Comunicats de Prensa - Rafa Massiara Eyes Open-Wheel Comeback for Season 67

Rafa Massiara, the 22-year-old Indonesian rising star, is setting his sights on a return to open-wheel formula racing for Season 67 after a difficult campaign in the Deutche Tourenwagen Series (DTWS).

Massiara has spent the last three seasons competing outside of the traditional open-wheel ladder, racing in the 911 Supercup, TCS Iberico Series, and most recently the Deutche Tourenwagen Series (DTWS). His last appearance in an open-wheel championship came in Season 63, when he competed in the Formula 3 World Series.

Now, with a renewed focus and three seasons of additional racing experience behind him, Massiara is preparing for what he describes as a "fresh journey" in his career.

Q&A with Rafa Massiara

Q: Rafa, looking back to this season, you only scored 2 points in the DTWS.

Rafa Massiara: Yeah, but to be honest, GT and touring car racing wasn't really my focus from the beginning. Obviously, scoring only two points isn't something I'm proud of, but I don't think those points tell the whole story.

Spending three seasons racing outside of open-wheel racing taught me a lot. I learned about racecraft, professionalism, managing races, working with engineers, adapting to different cars and, probably most importantly, how to deal with difficult situations.

Those experiences are things I can take with me. Now I'm aiming for an open-wheel comeback with the skillset I've built over the past three seasons.

Q: What's the plan for Season 67 and beyond?

Rafa Massiara: Me and my manager have just built a three-season plan, and we're taking it step by step.

The first step is a Formula 3 comeback. After that, the target is to move up to F2, and eventually the goal is Formula E.

Obviously, plans can change in motorsport. You can't control everything, and you have to earn every opportunity. But having a clear direction is important for me. I don't want to simply jump into a championship without knowing where I'm going.

Q: You've already done Formula 3 in Season 63. What's the reason for joining the F3 grid again instead of moving straight up to F2?

Rafa Massiara: I think going straight to F2 would be the wrong decision right now.

Yes, I've raced Formula 3 before, but that was in Season 63. Since then, I've spent three seasons driving completely different cars. The driving style, the techniques, even the way you approach a race are different between touring cars and open-wheel cars.

I don't want to underestimate F2. It's a big step, and I would rather take one step back to make two steps forward than rush into something I'm not fully prepared for.

Coming back to F3 gives me the opportunity to rebuild my confidence in an open-wheel car, understand the current generation of the machinery, and prove that I still belong in this environment.

It's not about repeating what I did in Season 63. It's about coming back as a different driver.

Q: Do you see the three seasons in touring cars as a setback in your career?

Rafa Massiara: No, not at all.

Maybe from the outside it looks like I moved away from my original path, but I don't see it that way. Every race teaches you something.

The 911 Supercup taught me a lot about consistency and managing a high-performance car. The TCS Iberico Series gave me another perspective on close racing and racecraft, while the Deutche Tourenwagen Series (DTWS) tested me in a very difficult environment.

Of course, I would've liked better results. But I don't regret those three seasons. I think I've become a more complete driver because of them.

Q: Are you worried that people will question your ability after only scoring two points this season?

Rafa Massiara: People are going to question you regardless.

If I scored 50 points, somebody would still find something to criticize. That's motorsport.

For me, the important thing is knowing what I can do and knowing what I need to improve. I'm not going to hide behind excuses for the DTWS season, but I'm also not going to let one difficult season define my entire career.

I know I have things to prove. That's actually one of the reasons I'm excited about coming back to open-wheel racing.

Q: What would constitute a successful comeback in Formula 3?

Rafa Massiara: I don't want to put a specific championship position on it yet.

Obviously, I want to win races and fight for the championship. That's why I'm racing.

But the first objective is to be competitive consistently. I want to qualify well, fight at the front, score regularly and show that the three years away from open-wheel racing haven't taken anything away from me.

I don't know exactly where the journey will take me, but I'm ready to start it again.

See you on the grid.