29/08/2004
NEWS STORY
Sauber drivers Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella achieved the team's best result of the season by finishing fourth and fifth respectively in today's Belgian Grand Prix in Spa-Francorchamps.
Giancarlo Fisichella: "At the start somebody ran into the back of my car at La Source, and I lost some downforce because of damage to the rear wing and diffuser as a result. I was able to fight for points, but it was difficult and on lap 20 I momentarily went off the road in Turn 12 and lost a little more downforce by damaging a front wing endplate. It was also tough on the restarts keeping sufficient temperature in the tyres, so I really had my hands full with Klien. But to see our cars finish fourth and fifth was great. We deserved this."
Felipe Massa: "After two laps I was feeling so disappointed! I locked up at La Source at the start and didn't see Kimi on the outside until we touched, then Sato really hit the back of my car. I pitted for a new rear wing, but stopped again a lap later because the steering was vibrating really badly. After that the car was still shaking but I was able to attack. You might say I was lucky in the circumstances, but I believe that today I was recompensed for all the bad luck I have had in the last five races. The team did a fantastic job for me. Perhaps I could have had my first podium here today, but I prefer to see fourth as my best ever result. What made it more special was to have my family here this weekend, and I want to dedicate this result to my maternal grandfather Fernando Coelho dos Santos, who died yesterday."
Peter Sauber (Team Principal): "A fantastic race, very exciting for everyone. Our result shows what you can do with determination, a strong heart and a refusal to give in no matter what the odds. Felipe drove a beautiful race to recover from his early delays and thoroughly deserved to shake off his bad luck, while Giancarlo coped very well with a lot of handling problems resulting from the first corner damage and defended well in the closing stages. My thanks to both drivers, and to everyone for their team spirit and a strong and reliable car."