Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa
Born	April 25, 1981 (age 45); São Paulo, Brazil
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	2002–2017 (Formula One)
Known for	Formula One racing driver, runner-up in 2008 World Drivers' Championship

Felipe Massa (born 25 April 1981) is a professional Brazilian racing driver currently active in the Stock Car Pro Series with TMG and competing in the IMSA SportsCar Championship representing Riley Technologies. Massa's Formula One career spanned from to , during which he finished as the runner-up in the World Drivers' Championship in while driving for Ferrari, securing 11 Grand Prix victories over 15 seasons.

Originating from São Paulo, Massa started karting at the age of eight and advanced through various junior racing categories, capturing titles in both Formula Chevrolet and Formula Renault. In 2001, he clinched the Euro Formula 3000 Championship with Draco Racing. Massa made his Formula One debut with Sauber in , partnering alongside Nick Heidfeld. After serving a year as Ferrari’s test driver, he returned to Sauber for the 2004–2005 seasons before moving to Ferrari in , where he teamed up with Michael Schumacher. His maiden victory came at the Grand Prix, marking him as the first Brazilian since Ayrton Senna to triumph on home soil. Throughout the fiercely contested 2007 season, Massa won several races and secured six wins in , narrowly missing out on the championship by a single point to Lewis Hamilton. He later initiated legal proceedings against the FIA concerning the controversial 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, asserting that it impacted the championship’s final result.

In , Massa endured a severe head injury during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix, which sidelined him for the remainder of that season. Upon his return in , he partnered Fernando Alonso at Ferrari and briefly led the championship before a decline in team performance. Following his departure from Ferrari after the 2013 season—during which he contributed to two World Constructors’ Championships—Massa joined Williams Racing from 2014 to 2017. There, he earned multiple podium finishes and achieved his first pole position in six years at the 2014 Austrian Grand Prix. Though initially set to retire at the close of 2016, he extended his career into 2017 after teammate Nico Rosberg’s unexpected retirement, concluding his F1 tenure with a record of 11 wins, 16 poles, 15 fastest laps, and 41 podiums.

After leaving Formula One, Massa competed in Formula E for Venturi between 2018 and 2020 and has been active in Brazil’s Stock Car Pro Series since 2018. In addition, he entered the Porsche Carrera Cup Brasil in 2020. Beyond racing, Massa organized the charity kart event Desafio Internacional das Estrelas until 2014 and served as president of the Commission Internationale de Karting from 2017 through 2022.

Early life

Felipe Massa was born in São Paulo and grew up in Botucatu, located within São Paulo’s countryside region. He possesses Italian heritage through his grandparents who emigrated from Cerignola, Foggia, Italy.

Beginning his karting journey at eight years old, Massa finished fourth during his debut season. After spending seven years competing nationally and internationally in karting, he transitioned to Formula Chevrolet in 1998, placing fifth in Brazil’s championship before winning it outright the following year with three race victories.

In 2000, Massa moved to Europe to participate in the Italian Formula Renault championship, where he secured both Italian and European titles. Opting against advancing to Formula Three, he instead chose to compete in Euro Formula 3000, dominating by winning six out of eight races and claiming the championship crown in 2001. This achievement earned him a Formula One test opportunity with Sauber, who subsequently signed him for their 2002 lineup. Additionally, Massa made appearances as a guest driver for Alfa Romeo during the European Touring Car Championship.

Sauber (2002, 2004–2005)

During his debut Formula 1 season, Massa raced alongside 1999 International Formula 3000 champion Nick Heidfeld. Although he made some errors, he managed to accumulate 4 championship points, with his highest finish being fifth at the Grand Prix. Following a grid penalty incident at the , he was temporarily replaced by Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Massa made a comeback for the , but Sauber confirmed Frentzen and Heidfeld as their drivers for , leaving Massa without a race seat. Subsequently, he gained valuable experience as a test driver for Ferrari.

Sauber brought Massa back for , where he contributed 12 of the team's total 34 points, including a notable fourth place at the Grand Prix. He remained with Sauber in , scoring 11 points and outperforming teammate Jacques Villeneuve. In a 2022 interview, Massa disclosed that BMW offered him a three-year contract after acquiring Sauber; however, Ferrari exercised their option to sign him for 2006 to replace departing driver Rubens Barrichello. As a result, Massa left Sauber, with Heidfeld taking his seat, and joined Ferrari alongside Michael Schumacher.

2006

Massa secured second on the grid at the 2006 Bahrain Grand Prix and impressively recovered from 21st to finish fifth in Malaysia, outpacing teammate Michael Schumacher. Despite experiencing spins in Bahrain and crashing during qualifying in Australia, he achieved his first podium finish at the Nürburgring by coming third behind Schumacher and Alonso. Throughout the season, he earned four additional podiums, claimed his first Formula One pole position, and recorded his maiden victory at the 2006 Turkish Grand Prix.

