Ferrari's Felipe Massa can overcome the disappointment of losing the world title to Lewis Hamilton and challenge again next year, according to seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher.
McLaren's Hamilton took the crown after sneaking into fifth place on the final bend of Sunday's dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo to deny Massa, who streaked to victory in his home race.
"I congratulate Lewis Hamilton and I am sending very warm greetings to Felipe and all our guys in Brazil," former Ferrari driver Schumacher told his official Website.
"Felipe can leave that race with his head up, as with this performance he surely has convinced all the people who still had doubts about his driving skills. He will for sure attack again next year."
Schumacher, who tested a Ducati Superbike in Portugal on Monday, was stunned by the finish in the season-ending race. "What a finale. I have never seen anything like this, not as a racer and not as a spectator. You can probably only say it was fate."
Massa said he had spoken to record titleholder Schumacher and wanted to talk with Briton Hamilton, at 23 the sport's youngest champion, once the dust has settled.
"Schumi called me and complimented me. I want to meet Hamilton and his dad to tell them they deserved the title," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Ferrari, meanwhile, will not waste time second-guessing its efforts after Massa lost the title to Hamilton on the final day of the season.
"It was an incredible end to the season and once again I think we have to be proud of what we have done," team boss Stefano Domenicali said on Monday. "There is no reason for us to look back and say 'What if? What if?"'
Hamilton took the drivers' title by passing Toyota's Timo Glock on the final turn to take fifth place and beat Massa by a single point.
"In all my years in Formula One, I haven't seen such an incredibly exciting finish to a championship," said Ferrari President Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. "I always said that we'd be fighting until the last corner of the last grand prix and that's exactly what happened."
Ferrari gained some consolation by taking its eighth constructors' title in the last 10 years, a feat no team has ever accomplished before.
"It's a great achievement. This year Felipe had two races that will remain in the history of his growing career. One was Hungary, where unfortunately we had a problem but he was really fantastic," Domenicali said on Ferrari's Website, referring to when Massa's engine blew while he was leading with three laps to go.
"And then there was (Sunday). I think that Felipe has matured a lot."
Ferrari's other driver, Kimi Raikkonen, finished the season third in the drivers' standings, after winning last year's title.
"This was a difficult year for him," Domenicali said, adding that he hopes Raikkonen will bounce back.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 5, 2008)