Even though he’s never won a Formula 1 title, Felipe Massa remains one of the most talented drivers on the grid, as well as a true model of consistency.
Massa first entered Formula 1 back in 2002, racing for Sauber (Red Bull Sauber) – that being where he spent his first couple of years, except for 2003 when he worked as a test driver for Ferrari.
The experience paid off as he made the switch to Ferrari permanently in 2006, after consistently scoring points in each of his first 3 seasons. In his first year at Ferrari, he won two races, and got on the podium a grand total of 7 times, finishing the season with 80 points, which placed him 3rd overall behind Michael Schumacher and champion Fernando Alonso.
Massa’s best year was certainly 2008 when he came within one point of stealing Lewis Hamilton’s title away from him. After that, the Brazilian could only manage to come in either 6th, 7th or 8th every year between 2009 and well, present day.
Right now he sits 6th in the standings (74 pts), 2 points behind Kimi Raikkonen and 3 points behind his teammate Valtteri Bottas. His current form is solid, yet both he and Bottas can only go as Williams goes, and the team has struggled on certain tracks this year.
Still, his switch from Ferrari to Williams has been a successful one. In fact, he scored more points last season than he did with Ferrari since 2010, despite finishing the year just 7th overall.
During the Red Bull-dominated seasons, it was hard for him to out-race the likes of Vettel, Webber, his own team mate as well as the McLaren-Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. Yet he was always there on their tail, hardly ever falling back towards the middle of the pack.
While some may have expected Bottas’ rising star to eclipse Massa completely this season, I for one am glad that didn’t happen. The stronger the field is, the more fun it is for the fans, and Massa is certainly almost always in the mix for a high point finish.
With Belgium and Italy up next, I’m willing to bet that Williams are going to bounce back as a team and take the fight back to Ferrari. As for Bottas and his development, having Massa as a teammate will only serve to push him to be better – which is what you want basically when you’re trying to get the best out of a young driver.
Also, it’s important to remember that Massa is 34 years old, so he carries a lot of experience but it’s unlikely he’s going to call it quits tomorrow. Next year should certainly not be his last and rumors have already surfaced of him staying with Williams beyond this season. As for his legacy, even though he won’t go down as one of the greatest ever, his consistency and overall skill have already cemented his status as elite.
It would also be nice to see him win another Grand Prix, which is something he hasn’t been able to accomplish since 2008.
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