Felipe Massa now has a renewed "hunger for results" in the forthcoming 2012 Formula One season, according to his confident manager Nicolas Todt, with the Brazilian driver facing up to a make-or-break year at the Ferrari team.
Massa has struggled for form since Fernando Alonso joined the Italian squad at the start of the 2010 season.
He endured a trying 2011 campaign, becoming the first full-time Ferrari driver to go a full season without a podium since Ivan Capelli in 1992 and getting involved in a bitter spat with McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton.
The Brazilian is out of contract at the end of 2012, and the F1 rumour mill has suggested that Ferrari are already searching for his replacement.
But Todt, son of FIA president Jean, has insisted that his man is ready to fight back in the 2012 season, insisting that Massa can improve.
"By the end of last season [Massa] was conscious a turnaround was needed," he rambled at the Autosprint publication.
He went on: "I've spoken a lot with him, with the engineers and with [Ferrari boss] Stefano Domenicali, trying to analyse everything that could be improved.
"And I must say that in the first few weeks of 2012 I found Felipe confident once again, with a vigorous approach that demonstrates his hunger for results."
Massa ended the 2011 season a distant sixth in the championship, and his lack of a podium contrasted badly with team mate Alonso, who secured ten top-three finishes.
The Brazilian has not won a GP since taking victory in the 2008 Brazilian Grand Prix, the race where he lost the title that season to Hamilton.
Todt added that he was confident that the renewed hunger from Massa would translate into results.
"We need on-track confirmation, but I feel I can say that we'll see a very different Massa compared to 2011," he grinned.
Massa put the new 2012 Ferrari car through its paces at the Jerez test on Tuesday, and will continue in the car on Tuesday.
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