Felipe Massa News

[Anna]

#6 Felipe Massa



Driver Info

Full Name: Felipe Massa
Age: 30
Nationality: Brazilian
Twitter: n/a
Website: www.felipemassa.com/
Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felipe_Massa

F1 Statistics

Races: 149
Debut: 2002 Australian GP
Points: 548
Wins: 11
Podiums: 33
Pole Positions: 15
Fastest Laps: 14
Drivers Championships: 0
Highest Championship Pos: 2nd (2008)
Current Championship Pos: 6th (84 Points)

Recent Championship Positions

2010: 6th (144 Points, 0 Wins)
2009: 11th (22 Points, 0 Wins)
2008: 2nd (97 Points, 6 Wins)
2007: 4th (94 Points, 3 Wins)
2006: 3rd (80 Points, 2 Wins)
2005: 13th (11 Points, 0 Wins)

Team History

2002, 2004-2005: Sauber
2006-Present: Ferrari

Notable Achievements

2000 Eurocup Formula Renault Champion
2000 Italian Formula Renault Champion
2001 Euro Formula 3000 Champion
Desafio Internacional das Estrelas winner 2006
2007 Lorenzo Bandini Trophy
2008 F1 Championship Runner-Up

[Anna]

Important to do our job perfectly
September 7, 2011 · Posted by Felipe Massa Comment

Since the Belgian Grand Prix, I spent some time at the factory having meetings and working on the simulator and apart from that, I have been at home in Monaco. On Wednesday, I head back to Maranello for some promotional work and the World Premiere of the new 458 Spider, before taking the short drive down to Monza for the Italian Grand Prix. I’m sure I don’t have to add that this is a weekend I am really looking forward to. I first raced in Italy way back in 2000, the year I was competing in Formula Renault. Italy definitely feels like my country, starting with the fact that I have Italian roots, going back to my grandfather who was born in the south of the Italy. My family has always had a very Italian tradition at home in Brazil, so it was a natural thing for me to move to Italy to pursue my career and my dream of being a Formula 1 driver. I remember everyone said that you need to go and race in England, because if you don’t do that then you will not get to Formula 1. But I took a different direction, having a career in Italy. It seems to have worked because not only did I become a Formula 1 driver, I became a Ferrari Formula 1 driver! Italy is therefore a very important country for me and I love to go there, especially to race. It is a big part of my life and combined with the fact that this weekend is the home race for the whole team, clearly the Monza weekend is something really special for me.

I can still remember my first race at Monza: I was competing in Formula Renault and had two races, one on Saturday in the Italian series and the other on Sunday in the European championship and I won them both. In fact, it was not my first ever race in Italy, which actually took place at Mugello and I’m pleased to say I won that one too. When I first came to Italy, I lived quite close to Monza, in a place called Erba. I lived there for a year, as I had a place just opposite the workshop of the team I raced for, living in the house that belonged to my team boss. So this weekend is very much a second home race and one where I usually meet plenty of people from my racing past in the Monza paddock.

Back to 2011 and of course this is a very important weekend for us. Not in the sense of it being a last chance for us this year or anything like that, but because we really want to produce a great result for ourselves, for the team and most of all for the fans. Spa was not fantastic for us and the cold weather accentuated our tyre problems, but this weekend, we have the same tyre compounds but hopefully much hotter weather. We will need a car with good top speed. Like all the teams, we will have a low downforce set-up unique to Monza, with small wings and in free practice you need to make sure the car is well balanced with good traction to pull out of the slow chicanes and that it is able to deal with jumping the kerbs, which is vital for a quick lap time, especially in qualifying.

As for the race, I think we will see a lot of overtaking, because of the high speed nature of the track and the fact we will have two zones where we can use the DRS. I’m not saying it will be an advantage to be lying second coming into Parabolica on the last lap to overtake the car in front, because if you have a good car, it’s probably a better strategy to pass before then and pull out a gap that is bigger than one second. However, if you are fighting right down to the last lap, that could be the case, which would make for a very exciting race. At this point of the season, it is not difficult to predict that Scuderia Ferrari, McLaren and of course Red Bull Racing will be the main contenders. However, Mercedes have shown they have possibly the best top speed on the straight out of all of us and as that is so important at this circuit, they could also have some influence on the final result.

