• Valencia Test - Day Three

Massa session cut short by Ferrari fire

ESPNF1 Staff
February 3, 2011 « Sutil shoots to the top on first day back | »
Felipe Massa clambers out of his Ferrari after it caught fire 35 minutes into the final day of testing © Getty Images
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Felipe Massa was left frustrated after his first session at the Valencia testing was cut short when his Ferrari F150 caught fire.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Fernando Alonso had racked up over 200 laps in the car, but when Massa's turn came it was all too brief as the F150 gave up with a spit of flames from the rear of the car exiting turn three. An oil leak was to blame and it caught Massa unaware, forcing him into a spin heading into turn four. As soon as the car came to a halt the bodywork started to smoulder and a plume of white smoke was visible from the pit lane.

The frustration on Massa's face was clear to see as he had completed just 12 laps. Ferrari got the car up and running again , but that only left Massa with under three hours in the cockpit before the next test in Jerez

Ferrari explained the leak was caused by a broken clamp. "Unfortunately the lubricant ended up on the exhausts which led to a small fire breaking out and that caused some damage to the car."

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