• Monaco Grand Prix

Massa admits to driver error after practice crash

Felipe Massa hits the barriers in final practice © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• Race:
• Monaco Grand Prix

• Drivers:
• Felipe Massa

• Teams:
• Ferrari

Felipe Massa said a bump in the track caused the accident that will see him start from the back of the grid in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix.

Massa made heavy contact with the barriers after locking his brakes at St Devote during the final practice session and as a result damaged all four corners of his car. The repair job was so extensive that he missed the first session of qualifying, putting him at the back of the grid for Sunday's race.

"When I braked I touched a bump and the car locked both wheels, which is not easy because normally you lock one," he explained. "Both is a very difficult thing to happen, but it happened and that made me go into the wall.

"So I hit the guardrail on the left and then it was just waiting for the wall to arrive, which is not a nice feeling. The car was pretty damaged and had no suspension, and all around the car was pretty damaged. I knew it would be very difficult to fix the car and we saw that Grosjean had a crash lighter than mine and he only just managed to go out in Q1. So it was not easy for us to finish the car."

Massa said he had some pain in his back but nothing too serious.

"I feel a bit of a pain in the muscles on my back, but it should not be a problem for tomorrow. But for sure I need to check and have a massage and prepare everything for tomorrow."

Asked what he could realistically achieve from 22nd on the grid, he added: "For sure it's the worst track to have this problem but I need to be positive and try everything we can for tomorrow. Here it is a track that is very difficult to overtake, but it's also a track where anything can happen. Maybe there will be a safety car so we have to be prepared as best we can and positive."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.