Monza is our last weekend of racing in Europe this year and, because this season has not gone so well for us, it will be even more important to do our job perfectly and try and get the result that we and all the tifosi want and deserve. For my part, I can’t wait to drive through those historic gates of the Monza park on Thursday morning, then start driving on Friday, leading up to trying to improve on my third place from last year. Standing on that incredible podium which hangs over the pit lane, looking down at the crowd, is a great experience and I want to do it again on Sunday.

[Anna]

Why is it the more I hear them say this the less I believe them? Actually no, I'm starting to feel its too late to replace him, but I still don't believe it is what they want.


Massa contract ’safe’ for 2012 - Domenicali


"He will be supported in every way"

Thursday 8 September 2011 - 11h43, by GMM
Felipe Massa is not going anywhere for now, insists Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Since his championship tilt of 2008, Brazilian Massa has struggled to get on terms with his new teammate Fernando Alonso.

But there have also been suggestions the 30-year-old is no longer the same after recovering from near-fatal head injuries sustained in mid 2009.

Domenicali told La Repubblica newspaper that Ferrari still believes in Massa.

"The fan in the bar says ’Trust me, he is as strong as he was before Budapest’. He will be supported in every way.

"Meanwhile, the contract will not be touched; he is safe until December 2012," added Domenicali.

[kelli52]

Felipe Massa has made his future intentions clear ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, explaining that he is eager to remain in Formula 1 for many more years. The Brazilian is currently contesting his sixth season as a Ferrari driver, admitting that the wealth of experience he has gained is a constant source for improvement.

"Felipe now, compared to Felipe then? I am much more experienced which is important," the Brazilian explained, having notched up 11 victories for himself and the Scuderia during his time in the sport so far.

"The early Felipe always wanted to be quickest on every lap, whereas experience teaches you to know when to push and when it’s better to conserve the car and save the tyres. I don’t know about doing another ten years, but I hope to continue for many years to come."

Massa is out of contention for this year's Formula 1 crown, sitting 90 points behind team-mate Fernando Alonso and 202 in arrears of leader Sebastian Vettel.

[Anna]

Massa admits 2012 ’crucial’ for F1 career


"To do a good year will be very important"

Saturday 15 October 2011 - 08h05, by GMM
Felipe Massa has admitted 2012 will be "crucial" if he wants to retain a top seat in formula one.

Ferrari will honour the Brazilian’s contract for next season, but Massa has struggled since his near-fatal crash in 2009 - and the birth of his son Felipinho - to keep up with Fernando Alonso.

In Korea, he was told by a reporter for the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper that 2012 will be crucial.

"I think so too; to do a good year will be very important, crucial for my future of being in a competitive team, no doubt. And so my determination is greater than ever," said the 30-year-old.

He acknowledged the possibility he will have to leave Ferrari for 2013.

Asked what he would do then, Massa answered: "I go to another team! There is no other option; I will continue to race and thinking about the best for my career.

"I am not afraid of anything that can happen as I’ve always been a guy with his feet on the ground. I know that if I do not have a good 2012, everything can change. Everything follows according to the results."

Massa said he is confident another team would sign him up if Ferrari does not.

"I think so. Regardless of having a good season, I believe I am among the best in formula one."

He denied that his struggles are due to the paddock perception of his ’number 2’ status to Alonso.

"The telemetry in the team is 100 per cent open. Without a doubt, 100 per cent, the treatment and the equipment is the same.

"If you have an inferior car you can see it in the numbers, you cannot help it. I have never had any different treatment," added Massa.

