No apologies from Massa

Coulthard warns that "same result" might happen in future

Last updated: 20th March 2008

felipe massa ferrari 20/3/2008

Massa: Normal manoeuvre

Felipe Massa has refused to apologise to David Coulthard following their collision in last Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.

The pair were contesting 10th place in Melbourne when, approaching turn one at Albert Park on lap 26, Massa's Ferrari clattered into Coulthard's Red Bull, forcing the Scot into immediate retirement.

With an engine failure putting paid to Massa's race four laps later, a clearly angry Coulthard then used the platform of live television to demand an apology from the Brazilian.

And, sitting side-by-side at a press conference on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix, the pair have clearly yet to settle their differences.

"I was a bit surprised, we are there for racing I try to pass him, I was inside, he closed me and we crashed," Massa said.

"Everyone knows that two cars cannot do the same place in the corner and usually the guy on the outside has more possibilities to go off so that is it."

When Massa was asked if he had now apologised, he said: "No - because I didn't do anything wrong. When I do something wrong then I will apologise. This time I don't need to.

"As I said, I was inside. Everyone is racing and when you are quicker than the car in front you try and overtake, I did a normal manoeuvre and dived inside, and to be honest I didn't expect David to completely close the door.

"In my opinion he didn't see me, that is my opinion. When you do something wrong the FIA is there to take reaction, they didn't even put my car, or his car, under investigation, so it was a pretty normal incident."

Invisible

Giving his view of the coming together, Coulthard said: "The reality is that, in this situation, he is not racing me for the world championship. So he can do the same thing in the next 17 grands prix and have the same result.

"Quite clearly, too, my eyes point forward. They don't point rearward. So he has a much clearer view to how much space there is. I didn't take a different line, I took a normal line.

"I was prepared for him to pass me at turn three because the Ferrari has a much better top speed and is a much quicker car. So, if he makes the same choice in the future he will get the same result. I can't make my car invisible."