rpm.espn.com: Users: Massa has definite potential

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Tuesday, January 8
Users: Massa has definite potential
ESPN.com

Here's what users had to say about Sauber rookie Felipe Massa and his future prospects:

Who? I doubt Sauber's car will be as good as last year. Nick Heidfeld will blow Massa to the weeds. Is it too much to ask teams to hire experienced F1 pilots these days?

Bob Abooey
Eustis, Fla.

If you thought Kimi Raikkonen was special, you'll love this kid! I saw him race at Monza two years ago in Formula Renault and I was very impressed. He dominated both races and was visibly much quicker in the Parabolica and Variantes. If I had a Champ Car team, I'd have signed him up immediately. He was equally impressive last year in Euro F3000. Massa will turn heads next year. He'll be as quick as Heidfeld, who is also very good, and may end up at Ferrari in 2003? Why not!

Alex Bassi
Los Angeles

It will be hard for Massa to show any results unless Sauber puts a good car under him. If they can give him a contending car, it should motivate him immensely. I predict he will be in the points a few times. Let's remember Heidfeld had only 13 points last year, and Kimi had nine. Massa will be under tremendous pressure from the Brazilian fans and press, who deify their drivers.

Jerry Olcsvary
Princeton, N.J.

We've all heard the comparisons of young drivers to Ayrton Senna -- Enrique Bernoldi, Luciano Burti, Juan Montoya. This is the real deal. This guy will challenge for the world driver championship as soon as 2003 -- in a Ferrari.

Paul Fogel
Kansas City, Mo.

Massa has some big shoes to fill, taking the place of Raikkonen. He has a really good chance of doing good this season. Sauber is a really competitive team, which gives Massa a great chance at greatness. It can also be Massa's downfall if he doesn't perform in comparison to his teammate.

Bryan McCauslin
Shreveport, La.

Hard to tell, Alex Zanardi had much success in CART, but failed in F1. Kimi did very well last year with limited experience. Can natural talent overcome inexperience? Montoya seemed to find his stride in F1 later in the year. I'm hoping Massa is a phenom as Rubens is hardly a match for Michael.

Tom Creson
Eureka, Calif.

Is this the second coming? I'm definitely holding my breath. I became an F1 fan watching Senna -- and even named my cat after him -- so it's certainly intriguing hearing the comparisons Massa is drawing. I haven't seen the kid drive yet, so I'm reserving all opinions, but the expectations are high. Very High. Hopefully he can handle the pressure, much as Montoya has done for years now, and prove himself worthy. Sauber is a great place to start and showcase his skills, as proven by Raikkonen and Heidfeld last year, so Massa should have a golden opportunity to shine, a luxury not often afforded most young drivers. Good luck Felipe, and don't let the lights blind you.

Steve Averett
Charlotte, N.C.

As with all flashy F1 super-rookies, Massa's best moments of 2002 are likely to come on Saturdays -- in qualifying. Come race day? Expect him to complete zero laps (first-corner crashes) as often as he finishes. However, if he is able to keep the car on the road, don't be surprised to his name in the points on more than one occasion.

Patrick Heber
East Lansing, Mich.

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