Motor racing-Intelligence the key to winning title, says Massa

MELBOURNE, Mar 15 (Reuters) Intelligent driving and making every point count will be the key to Ferrari reclaiming the world championship this season, according to Brazilian driver Felipe Massa. The Italian outfit missed out on a record 15th constructors' title last season after finishing five points behind Renault, and Massa said things could have been different if he and then team mate Michael Schumacher had been focused at all times.

''Last year me and Michael in a couple of races threw away some important points especially here in Australia,'' the 25-year-old told reporters today.

''We were not lucky in terms of reliability at the start of the season and that was important at the end of the championship.

''We need to be stronger, be intelligent in bringing the car home and make as many points as we can in the first three races,'' he said.

Massa endured a torrid time at Albert Park in his first year with Ferrari, crashing out in practice to give him a poor starting grid place before he became embroiled in a three-car smash on the opening lap of the race.

Yet he bounced back to claim his maiden win in Istanbul before rounding off the season when he became the fifth Brazilian to win his home grand prix and he also claimed three pole positions.

He finished third in the drivers' championship and with a solid programme of winter testing behind him, in which he has consistently outpaced team-mate Kimi Raikkonen, he is looking to be much more than an understudy in 2007.

''We were pretty strong in most of the testing so the expectation is high, but now it is the race where it counts so we're looking to fight for the victory,'' he said.

Massa also said he hoped the loss of technical director Ross Brawn would not affect the team's prospects this season, and believes the team has made major improvements to the car.

''The new car is definitely a big step forward. It's much more stable, from the aerodynamic point of view it's a big step forward, but we still need to keep improving race by race and we need to keep working as hard as we can.

''Ross was a very important engineer, and key to the team for so many years. But we have engineers who can do a fantastic job like him.'' REUTERS SAM SSC1358