Initially intended as a one-year driver, Massa’s future was solidified following Schumacher’s retirement announcement. He triumphed in his home race in Brazil—the first Brazilian winner there since Ayrton Senna in 1993. Massa completed the season third overall with 80 points, trailing champion Alonso and runner-up Schumacher.

2007

Massa demonstrated strong form during pre-season testing by setting five fastest times and recording four fastest laps but encountered early difficulties in 2007. A gearbox malfunction and engine replacement at the Australian GP relegated him to 22nd on the starting grid; nevertheless, he finished sixth employing a one-stop strategy. In Malaysia, despite earning pole position, he ended fifth after losing ground to McLaren drivers Alonso and Hamilton.

His performance improved as the season progressed with victories in Bahrain and Spain from pole position, a third-place finish in Monaco, and a disqualification in Canada due to a pit lane infringement. Massa also won the Turkish Grand Prix and secured six more podium finishes, including second place at his home Brazilian GP where he yielded to teammate Kimi Räikkönen, who clinched the world title. Massa concluded the year fourth in the standings with 94 points.

In October 2007, Massa extended his contract with Ferrari through to 2010.

2008

Ferrari faced challenges at the 2008 Australian Grand Prix; Massa qualified fourth but retired after spinning on the first lap followed by an engine failure. In Malaysia, he claimed pole position by half a second over Räikkönen and led early but spun while pursuing his teammate.

At Bahrain, Massa overtook pole-sitter Robert Kubica at the start and secured victory by three seconds, marking his first points of the season. In Spain, he qualified third and finished second behind Räikkönen. Massa repeated pole position and victory in Turkey, resisting pressure from Lewis Hamilton's McLaren despite strategic hurdles.

In Monaco’s changing conditions, Massa led from pole but ultimately finished third after mistakes and strategy choices favored Hamilton and Kubica. A fueling problem caused a double pit stop in Canada that dropped him to 17th; however, he recovered to fifth place, gaining ground as some rivals retired.

Massa took victory in France after passing a struggling Räikkönen and assumed the championship lead—the first Brazilian to do so since Ayrton Senna in 1993. His fortunes declined at the British Grand Prix with his poorest qualifying performance followed by multiple spins in wet conditions resulting in a 13th-place finish. By midseason, Massa was level on points (48) with Hamilton and Räikkönen.

In Germany, confusion during safety car deployment and pit stops cost him a better result; he finished third behind Hamilton. At Hungary, despite overtaking Hamilton early and leading comfortably, an engine failure forced him to retire. Massa bounced back by converting pole into victory at the European Grand Prix in Valencia, maintaining championship contention.

In Belgium, Massa inherited first place after Hamilton received a penalty for cutting a chicane, narrowing their points difference. Wet conditions limited him to sixth in Italy but kept him close as Hamilton finished seventh. At Singapore’s inaugural night race, a pit stop error coupled with penalties dropped Massa from leading positions down to 13th.

In Japan, qualifying fifth was followed by an incident with Hamilton on lap two that earned Massa a drive-through penalty; he finished eighth. Ferrari struggled for pace in China; Massa came third behind Hamilton and teammate Räikkönen but remained optimistic about maintaining title hopes.

Approaching the final race in Brazil seven points behind Hamilton, Massa secured pole position and dominated the rain-affected event with fastest lap honors. Hamilton’s late mistake briefly dropped him from fifth to sixth before recovering fifth on the final corner—just enough to win the Drivers’ Championship by one point over Massa. Had they been tied on points, Massa would have claimed the title due to having more wins.

Post-season reflections highlighted Massa’s growth from Ferrari’s secondary driver to a genuine contender for the championship. Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo commended his maturity and sportsmanship alongside his racing achievements.

2009

On 12 January 2009, Felipe Massa performed the initial shakedown for Ferrari's 2009 race car, the F60, at the Mugello track.

Ferrari integrated KERS into the F60 prior to the season's first race. During Friday practice sessions, Massa recorded the seventh and tenth best times, ultimately qualifying seventh (which was later upgraded to sixth following Glock’s disqualification). The team faced challenges with tyre durability, which compromised their bold super soft/medium/medium tyre strategy after just six laps. Massa maintained a position within the top three during the race’s early stages but was compelled to adopt a three-stop strategy due to severe tyre graining and eventually retired because of a mechanical issue.

At the Malaysian GP, a tactical misjudgment prevented Massa from advancing beyond Q1, resulting in a 16th place qualification. Both Massa and Ferrari mistakenly assumed his initial lap time was sufficient to move forward and opted not to push for additional laps, aiming to conserve engine life. In the rain-affected race, Massa finished ninth, narrowly missing out on points. The following events continued to be problematic: an electrical failure caused retirement in , while KERS malfunction and front-wing damage led to a 14th place finish in Bahrain.

The revamped F60 introduced at the Spanish GP corrected multiple previous weaknesses. Massa qualified fourth and maintained third position for most of the event until a fuel sensor malfunction forced him into unnecessary fuel-saving mode, allowing rivals Vettel and Alonso to overtake. Despite this setback, the updated car showed enhanced competitiveness, posting the third quickest time behind Brawn GP.