[Anna]

Massa: already working very hard for next year


"We will tackle these last races trying to get a podium finish"

Thursday 27 October 2011 - 19h20, by Olivier Ferret
Felipe Massa was one of the drivers called to the first ever FIA press conference at the Buddh circuit today, which hosts the inaugural Indian Grand Prix on Sunday. Asked for an impression of the track, the Ferrari driver was complimentary: “It looks very nice, very interesting with some good opportunities for overtaking.” At this point, Felipe’s fellow countryman, Rubens Barrichello interrupted to explain the two of them had tackled the circuit on a computer game, racing one another sometimes playing for hours at a time over the internet. “It’s him my wife is angry with, not me” joked Rubens pointing at Felipe. “He is the one who introduced me to the game!”

Then it was time for more serious matters, specifically the performance of the 150º Italia. “Recently, it has been okay,” said Felipe. “However, for the past four races, we have not had so many updates, as we approach the end of the season, which means our performance very much depends on the characteristics of the tracks we are at and Japan and Korea seemed to suit the car quite well. It is hard to tell, because sometimes this season we have done well at tracks where we did not expect to and not performed well at circuits where we expected to be competitive.”

Asked what were the Scuderia’s goals for the final three races, the Brazilian explained they were twofold. “We will tackle these last races trying to get a podium finish and who knows, if possible maybe fight for the victory, which is always our target, always the direction we are working in. At the same time, we are also already working very hard for next year. Development of the car is ongoing as we put together all our ideas, trying to keep all the good points from this year’s car and changing those areas that did not work so well.”

[Anna]

Massa : I plan to keep pushing to get better results


“Wheldon and Simoncelli – these have been really difficult times”

Tuesday 25 October 2011 - 14h55, by Olivier Ferret
I just arrived in India. This is my very first visit to this country and I am looking forward to discovering a new venue to race, because that is what I do, that’s my profession and I love racing. However, at the moment all my thoughts are with the families and friends of Marco Simoncelli and Dan Wheldon. It seems that when bad things happen, they come all at once. Because of the time difference between Malaysia and Brazil, I found out about the MotoGP accident as soon as I woke up on Sunday morning when I was at home in Sao Paulo. It is unbelievable and I was in a state of shock afterwards. Simoncelli was such a nice guy and one of the characters in the sport of motorcycle racing and a great talent. Coming so soon after the death of Dan Wheldon, who was a friend of mine, these have been really difficult times and it is just unbelievable that these sad events happened just one week apart. Of course, those of us who race, we always know the risk is there, every time you go out on track. When you are racing, you do not think so much about the risks and you always push hard, sometimes too hard. But all the same, it is still a terrible shock when you see something like that and it reminds you the risk is there. I am not qualified to talk about Simoncelli’s accident, because I have no experience of bike racing, but in the case of Dan’s crash, hopefully the only good thing to come out of it could be that it serves as a wake-up call for Indy cars to improve their safety levels, in the same way that what happened in Imola in ’94 led to increased safety in F1. In my opinion, Indy needs to do a lot to improve safety. There is no point in people complaining about it and blaming others, because what is needed now is some calm analysis and then a response from the sport’s organisation. Maybe what Indy needs to start with, given the type of circuit and the number of cars would be to try running cars with enclosed cockpits, but this is just one idea and the whole safety package needs to be looked at completely.

Korea was my one hundred and fiftieth Grand Prix and almost all of them have been at the wheel of a Ferrari, in fact my hundredth race with the Scuderia should coincide with the final round of the season at home in Interlagos. It’s always great to achieve a nice number like 150 races. I still have some years ahead of me in this sport, as I’m not so old and so I plan to keep pushing to get better results than the one in Korea which did not turn into much of a celebration for my 150th. All the same, I enjoyed driving at Yeongam, almost discovering the track for the first time given how much rain we had there in 2010.

In the preparation for the Grand Prix of India, I spent a day on the simulator to get a general impression of the track and I’ve also got the latest version of the 2011 Formula 1 computer game that features this circuit, which means I at least have a feel for it and know where the corners are. First impressions are that it is a nice track and it has some similarities to the last venue in Yeongam, in that it has a long straight and many different types of corner from very fast to very slow hairpins with several changes of gradient too. However, that’s where comparisons to Korea end as it should be much hotter this weekend and also because we will run the Soft and Hard tyres from Pirelli, historically not the ideal choice for the 150º Italia. I hope that we have made some progress in this area and that we can get a good result. Like I said, it will be my first time in India and I love discovering new places, so I am convinced it will be a very interesting week. The Indian people love sport and I am sure there will be a lot of local interest in the Grand Prix, in Formula 1 and in racing in general. I have enjoyed spending a few days here in Sao Paolo with my family, relaxing and training, but now I am keen to get going again, to discover a new circuit and to see if I can secure a good result with just three races left to go this year.

