Felipe Massa: in search of happiness - Formula 1
Felipe Massa he is not a happy driver, at least when it comes to his working life: the Brazilian driver has not climbed to the top of the podium since November 2, 2008, as he lost the F1 world championship in Brazil by one point against Lewis Hamilton.
On this day, the first of two events that marked his career took place: the second, eight months later, occurred on July 25, 2009 during the practice of the Hungarian Grand Prix, when he was forced to abandon the rest of the season due to a cut to the forehead, injury left side of the skull and concussion due to a spring detached from the car Rubens Barrichello it hit him in the face.
These two events marked life indelibly Felipe Massacharacterized by anxious involution spiced with some slight awakening. Let's explore together the story of a Ferrari co-driver, a man who struggled for five years to overcome past traumas.
Felipe Massa: biography
Felipe Massa - of Italian origin (grandfather was from Cerignola) – born for San Paolo (Brazil) April 25, 1981. After debuting in motorsport с kart began to be noticed at the age of 18 when he won the Brazilian soccer championship. Chevrolet Formula.
In 2000, he moved to the Old Continent to race with Formula Renault 2000 and surprises everyone by winning the titles of Italy and Europe during his debut in this category.
Formula 3000
Felipe Massa he is regarded as one of the best young men in motorsport and continues to prove it even in 2001, the year he also ran four races withAlfa Romeo in the championship of continental tourism - when he becomes the champion of Europe 3000 formula in the editorial office, however, a little poor in talent.
F1 debut
Felipe makes his debut in F1 с Clean (a team with which he had already tested several times a year earlier) in 2002: he got his first points in the second race of the season - in Malaysia – but his overall results are lower than those of his partner Nick Heidfeld.
After 2003, spent by a tester in Ferrari Felipe Massa returns as owner-driver to Clean in 2004, but this season he has to deal with a more talented assistant: Giancarlo Fisichella... The situation changes in 2005 when he surpasses his colleague. Jacques Villeneuve.
Go to Ferrari
Felipe Massa called in Ferrari in 2006 to replace Rubens Barrichello... Slower than expected than his partner Michael SchumacherHowever, he manages to get a lot of satisfaction: he wins his first career podium at the European Grand Prix and also gets his first pole position and his first success in Turkey. He finished the season in third place overall, and in 2007, the year his assistant Kimi Raikkonen became world champion, Felipe had a more disappointing season spiced with three wins.
Massa's best year is undoubtedly 2008: he becomes the vice-champion of the world (with six wins), losing the title at the last corner of the last race, and no problem gets rid of his colleague Raikkonen.
Crisis
Felipe Massa In the 2009 season, he is disappointed with the 2008 World Cup, but he has everything he needs to return to title hope. However, Brown's dominance prevents the Brazilian driver, who continued to be faster than Räikkönen until the Hungarian accident, from aspiring to the champion. The only significant result is actually the third place in Germany.
In 2010, the first year of work with Fernando Alonso (who has been regularly “beating” him for three years now) - there is no moment to begin. In his first season with the Spanish driver, he won five podiums and in 2011 became Cavallino's first rider since. Ivan Capelli (1992) to end the season without ever taking the podium.
2012 is the worst year for a Ferrari driver. Felipe Massa (excluding 2009, devastated by the accident): He returns twice to climb the podium, but in most races he fails to prove himself properly. 2013 was not an exceptional year either: if we exclude the third place in Spain, he did not score the same level as his colleague Alonso.
