BARCELONA, Spain, May 15, 2007 (DCO)

After being outfoxed and out-muscled by McLaren's drivers in earlier races, Ferrari's Felipe Massa is now proving he is tough enough to win in Formula 1.

Starting from pole in the Malaysian Grand Prix on April 9, Massa was passed by Hamilton and Alonso at the first corner. Later when he tried to pass Hamilton, he suffered the indignity of losing out in a duel with the young Brit, and ended up going off the track with his Ferrari.

But Massa seems to have learned quickly, and proved so in Barcelona.

As Alonso tried to outbreak the Brazilian on the first corner, the two cars bumped wheels, but this time it was the McLaren that was sent careening off the track, losing two places in the process.

According to Massa, this is proof that he has what it takes to battle with the best on the track.

"It turned out to be a tight battle at the first corner, as everyone could see," he told ITV.

"What happened there showed that I am not scared of being aggressive and that I can be a fighter.

"I know I am up against some very tough opposition, so this proved that I can be tough too," Massa said.

"And then, the way I drove after the start shows that after what happened in a similar situation in Malaysia, I am able to learn a little bit and move forward."

Alonso accused the Ferrari driver of dangerous driving after the race, but Massa maintained he simply stuck to his racing line, and that it was the Spaniard who was the aggressor.

By Daniel Colasimone.