From Felipe Massa’s blog on ferrari.com

Felipe’s Indian debut

On arriving in New Delhi, Felipe Massa was immediately able to appreciate the passion the people of this country have for Ferrari. The Brazilian driver was the guest of honour, along with a fiery red 458 Italia, at a dinner organised by Ferrari India at the Leela Palace Hotel. It was also attended by many Prancing Horse owners as well as the Italian Ambassador to India, Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte. Felipe was given a warm welcome, especially by the children who immediately surrounded him, clamouring for autographs and to have their photo taken alongside him. “I am happy to be here in India and I am sure it will be a very enjoyable week,” said Felipe, as he addressed the guests. “This is a country that is growing very quickly, year after year, just like my native Brazil. We hope to be able to leave here on Sunday night, having secured a great result!”

This was not the only off-track activity planned for the two Scuderia Ferrari drivers. On Thursday morning, Fernando Alonso, in his role as a UNICEF ambassador, will visit a paediatric hospital in the Indian capital, bringing gifts for the children who are being treated there, to celebrate Diwali, the festival of light, which is one of the most important events in the Hindu religious calendar. Having one of the world’s top sportsmen there should highlight what is a delicate topic in India, vaccination against poliomyelitis. “Those who are fortunate like me have a duty to do something for those who suffer and are disadvantaged,” said Fernando before leaving for New Delhi. “I feel a great sense of responsibility as a UNICEF ambassador and I hope this initiative will help make everyone understand just how important a topic is vaccination against poliomyelitis. In recent years, giant steps forward have been made in this field, to combat this terrible illness, but there is still much to do, especially when it comes to the children.”

[Anna]

Massa: Working intensively towards next year


"We have not had the championship we wanted"

Thursday 10 November 2011 - 16h45, by Olivier Ferret
Felipe Massa has been in Abu Dhabi for a couple of days already, but today was the start of the routine part of a race weekend, which as always begins with a press meeting. The Brazilian was reminded he had just two more chances to finish on the podium in 2011 and the Scuderia Ferrari man explained why this situation had arisen. “We have worked a lot on qualifying, after the first part of the championship where we were not where we should have been in terms of grid position,” he began. “Thanks to a lot of effort, we are now much more consistent in this and so we have managed to put in some very strong qualifying performances from August onwards. We improved the pace, but then in the race, for a variety of reasons, I have not been able to exploit that to get the results I should have done but clearly the races did not go as they should have done. However, the positive factor is that we are much more consistent now and that is the important thing.

“We have not had the championship we wanted and if I have not made it to the podium so far, it’s because for 30 to 40% of the races something happened that lost me time during the race. If you look at all the races as a whole, you would have to say that our chances of getting to the podium were not so great, therefore, if on top of that I had problems in those races where I might have got to the podium, then this explains why I have not made it to the top three.”

The subject of Felipe’s front wing changes in India a fortnight ago was still interesting the media, so he explained what had been the situation as clearly as he could: “We had fitted an updated front wing and discovered it touched the ground a lot on Friday when running at high speed. So, we replaced it for the Qualifying on Saturday, but that one broke when I hit the kerb. This meant we had to run the newer wing that touched the ground, on Sunday in the race. It would touch the most when using the DRS and as we don’t use DRS so often in the race itself, we decided it would not be too much of a problem. What we do now know from back to back testing is that the new one is better than the old, offering a performance advantage.”

Despite the many disappointments he has had to endure over this season, Felipe is still motivated for these final two rounds. “Now we must still concentrate hard on these two remaining races to try for a last time to get a podium, while also working intensively towards next year to ensure that this sort of situation does not repeat itself. We have to think we did some things that were not right, things I did not do the way I would have liked and so there is pressure, the pressure you put on yourself.”