During the Monaco GP, Massa improved from an eighth-place qualifying spot to finish fourth, also setting the fastest lap of the race. At Nürburgring’s , he earned his first podium of the season by finishing third. Starting from fourth on the grid, he effectively managed fuel consumption and tyre wear while defending his position throughout.

Injury

On 25 July 2009, during the second qualifying round for the , Felipe Massa suffered a severe accident when a suspension spring detached from Rubens Barrichello's Brawn car at high velocity and struck him on the head. He collided head-first with a tyre barrier and was immediately airlifted to ÁEK hospital in Budapest where he underwent surgery near his left eye. Although initially described as "life-threatening but stable," his condition quickly improved. Massa was released from hospital within a week and returned to Brazil. Subsequent examinations revealed that a titanium plate needed to be implanted in his skull for safety reasons before resuming racing.

Ferrari approached seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher to fill in for Massa during his recovery; however, Schumacher’s return was halted due to existing neck injuries. Ferrari test driver Luca Badoer stepped in for both the European and Belgian Grands Prix but did not manage to score points. On 3 September 2009, Ferrari announced that Giancarlo Fisichella, previously a Ferrari test driver and former Force India racer, would replace Massa for the rest of the season.

To facilitate his comeback, Massa underwent neurological assessments overseen by the FIA medical delegate in Paris on 10 October 2009. Upon successfully passing these evaluations, Ferrari confirmed that he would drive a 2007 Formula One vehicle starting 12 October to regain race fitness. He later participated in waving the chequered flag at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix.

2010

Massa started the 2010 season on a strong note, securing second place in both qualifying and the race at the Bahrain Grand Prix, finishing behind his teammate Fernando Alonso despite conserving fuel during the final laps.

At the , Massa was named a director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. He qualified fifth and achieved third place in difficult weather conditions with several retirements, marking his best result in Melbourne. After an impressive recovery from 21st to 7th position in Malaysia, he briefly led the championship standings before slipping to sixth after finishing ninth at the Chinese Grand Prix.

In Spain, Massa qualified ninth and managed to finish sixth despite damage to his front wing. At the Monaco Grand Prix, he secured fourth on the grid and finished fourth in the race, moving up to fifth in the championship with 61 points. At the , where he had previously performed well, Massa ended seventh but out-qualified and outpaced Alonso. He described this race as "boring," fighting only for minor points against Renault drivers.

During the Canadian Grand Prix, Massa started seventh but spun Liuzzi several times and ultimately finished 15th. At the Valencia GP, he qualified fifth but finished 11th following a safety car period. At Silverstone, contact on lap one caused a puncture, resulting in a 15th-place finish.

The German GP brought controversy when Ferrari instructed Massa, who was leading early on, to let Alonso pass on lap 49, as directed by engineer Rob Smedley. Despite team principal Stefano Domenicali denying any wrongdoing, Ferrari was fined $100,000 for violating Sporting Regulations. Massa secured fourth place at both the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix, and achieved a podium with third place at the Italian GP.

At the Singapore GP, gearbox problems relegated Massa to last on the grid, but he recovered to finish eighth. He collided with Vitantonio Liuzzi at the start of the Japanese GP but later earned third place at the Korean GP. The season ended with disappointing results: 15th in Brazil and tenth in Abu Dhabi, leaving him sixth overall in the Drivers' Championship.

In June, Massa renewed his contract with Ferrari through to the conclusion of 2012.

2011

Massa remained with Scuderia Ferrari for , continuing alongside teammate Fernando Alonso. He unveiled the new Ferrari 150º Italia during a shakedown run at the Fiorano Circuit on 29 January 2011.

At the , Massa qualified eighth, trailing Alonso by over six-tenths of a second. He gained several positions early in the race, running as high as fifth before finishing ninth—later upgraded to seventh following disqualifications. In the , he started seventh and finished ahead of Alonso in fifth despite experiencing a slow pit stop. Massa demonstrated competitive pace in China, briefly challenging for victory before settling for sixth place, finishing more than fifteen seconds ahead of Alonso. A slow pit stop contributed to an 11th-place finish in Turkey, and a gearbox failure forced retirement in Spain. In Monaco, Massa collided with Lewis Hamilton and crashed shortly afterward.

During the Canadian GP, Massa overtook Kamui Kobayashi on the final lap to claim sixth place. He then achieved three consecutive fifth-place finishes at Valencia, Silverstone—where he engaged in a late battle with Hamilton—and Germany, where a slower pit stop cost him fourth place to Sebastian Vettel. Additionally, he finished sixth in Hungary.

Throughout 2011, Massa out-qualified Alonso only twice, including at Belgium where he dropped from fourth to eighth during the race. At the Italian GP, after being spun by Mark Webber, he recovered to finish sixth. In Singapore, Hamilton punctured Massa’s tyre while overtaking and was penalized with a drive-through penalty. This incident followed aggressive qualifying conduct by Hamilton that Massa publicly criticized and addressed sarcastically after the race. Notably, Massa's engineer instructed him over radio to "Hold Hamilton as much as we can. Destroy his race as much as we can."

