Felipe Massa believes the new generation of F1 cars will make it increasingly difficult for younger drivers to make an impression unless they can harness their instinct to drive fast all the time.
With 191 races and 11 wins to his name Massa is one of the veterans of the paddock, something he feels will be invaluable come race day. Massa had an impressive haul of 103 laps on Friday and, with fuel consumption and tyre degradation likely to be more important than ever in 2014, he believes some of the newer faces on the grid may struggle with the demands of the new cars this season.
"The younger guys want to win yesterday," Massa said. "To put a young guy in the car and say 'you have to drive slow, you need to save fuel' is difficult. The thinking is not the same. I was like that, I remember my first year. Controlling the tyres, saving fuel and everything is very tricky as you are too young and want to win all the time. Every lap is like qualifying."
But if they can adapt quickly, Massa believes the likes of Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat are at an advantageous position as they join F1 with more of a level playing field than ever before.
"On the other hand it is also the best time for a young guy to come to Formula One because it is a new car for everyone. The older, experienced guys are also learning so it is a good time for the young guys coming in this season and maybe having a good car they can show a good performance. But they need to think a little bit more for the experience. Kids are always kids!"
While Renault-powered cars have struggled so far in pre-season, Williams and the Mercedes teams have seemingly had the edge. Massa is feeling optimistic for the new season and he feels insists plenty of that is down to the Mercedes unit.
"The best thing at the moment Williams did was to sign with Mercedes because I'm so happy with how they are working and how professional they are. The understanding they have about things and the work we are doing together is great. They are not just controlling the car, they are controlling the set up as well."
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