[Anna]

Massa prepares for 100th Ferrari race

22 November 2011

Felipe Massa will not only contest his eighth home Grand Prix in Brazil this weekend, but the Interlagos season finale marks the Paulista’s 100th start with Ferrari. The venue is also scene of his last race victory to date, just over three years ago.

After debuting with Sauber in 2002, Massa’s Ferrari race career began at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix, then winning for the first time in Turkey that year. He has won the Brazilian Grand Prix twice, first when racing in national green and yellow colours in 2006 and again in 2008, narrowly missing out on the title to Lewis Hamilton. In 2007, he gifted the win to team-mate Kimi Räikkönen as the Finn claimed his world crown.


Brazil 2006: Massa wins in his country's national colours
“This will be a very important weekend for me, as it will also mark the end of the tenth year since I first raced in Formula 1, although not ten years of competition as I was a Ferrari test driver in 2003,” Massa comments. “Fortunately, I am still young and there is more to come, but ten years is still a landmark in an F1 driver’s career.

“Then there are my six years racing for the Scuderia, competing in 100 Grands Prix for the team which makes me one of the drivers who has raced the most for this team. Therefore, putting it all together - ten years of Formula 1, 100 races with Ferrari and all of it at home in Brazil - makes this something really special for me. It will be an emotional time and what I would like to add to it all would be a good result come Sunday afternoon.”

Last year in Brazil, Massa rated his season at 'five and a half out of ten', hoping for a significantly better year in 2011; but after a campaign of struggles which has yielded only a single victory for Ferrari, he is adopting a similar mindset this weekend.


“This year has not gone so well, but we have tackled it with our usual fighting spirit and that is what we will take forward to next year, when we hope to have a very different sort of championship to this one just ending,” he continues, having finished in no higher than fifth place at any race so far this year.

“The intention is to be competitive right from the start, fighting for the win in every race. This has not been a fantastic season for me, but neither has it been for the team. So, as a driver, I have a very strong desire which I share with the whole team to give one hundred percent to improve for next year.”

[Anna]

Massa most disappointing driver of 2011 - Coulthard


"He’s on thin ice at Maranello"

Tuesday 29 November 2011 - 10h32, by GMM
David Coulthard has singled out Felipe Massa as the most "disappointing driver" of the 2011 season.

Brazilian Massa remains under contract to Ferrari for one more season but the Italian team has warned him that, next year, he will be racing to rescue his 2013 seat.

"I don’t want to say (Massa was the) ’worst’ driver of the year because clearly no one driving in F1 is a bad driver," veteran Coulthard, the former McLaren and Red Bull driver and now British commentator, wrote in his Telegraph column.

"But undoubtedly a few drivers punched well below their weight, notably Ferrari’s Felipe Massa, McLaren’s Hamilton and Red Bull’s Webber.

"I’d probably give the (disappointing driver) award to Felipe for no better reason than he didn’t win a race. In fact, he never finished higher than fifth.

"He’s on thin ice at Maranello," presumed Coulthard.

When the season ended in his native Brazil at the weekend, 30-year-old Massa acknowledged he is looking forward to returning to top form in 2012.

"It’s been a difficult year for me and the team and now we can turn the page," he said.

"We must work on improving the car and I will do all I can never to have such a disappointing season again."

[Anna]

2011 end of term report – Felipe Massa


118 points, 6th in the drivers’ championship

Saturday 24 December 2011 - 11h04, by Sandrine Bouchard
Felipe Massa was arguably one of the most disappointing drivers of the year. The Brazilian was expected to bounce back from a difficult season in 2010 but struggled once more. He finished well behind his teammate Fernando Alonso and might feel the pressure to deliver in 2012 as Ferrari’s patience run out.

Season review

For his sixth consecutive season with Ferrari, Felipe Massa was once again teamed up with double World Champion Fernando Alonso.

