Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa born in São Paulo Brazil on the 25th of April 1981. His grandfather came to Brazil from the city of Cerignola, Italy. Therefore Felipe Massa has a little Italian blood from his family. His height 166cm and weight 59kg.

Massa began karting when he was 8 years old. Finished fourth in his first season of the São Paulo Micro Kart cat. He continued in national and international championships for seven years. Sixth the following year and third in 1993.

And in 1998 he moved into Formula Chevrolet and debut in Formula Chevrolet with a fifth place finish in the Brazilian Championship only to clinch the title the following season. In the next season, he won 3 of 10 races and took the championship.

In 2000, he moved to the Italian Formula Renault Series. He took victory in the same year. 2001 saw yet another highlight in his career when he won the European F3000 championship with one race remaining.

He was offered an F1 test with the Sauber Formula 1 team in 2002. Massa scored 4 championship points in his first season. His best result was 5th place at the Spanish Grand Prix at he Circuit de Catalunya. In the meantime he drove for Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship as a guest driver.

At the end of the 2002 after claiming a total of four points, team boss Peter Sauber recommended that rather than going on to race for another team in 2003. Felipe should take the opportunity to join Ferrari as a guest driver in order to become even more familiar with the technical aspects of Formula One.

After a year of testing for Ferrari team, Felipe returned to the Sauber Petronas squad with the signing of a two years contract that saw him partner Giancarlo Fisichella in 2004 and former world champion Jacques Villeneuve in 2005, whom he upstaged on more than one occasion. In 2004 Felipe scored 12 of Sauber’s 34 points, with his best result being a fourth place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix. His teammate Giancarlo Fisichella scored the team’s other 22 points. In 2005 Felipe remained with Sauber. Although he scored 11 points. Felipe outpaced his teammate Jacques Villeneuve through most of the season and beat him in the drivers’ championship.

He also gave Peter Sauber his final world championship points as a team boss before handing the team over to BMW at the end of 2005. The perfect end to a long career.

Rubens Barrichello was leaving Ferrari to join Honda, it was only a natural conclusion that the Felipe’s move to Ferrari for 2006 soon followed, eager to partner seven time world champion Michael Schumacher for what was the legendary driver’s final season in the sport.

In 2006, Felipe attended the best school in F1, the Scuderia Ferrari, the most succesful in Formula1 history, and beside the only seven time world champion, Michael Schumacher. Felipe was a brilliant student, who knew how to rise to the master’s level in the second part of the season: 2 victories, 3 pole positions and 1 fastest lap. The Brazilian eventually finished the season third with 80 points, behind world champion Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher.

2006 made it possible for Felipe to reach a new statute, that of pole-sitter and Grand Prix winner, and to improve his racecraft alongside Schumacher. Although they didn’t take championship honours. Felipe went on to secure his maiden GP victory at the Turkish Grand Prix at the Istanbul Park. Felipe also entered of history of the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit when he became the first home town racer since the last victory of fellow countryman Ayrton Senna, 13 years earlier. By doing this, he entered the hearts of many Brazilian fans.