lighter than us. I knew I would have around five laps more fuel than him, which means I was confident I could have got past him at the first refuelling. But, thanks to a good start, even this wasn't necessary. I was never really racing Kubica.
"It seems that, at the moment, McLaren and BMW are at the same level, and we will have to watch both of them closely. It can go either way, in that, sometimes, this situation might help and sometimes it might not.
"Looking at the championship after three races, I can't say there is anything in particular that has surprised me but, as I said earlier, it is clear now that BMW Sauber has made a step forward. Maybe McLaren is looking a little bit less consistent than last year, when they made life very difficult by scoring a lot of points in the first three races. This year, that has not been the case, which is good for us because, although we have not picked up as many points as we could, neither have they. That can be positive as long as we work hard to deliver consistent results.
"Let's wait and see what happens in the next race, but our focus has to be on ourselves and on our car, improving it all the time. That will bring its own rewards."
The ten points for winning in Bahrain were Massa's first of the season after disastrous runs in both Australia and Malaysia, and the Ferrari man admits that it was a relief to finally open his account as the rumour mill again began to suggest his time at Maranello may be limited.
"It was a nice feeling to win, especially after my bad start to the season," he confirmed, "The win came at just the right time, and gets my name on the scoreboard at last. It was also nice to be able to claim the 100th win which Ferrari has achieved since Luca di Montezemolo has been president..
"I was not any more nervous than usual before the start - we know the job we have to do and I was not affected by all the comments in the media about me. I knew I was sitting in the cockpit of a good car and would have a good pace, so I was calm and ready to do everything right."
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With either Nick Heidfeld or Robert Kubica featuring on the podium at the opening three rounds of the season, BMW Sauber has established itself as a third frontrunner alongside the recognised top two but, having comfortably beaten polewinner Kubica in Bahrain, Massa is keeping an open mind.
"One thing that is clear after the three races we have had so far is that BMW has really made a step forward," the Brazilian accepted, "But, at the moment, it is hard to tell if they might be able to help us by taking points from McLaren, or if they now have to be seen as genuine title contenders in their own right.
"My start went very well and I was able to pass Robert immediately. But, even if that had not happened, I would not have had much to worry about. If you looked at Robert's lap times in Q2 and Q3 on Saturday, it was clear that he was running fairly light in terms of fuel - or at least lighter than us. I knew I would have around five laps more fuel than him, which means I was confident I could have got past him at the first refuelling. But, thanks to a good start, even this wasn't necessary. I was never really racing Kubica.
"It seems that, at the moment, McLaren and BMW are at the same level, and we will have to watch both of them closely. It can go either way, in that, sometimes, this situation might help and sometimes it might not.
"Looking at the championship after three races, I can't say there is anything in particular that has surprised me but, as I said earlier, it is clear now that BMW Sauber has made a step forward. Maybe McLaren is looking a little bit less consistent than last year, when they made life very difficult by scoring a lot of points in the first three races. This year, that has not been the case, which is good for us because, although we have not picked up as many points as we could, neither have they. That can be positive as long as we work hard to deliver consistent results.
"Let's wait and see what happens in the next race, but our focus has to be on ourselves and on our car, improving it all the time. That will bring its own rewards."
The ten points for winning in Bahrain were Massa's first of the season after disastrous runs in both Australia and Malaysia, and the Ferrari man admits that it was a relief to finally open his account as the rumour mill again began to suggest his time at Maranello may be limited.
"It was a nice feeling to win, especially after my bad start to the season," he confirmed, "The win came at just the right time, and gets my name on the scoreboard at last. It was also nice to be able to claim the 100th win which Ferrari has achieved since Luca di Montezemolo has been president..
"I was not any more nervous than usual before the start - we know the job we have to do and I was not affected by all the comments in the media about me. I knew I was sitting in the cockpit of a good car and would have a good pace, so I was calm and ready to do everything right."
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