At the season’s opener in Australia, the Brazilian qualified in 7th position. On Sunday, he took a good start and climbed up to 5th. He managed to keep Jenson Button at bay for a while but his pace faded in the second half of the race and he slipped down the order. He crossed the line in 9th place. In Malaysia, he scored one of his best results of the year. Seventh on the starting grid, he found good pace on Pirelli’ super soft tyres and finished the race in 5th place. He improved a bit more in China and, despite his strategy, finished in 6th position. For the second consecutive time, he was in front of his teammate. He missed the points in the next three races. Monaco started a series of clashes with McLaren’s Hamilton. The Ferrari driver was far from impressed with the Briton’s behavior and publicly slammed him.

In Canada, Massa qualified 3rd and raced to 6th on the finish line. He was 5th at Valencia, Silverstone and in Germany – where he lost 4th place to Sebastian Vettel in the penultimate lap. In Hungary and Belgium, he qualified in front of Alonso… but failed to capitalize on it in the race. He finished 6th at Budapest and 8th at Spa. On Ferrari’s home soil, he was pushed by Webber into a spin on lap 5 and took 6th place under the chequered flag.

Massa’s Singapore Grand Prix was marred with incidents with Lewis Hamilton. They had a first coming together in qualifying and then collided in the race. The McLaren driver made a move on the Brazilian but hit him and punctured his rear tyre. Hamilton was penalized with a drive-through. Once again, Massa was furious and harshly criticized his rival.

History repeated itself in Japan… Massa and Hamilton collided in the race. Despite a damaged front wing, the Ferrari driver finished in 7th place. After the race, he demanded action be taken against the Briton. After a respite in Korea, both drivers crashed one more time in India. This time though, Massa was the one to blame and was penalized with a drive-through. He retired later on after breaking a suspension on a kerb.

He ended his season with two fifth places and finally made peace with Hamilton.

Conclusion

Outclassed by his teammate, Felipe Massa scored twice less points than Alonso. For the second year in a row, he finished more than 100 points behind the Spaniard. Even more disappointing for the Brazilian, he didn’t make a single appearance on the podium and his best result was a 5th place finish.

2012 may be his last opportunity to deliver… his contract with Ferrari will run out at the end of next year and Luca di Montezemolo is already putting him under pressure. He is expected to perform much more strongly, to help the Scuderia in its push for the constructors’ title. Should he fail to do so, he will probably be shown the door…

Highs
Out qualified Alonso four times
Showed some fighting spirit
Celebrated his 100th Grand Prix with Ferrari

Lows
Couldn’t finish higher up than 5th
Not quick enough, inconsistent
Didn’t help Ferrari in its championship’s assault

Nextgen-Auto.com marks:
Olivier Ferret : 8/20
D.Thys : 12/20
Sandrine Bouchard : 10/20
Jean-Michel Setbon : 9/20
Average mark on the forum Nextgen-Auto.com : 9/20
Total : 48/100

[Anna]

Massa: 2012 to be the victory year

3 February 2012

Felipe Massa is striving to return to winning ways this season. A Formula 1 victory has eluded the Brazilian since the end of the 2008 season, when he celebrated a win at Interlagos only to lose out in the championship to Lewis Hamilton by a single point.

“2012 is going to be the victory year,” Massa said as Ferrari launched its F2012 in Maranello on Friday. “I really believe in my skills and this car. Once again, we want to see Ferrari winning and finishing on the podium as much as possible. It’s a very aggressive car, different. I’m very enthusiastic that we’re going to have a different car - a car with which we’ve gone in a different direction in terms of development.


“We still need to get used to this new nose, which is very strange and due to the new rules, but apart from the nose the car is very aggressive and very nice and I hope we’re going to see a very competitive car from the beginning to the end.

“It’s another year. We start from the beginning, with everybody on zero points for the first race and the first test. The motivation is higher than ever to have great results and get back to the victories we have had many times. The biggest pressure is coming from myself – it’s not coming from the people. I put a lot of pressure on myself and I’m really motivated. I am sure we can have a great year, a great championship and I hope we will have a very, very competitive car.”

2012 marks the Paulista’s seventh campaign with Ferrari, having joined in 2006 to win for the first time in Turkey that year. His F1 debut came with Sauber a decade ago.