“In Q2 I didn't do very good laps,” he explained, “and I was struggling a little bit to find the right grip from the tyres. Also I was too conservative and didn't do a very good last sector, braking a little bit too early in turn 14. It was just stupid mistakes – not really mistakes but just a stupid lap.

“I learned from everything I did wrong, though, and managed to put everything together and do a great lap in Q3, which is the most important one. It was very clean with no mistakes, and taking away the maximum from the car. I was pretty happy with our day.

“Hopefully we can repeat what we did today [in the grand prix]. The race will be very physical here, [and] also very hot. The humidity we have here is so high and you lose a lot of water from the body.

“For sure when you get from the middle to the end of the race you start to feel it a little bit just because you are sweating so much, but I am really looking forward to having a strong race and strong physical preparation as well.”

Massa similarly insisted that having another F2008 alongside him on the starting grid would make him no less determined to defend his position in the run down to the first corner. Having started from the same spot twelve months ago, the man from São Paolo had a torrid getaway as fellow front row sitter Fernando Alonso breezed past on the run down to turn one while Lewis Hamilton catapulted his McLaren up to second place by squeezing up the inside of the Ferrari later around the opening lap.

“No, it doesn't matter,” he said of it being an all-scarlet front row. “You always try to stay in front at the first corner. Last year it was not possible, but I will just try to do better this year. I should have a good start, so let's hope and see if we can keep the same position tomorrow.”