Their rivalry persisted in Japan when a collision damaged Massa’s front wing; he finished seventh and called on the FIA for stricter penalties against Hamilton. After securing sixth place in Korea, Massa suffered a suspension failure during Indian GP qualifying causing a crash; during the race he collided again with Hamilton, received a drive-through penalty, and retired due to damage from hitting a kerb.

Massa wrapped up 2011 with two fifth-place finishes in Abu Dhabi and Brazil.

2012

Following a challenging 2011 season, Massa continued his tenure with Ferrari into 2012. At the , he qualified in 16th place, trailing teammate Alonso’s twelfth position by a full second—marking his poorest qualifying result since the 2010 Singapore Grand Prix. Massa gained six positions during the opening lap but was hindered by tyre wear and eventually retired after colliding with Williams driver Bruno Senna; both drivers concurred it was a racing incident. During , Massa qualified 12th and finished 15th, more than a minute behind race winner Alonso, leaving him 19th in the Championship standings while Alonso led with 35 points. Meanwhile, Sauber’s Sergio Pérez secured second place, fueling rumors about Pérez potentially replacing Massa.

Massa secured thirteenth place at before earning his first points of the season by finishing ninth at . In Spain, he began from sixteenth on the grid and ended fifteenth; Alonso managed to finish second despite serving a drive-through penalty. Massa achieved sixth place in Monaco and completed Canada’s race in tenth after an early spin.

After contact with Kobayashi during the restart, Massa was classified 16th in Valencia. At Silverstone, he qualified fifth and finished fourth, outperforming Alonso who started on pole but finished second. He placed twelfth in Hockenheim following a collision with Daniel Ricciardo on lap one and secured ninth in Hungary. Starting 14th at Spa, Massa advanced to fifth place, earning ten points and moving up to eleventh in the championship alongside Michael Schumacher.

Massa recorded his best qualifying result of the year with third place at Monza, ultimately finishing fourth after being overtaken late by Alonso and Pérez. At Suzuka, despite starting tenth due to another driver’s gearbox penalty, he capitalized on Alonso's early retirement to claim second—his first podium finish since 2010. He qualified sixth for Korea and maintained competitive pace to finish fourth after passing key rivals but was instructed to hold position to support Alonso’s title bid.

On 16 October 2012, Massa extended his contract with Ferrari for an additional year through 2013, reflecting his improved form. In India, he qualified and finished sixth despite challenges related to fuel conservation and pressure from Räikkönen. At Abu Dhabi, starting eighth due to Vettel’s penalty, he reached as high as seventh but spun while battling Mark Webber, ultimately finishing seventh.

At the US Grand Prix, Massa outqualified Alonso for only the second time that season but was demoted to eleventh on the grid following a gearbox seal change that favored Alonso’s starting position. He delivered a strong performance to finish fourth. In the final race of the season in Brazil, Massa once again outqualified Alonso to start fifth and briefly climbed to second before falling back to eleventh amid strategic errors during changing weather conditions. A safety car period enabled him to recover to second place; however, he yielded to Alonso and concluded the race third on home soil—capping a robust second half of the campaign.

2013

Massa commenced the 2013 season positively with Ferrari’s new F138 car, qualifying fourth at the , ahead of teammate Alonso, and finishing fourth in the race. At the Malaysian Grand Prix, Massa secured a front-row start by outqualifying Alonso for the fourth consecutive time. Despite a poor launch and an initial stint on intermediate tyres, he recovered well on slicks to finish fifth. In China, he qualified fifth but finished sixth after pitting later than the leaders despite showing early pace. During Bahrain’s race weekend, Massa qualified sixth but ended up fifteenth due to an unsuccessful hard tyre strategy compounded by two punctures.

At the Spanish Grand Prix, Massa received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Mark Webber but recovered from ninth on the grid to finish third—his first podium of the season—elevating him to fifth in the Drivers' Championship.

In Monaco, Massa endured a severe crash during third practice caused by brake lock-up which prevented him from qualifying. Starting from 21st on race day, he suffered another similar crash during the event. Initially attributed to driver error, Ferrari later identified suspension failure as the root cause. He then scored eighth place in Canada and sixth in Britain. In Germany, a gearbox failure led him to spin out after climbing to sixth position. At Hungary, Massa struggled with an uncompetitive car setup; he qualified seventh and finished eighth.

In Belgium’s qualifying session under wet conditions, Massa briefly led Q3 and appeared poised for pole position but was kept in the garage as Ferrari believed his time sufficient; as track conditions improved, he slipped down to tenth. He finished seventh in that race behind Alonso. At Ferrari’s home event in Italy, Massa qualified fourth ahead of Alonso and made an assertive start overtaking drivers including Mark Webber and Nico Hülkenberg—who was among those considered as potential replacements for Massa in 2014. During the race, Massa ceded position back to Alonso and concluded fourth following strategic pit stops.

