Temperature rise fueled Renault win

Felipe Massa claims that a rise in temperature between qualifying and the race handed Renault their winning advantage in last weekend's Spanish Grand Prix.

Writing in his personal column on Ferrari's website, Massa said:

"It's proof of the progress we have made in recent weeks that not finishing on the podium in Barcelona was disappointing," Massa said, "But, when you get to the end of a race and know in your mind that you could not have done any better, then you have to be satisfied with the result.

"There was no reason to be disappointed but, of course, we had not expected the Renaults to make such a step forward on race day. Generally, our package was just not quick enough. I was happy with our tire choice and I still think we took the one with the best performance for the race – the softer of the two Bridgestones was definitely too soft. Sure, we might have started on the front row if we had picked it but, after a couple of laps, we would have been in difficulty. "I think maybe the heat tipped the balance slightly in favor of Renault last Sunday, as it was hotter than we had expected. But it was not just the heat, it was also down to the grip levels from the track, and we know we still have to do some work for the next few races."