Felipe Massa (25th April 1981) is a driver of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro team. His contract with the team is valid till the year of 2010. Starting his career with Sauber, his great performance made him a member of the Ferrari team.
Beginning of career
Massa of Brazil has roots in the city of Cerignola in Italy. His passion for cars and racing made him join karting when he was just eight years old. In his first season he came fourth. For the next 7 years he was involved in the national as well as international championships.
In 1998 he joined Formula Chevrolet and scored the fifth position in the Brazilian Championship. In the following year, Felipe won the European Formula Renault as well as the Italian Formula Renault. He then participated in the Euro Series of Formula 3000, where he won 6 of the 8 races he took part in.
Career in Formula One
Massa’s career in Formula One began in the year of 2002, when Sauber had signed him for the same. In his first season, Nick Heidfeld, the F3000 champion of 1999, was his teammate. With his driving skills as well as mistakes in the performance, Massa could achieve 4 champion points in the season. He also became the 5th champion of the Spanish Grand Prix of the year.
In the year of 2003, Massa was replaced by Frentzen at Sauber. However, by this time he had gained enough experience of the Formula One by being a member of the Sauber team. Being guided by Ferrari, Sauber had signed Massa once again for the season of 2004. In this season, Massa’s performance was outstanding, as he had achieved 12 out of 34 points of Sauber.
Massa continued with Sauber in the following season of 2005 as well. Though the total points scored by him were only 11, he had taken the place of his team member Jacques Villeneuve and accomplished the drivers’ championship. Finally, in 2006, Felipe Massa joined the team of Ferrari. His prior experience had indeed helped in joining it.
Career with Ferrari
In his first season with the Ferrari in 2006, his teammate was none other than the most famous Michael Schumacher. Felipe made a great beginning with the Ferrari by acquiring the second position in the opening race in Bahrain. His great performance made him shift from the 21st position to the 5th in Malaysia. Thus he made a higher score than Schumacher, who began from the 14th position.
Massa came third after Schumacher and Fernando Alonso at the Nurburgring. He also made a record of fastest lap in Barcelona. Winning the Turkish Grand Prix and British Grand Prix of the same year added milestones to his career. Thus his position with the team of Ferrari was secured.
Though in 2007 also he made fastest lap records, Massa faced a great number of problems in the season. However, he did make subsequent improvements as well. He received victory in the Spain Grand Prix, Turkish Grand Prix as well as Bahrain Grand Prix. He came second in the Brazilian Grand Prix and third in the Monaco Grand Prix. Thus, in 2007, his total points counted to 94 and his rank was four among all the racers.
Felipe Massa is a brilliant racer, who has a total of 201 points in his records and continues to stay with Ferrari for the Formula One till 2010.