On 10 September 2013, Massa announced via social media that he would depart Ferrari at season’s end. The next day it was confirmed that former teammate Kimi Räikkönen would take over his seat for 2014.

2014

On 11 November 2013, Williams revealed that Felipe Massa would join Valtteri Bottas as their driver lineup for the upcoming season, taking over from Pastor Maldonado.

Massa's 2014 campaign started with difficulties, including collisions and errors during pit stops. Nevertheless, he achieved his first pole position since 2008 at the Grand Prix and finished the race in fourth place. Early incidents in races at Britain and Germany prematurely ended his participation. On 7 September 2014, Williams confirmed that both Massa and Bottas would continue with the team for . That same day, Massa secured his inaugural podium for Williams by finishing third in Italy. He added another podium finish at the Brazilian Grand Prix and concluded the season strongly with a second-place result in Abu Dhabi, marking one of his standout performances of the year.

2015

Massa began the season with a fourth-place finish in Australia, followed by solid results in Malaysia and China. Mechanical troubles in Bahrain and Canada forced him to recover from unfavorable grid positions but he still managed to score points. His first podium of the year came in Austria where he finished third. At the British Grand Prix, he led during early laps before settling for fourth place.

A penalty at Hungary contributed to Massa finishing twelfth. After the summer break, he qualified sixth in Belgium and maintained that position despite challenges with tyre wear. At Monza, following Rosberg’s retirement, Massa earned another podium by finishing third—an emotional moment celebrated by passionate Italian fans.

In Singapore, a pit stop mishap led to a collision with Nico Hülkenberg, resulting in Massa retiring due to gearbox failure. The Japanese Grand Prix saw an early crash with Daniel Ricciardo which relegated him to seventeenth place and hindered his championship aspirations.

Despite qualifying only fifteenth in Russia, Massa capitalized on others’ misfortunes to finish fourth. In Austin’s heavy rain conditions, a collision with Fernando Alonso caused damage leading to retirement from gearbox issues. Returning to Mexico after 23 years, Massa qualified seventh and ended the race sixth.

At his home race in Brazil, setup difficulties limited him to eighth place before disqualification due to tyre temperature infringements. He wrapped up the season eighth in Abu Dhabi after overtaking Daniil Kvyat. Overall, Massa concluded sixth in the drivers’ standings with two podiums secured in Austria and Italy.

2016

The season opened positively for Massa as he qualified sixth and finished fifth in Australia, earning ten points. In Bahrain, after qualifying seventh and a strong start, a conservative two-stop strategy on medium tyres hampered his progress resulting in eighth place. At the Chinese Grand Prix, Massa started eleventh due to a red flag but recovered to sixth using a two-stop approach. In Russia, he qualified fifth (upgraded to fourth following Vettel’s penalty) and finished fifth.

Massa faced difficulties in Spain where he was eliminated in Q1 for the first time since 2014 but managed an eighth-place finish employing an aggressive three-stop strategy. A practice crash at Monaco led to a fourteenth-place qualifying; he finished tenth under wet conditions, extending his streak of scoring points at every race. In Canada, a practice accident caused by DRS malfunction affected his weekend; though qualifying eighth, he retired due to engine overheating caused by a water leak. At Azerbaijan’s inaugural European Grand Prix, Massa qualified sixth but dropped to tenth because of rear tyre graining.

The subsequent four races were plagued by misfortune. In Austria, starting from the pit lane after front wing damage, he retired due to brake issues despite making progress into point-scoring positions. Silverstone’s wet track disadvantaged Williams; Massa finished eleventh. Hungary proved challenging with eighteenth-place qualifying and race finishes after aquaplaning incidents and steering rack problems impaired performance. In Germany, he qualified tenth but retired on lap 36 following damage sustained from contact on the opening lap.

At Belgium, Massa qualified tenth and finished tenth after tyre degradation despite climbing as high as fourth early on. On 1 September 2016, Massa announced that he would retire from Formula One at the conclusion of the season.

Following this announcement, Massa qualified eleventh in Italy and finished ninth after overtaking three competitors. In Singapore, yellow flags impeded his qualifying efforts; he ended the race twelfth after an unsuccessful three-stop strategy. Technical difficulties delayed his start at Malaysia while a slow puncture further compromised his race; recovering from nineteenth on the grid, he finished thirteenth. In Japan, starting twelfth on medium tyres with a one-stop plan, Massa secured ninth place.

In Austin, qualifying ninth and gaining two positions at the start, Massa was involved in a late-race incident with Alonso causing a puncture; he rallied to finish seventh—the best result since Russia. At Mexico, beginning ninth on the grid, he advanced early to sixth and held ninth for much of the race despite pressure from Pérez.

During Brazil’s wet home Grand Prix—anticipated as his final race—Massa qualified thirteenth under cold conditions and made significant progress before crashing on lap 47. He received an emotional farewell from fans and team members upon leaving the circuit.

