Felipe Massa believes that his championship total would be far higher had it not been for some hard luck so far in 2013.

The Ferrari driver has experienced a difficult start to the season, suffering crashes in Monaco and Canada which have stunted his form, whilst two punctures at the Bahrain Grand Prix saw him struggle home in 15th position.

“I’m very upset about what happened in Bahrain, with the tires and the hits I’ve had,” he explained to Totalrace.

“That hurt my score, but I’m happy with the car I’m driving and that’s what counts most.”

However, Massa has shown signs of his true pace, scoring a podium at the Spanish Grand Prix and claiming a further four scores, and he is confident that he has a future with Ferrari after years of speculation that he may be released by the team.

“I am calm, I think it’s important to have a good pace. I’m feeling good in the car and have a good pace.

“In my opinion, if you had a driver that was much better to get into my place, okay. But I think not.”

Massa is already the second longest serving driver in Ferrari’s history (behind Michael Schumacher), and he will celebrate his 200th grand prix during 2014.