2017

On 16 January 2017, Massa made his return to Williams following Valtteri Bottas's transfer to Mercedes. During the opening race of the season at the Australian Grand Prix, he secured seventh on the grid and ended the race in sixth place. In China at the Chinese Grand Prix, Massa qualified sixth but encountered difficult conditions that saw him finish 14th. At the Bahrain Grand Prix, he started from eighth and completed the race in sixth, while at the Russian Grand Prix, punctures caused him to slip from a promising sixth on the grid to ninth by race end.

During the Spanish Grand Prix, Massa began ninth but a collision with Fernando Alonso led to a puncture, relegating him to 13th. In Monaco, despite qualifying only 15th due to yellow flag interruptions, he managed to climb to ninth and scored points. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Massa qualified seventh but was eliminated early after contact with Carlos Sainz Jr..

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Massa qualified ninth, trailing teammate Lance Stroll and ahead of eventual winner Daniel Ricciardo. He advanced to third place during the race by overtaking several key competitors but was forced to retire on lap 25 because of a broken rear damper—a mechanical failure that both Williams’ CTO Paddy Lowe and Massa felt deprived him of a potential victory.

Massa earned points with ninth and tenth-place finishes at the following two races in Austria and Britain. After missing the Hungarian Grand Prix due to illness, he returned to secure eighth place in both the Belgian and Italian Grands Prix. Strategic errors in Singapore resulted in an 11th-place finish, but he bounced back by scoring points with ninth in Malaysia, tenth in Japan, and ninth at the United States Grand Prix.

On 4 November, Massa declared his intention to retire from Formula One for a second time at the conclusion of the season.

At his home event, the Brazilian Grand Prix, he delivered a strong performance finishing seventh after overtaking Fernando Alonso early on, though later he was passed by Daniel Ricciardo and Lewis Hamilton.

The 2017 campaign proved difficult for Williams due to insufficient downforce that negatively impacted tyre degradation and poor performance in wet conditions, exemplified by Massa’s drop from sixth to outside the points in China. Despite a promising start ahead of midfield competitors such as Force India, Williams fell behind during midseason development.

Formula E

In April 2018, Massa transitioned into Formula E competition by signing a three-year deal with Venturi Grand Prix, commencing with the 2018–19 Formula E season. On the final day of the 2019–20 Formula E season, he opted not to extend his contract and departed from Formula E racing.

Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil

One month following his exit from Formula E, Massa participated in the endurance segment of the Porsche GT3 Cup Brasil series alongside 2016 champion Lico Kaesemodel, achieving a third-place finish.

Stock Car Pro Series

Following his stint in Formula E, Massa made a full-time return to Brazilian motorsport by joining the Stock Car Pro Series with the Lubrax Podium squad. Although he faced early challenges, his results notably advanced throughout the 2023 Stock Car Pro Series, where he earned podium finishes at both Interlagos and Autódromo Velo Città. He also claimed his first victory since the 2008 Formula One finale at Autódromo Internacional de Cascavel.

Career summary

align=left Formula One align=left Formula One

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1998	Formula Chevrolet Brazil	?	?	?	?	?	?	?	5th
1999	Formula Chevrolet Brazil	Team MasterCard	10	3	?	?	?	?	1st
2000	Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup	Cram Competition	9	3	?	?	4	140	1st
2000	Formula Renault 2000 Italy	Cram Competition	8	4	4	3	5	147	1st
2001	Euro Formula 3000	Draco Junior Team	8	6	6	5	6	60	1st
	European Supertouring Championship	Team Nordauto	4	0	0	0	0	71	23rd
	2002	Formula One	Sauber Petronas	16	0	0	0	0	4	13th
2003	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro	Test driver
2004	Formula One	Sauber Petronas	18	0	0	0	0	12	12th
2005	Formula One	Sauber Petronas	19	0	0	0	0	11	13th
2006	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro	18	2	3	2	7	80	3rd
2007	Formula One	Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro	17	3	6	6 10 94 4th \|- !2008 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro \| 18 \| 6 \| 6 \| 3 \| 10 \| 97 \| style="background:#DFDFDF;" 2nd \|- !2009 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro \| 10 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 1 \| 22 \| 11th \| - !2010 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left nowrap Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro \| 19 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 5 \| 144 \| 6th \| - !2011 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left Scuderia Ferrari \| 19 \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| 0 \| 118 \| 6th \|- !2012 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left Scuderia Ferrari \| 20 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 2 \| 122 \| 7th \|- !2013 \| align=left Formula One \| align=left Scuderia Ferrari \| 19 \| 0 \| 0 \| 0 \| 1 \| 112 \| 8th \|- !2014 \| align=left Formula One	align=left Williams Martini Racing \| 19	0	1	1	3	134	7th
align=left Williams Martini Racing \| 19	0	0	0	2	121	6th
align=left Williams Martini Racing \| 21	0	0	0	0	53	11th
2017	align=left [[2017 FIA Formula One World Championship	Formula One]]	align=left nowrap [[Williams Grand Prix Engineering	Williams Martini Racing]]	20	0	0	0	0	43	11th
2018	align=left [[2018 Stock Car Brasil Championship	Stock Car Brasil]]	align=left [[Cimed Racing	Cimed Chevrolet Team]]	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC†
2018–19	align=left [[2018-2019 Formula E season	Formula E]]	align=left [[Venturi Grand Prix	Venturi Formula E Team]]	13	0	0	0	1	36	15th
nowrap 2029–20	align = left [[2019–20 Formula E season	Formula E]]	align = left [[Venturi Grand Prix	ROKiT Venturi Racing]]	11	0	0	0	0	3	22nd
20200	Porsche Endurance Series	?	3	00	00	00	00	166	5th
20201	[[2021 Stock Car Brasil Championship	Stock Car Brasil]]	[[R.Mattheis Motorsport	Lubrax Podium]]	24	00	00	00	00	88	24th
20202	[[2022 Stock Car Pro Series	Stock Car Pro Series]]	[[R.Mattheis Motorsport	Lubrax Podium]]	22	00	00	00	00	98	24th
20203	[[2023 Stock Car Pro Series	Stock Car Pro Series]]	[[TMG Racing	Lubrax Podium]]	24	2	00	00	5	224	10th
rowspan =2 20204	align = left [[2024 Stock Car Pro Series	Stock Car Pro Series]]	align = left TMG Racing	24	1	00	1	7	885	style="background:#DFDFDF;" 2nd
align = left nowrap [[2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship	IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	Riley Technologies	Riley	1	00	00	00	1	328	39th
rowspan =2 20205	Stock Car Pro Series	TMG Racing	7	00	00	00	00	63	29th*
IMSA SportsCar Championship - LMP2	Riley	Riley Technologies	1	00	00	00	1	343	15th*

^† As Massa participated as a guest driver, he was not eligible to score points.
^* Season currently underway.

Full Formula Renault 2000 Italia Results

(key) (Entries in bold denote pole position; entries in italics signify fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Final Position	Points
2000	Cram Competition	IMO 1	MAG Ret	VAR Ret	MNZ 1	VLL 14	VLL 1	PER 3	BIN	MIS	VAL 1	1st	147

Full Euro Formula 3000 Results

(key) (Entries in bold indicate pole position; entries in italics mark fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Final Position	Points Earned
2001	Draco Junior Team	VLL 1	PER 1	MNZ 1	DON 8	ZOL Ret	IMO 1	NÜR 1	VAL 1	1st	60

Full European Supertouring Championship Results

(key)

Year	Team Name	Vehicle Model	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Final Standing	Points Total
2001	Team Nordauto	Alfa Romeo 156	MNZ 1	MNZ 2	BRN 1	BRN 2	MAG 1	MAG 2	SIL 1	SIL 2	ZOL 1	ZOL 2	HUN 1	HUN 2	A1R 1	A1R 2	NÜR 1	NÜR 2	JAR 1 14	JAR 2 6	EST 1 5	EST 2 Ret	23rd	71

Comprehensive Formula One Results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; those in italics represent fastest laps)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	WDC	Points
Template:F1	Sauber Petronas	Sauber C21	Petronas 02A 3.0 V10	AUS Ret	MAL 6	BRA Ret	SMR 8	ESP 5	AUT Ret	MON Ret	CAN 9	EUR 6	GBR 9	FRA Ret	GER 7	HUN 7	BEL Ret	ITA Ret	USA	JPN Ret					13th	4

Note: Drivers who did not complete the race but covered over 90% of the total distance are still classified.

Comprehensive Formula E Results

(key) (Pole positions are shown in bold; fastest laps appear in italics)

Year	Team	Chassis	Powertrain	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Pos	Points
2018–19	Venturi Formula E Team	Spark SRT05e	Venturi VFE05	ADR 17	MRK 18	SCL Ret	MEX 8	HKG 5	SYX 10	RME Ret	PAR 9	MCO 3	BER 15	BRN 8	(NYC) Race 1 16†	(NYC) Race 2 15	15th	36
nowrap \| 2019–20	nowrap \| ROKiT Venturi Racing	nowrap \| Spark SRT05e	nowrap \| Mercedes-Benz EQ Silver Arrow 01	style="background:#CFCFFF;" \| DIR Race 1 12	style="background:#CFCFFF;" \| DIR Race 2 18	style="background:#DFFFDF;" \| (SCL) Santiago ePrix 9	style="background:#EFCFFF;" \| (MEX) Mexico City ePrix Ret	style="background:#CFCFFF;" \| (MRK) Marrakesh ePrix 17	style="background:#EFCFFF;" \| (BER) Berlin ePrix Ret

† Denotes a driver who did not finish but was classified for completing more than 90% of the race distance.

Full Stock Car Pro Series results

(key) (Entries in bold denote pole positions; entries in italics indicate fastest laps)

Year	Team	Vehicle	Race Results

2018 Stock Car Brasil Championship	Cimed Racing	Chevrolet Cruze	13\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|22\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	NC†	0†
2021 Stock Car Brasil Championship	Lubrax Podium	Chevrolet Cruze	25\|\|17\|\|15\|\|7\|\|Ret\|\|Ret\|\|16\|\|15\|\|16\|\|13\|\|23\|\|Ret\|\|13\|\|Ret\|\|13\|\|26\|\|20\|\|Ret\|\|20\|\|17\|\|Ret\|\|19\|\|\|\|\|\|	24th	88
2022 Stock Car Pro Series	Lubrax Podium	Chevrolet Cruze	26\|\|21\|\|15\|\|6\|\|22\|\|17\|\|12\|\|20\|\|16\|\|Ret\|\|\|DNS\|\|8\|\|8\|\|21\|\|19\|\|Ret\|\|17\|\|24\|\|Ret\|\|Ret\|\|15\|\|6\|\|	24th	98
2023 Stock Car Pro Series	TMG Racing	Chevrolet Cruze	21\|\|Ret\|\|16\|\|Ret\|\|20\|\|11\|\|23\|\|12\|\|\|3\|\|2\|\|12\|\|11\|\|12\|\|21\|\|17\|\|Ret\|\|\|12\|\|\|7\|\|\|2\|\|\|9\|\|\|1\|\|\|14\|\|\|1\|\|	10th	224
2024 Stock Car Pro Series	TMG Racing	Chevrolet Cruze	23\|\|2\|\|1\|\|C \|\|2 \|\|15 \|\|16 \|\|6 \|\|25 \|\|4 \|\|9 \|\|7 \|\|2 \|\|13 \|\|9 \|\|DSQ \|\|DSQ \|\|3 \|\|3 \|\|21 \|\|4 \|\|14 \|\|13 \|\|5 \|\|2 \|\| 2nd	885
2025 Stock Car Pro Series	TMG Racing	Chevrolet Tracker	Ret \|\|16 \|\|22 \|\|Ret \|\|Ret \|\|6 \|\|Ret \|\| \|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|\|	29th*	63*

^† Guest competitor, not eligible for points. ^* Current season in progress.

Full IMSA SportsCar Championship results

(key) (bold races indicate pole position; italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Category	Car Model	Engine Type	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Overall Rank	Points Earned
2024	Riley	LMP2	Oreca 07	Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8	DAY 3	SEB	WGL	MOS	ELK	IMS	PET	39th	328
2025	Riley	LMP2	Oreca 07	Gibson GK428 V8	DAY 2	SEB	WGL	MOS	ELK	IMS	PET	15th*	343*

Personal life

On 30 November 2007, Felipe Massa wed Anna Raffaela Bassi in their hometown of São Paulo, Brazil. Their son, Felipinho (Bassi Massa), was born exactly two years later on 30 November 2009.

Massa has an ongoing professional partnership with Swiss luxury watchmaker Richard Mille, who has honored him with several dedicated timepieces including the RM-005FM and RM-011 models. His career is managed by Nicolas Todt, son of former Ferrari team boss and FIA president Jean Todt.

Although a fan of Brazilian football club São Paulo Futebol Clube, Massa also supports Turkish side Fenerbahçe, a loyalty shaped by his friendship with coach Zico and his racing achievements in Turkey.

Between 2005 and 2014, Massa hosted the annual charity karting event Desafio Internacional das Estrelas, which drew top Brazilian racers along with international stars such as Michael Schumacher and Jeff Gordon.

He led the Commission Internationale de Karting as president from December 2017 until 2022, after which he assumed the presidency of the FIA Drivers' Commission.

On 18 September 2012, Massa took part in a Ferrari world record gathering at Silverstone Circuit where a total of 964 Ferrari cars assembled in front of an audience of approximately 25,000 spectators. The event featured Massa’s own 2008 Ferrari F2008 driven by test driver Marc Gené.

Massa is recognized for his devout Catholic beliefs.

Litigation concerning the 2008 F1 championship

In an interview conducted in March 2023, former Formula One Group CEO Bernie Ecclestone disclosed that both he and then-FIA president Max Mosley were aware of Renault's intentional interference in the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. Ecclestone mentioned that they possessed enough evidence to launch an inquiry and had the authority to cancel the event, a decision that would have influenced the championship in favor of Felipe Massa instead of Lewis Hamilton. Nevertheless, they opted against taking action to "safeguard the sport and prevent a major scandal." After this revelation, Massa initiated consideration of legal measures to dispute the 2008 title results. By August, Massa and his legal representatives issued a Letter Before Claim directed at the FIA and FOM.

Helmet

Massa's helmet design incorporated a blue foundation with fluorescent yellow X-shaped patterns on the sides and a yellow triangle on the upper section, shaded with a green gradient. Up until 2010 during his tenure at Ferrari, it also featured a white ring encircling the top. The yellow X tips were more detailed in 2008. In 2011, the yellow triangle extended fully across the upper front area, complemented by two blue stripes along the sides. To commemorate his 100th race for Ferrari at the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, Massa's helmet displayed a chrome and gold prancing horse atop, surrounded by 100 smaller horses symbolizing each Ferrari race he had participated in, enhanced with gold, blue, and green accents.

External links