Felipe Massa was born 25 April 1981 in São Paulo. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017.
Felipe Massa is a Brazilian racing driver. He competed in 15 seasons of Formula One between 2002 and 2017, where he scored 11 Grand Prix victories, 41 podiums and finished as championship runner-up in 2008 by one point. Massa was born 25 April 1981 in São Paulo and grew up in Botucatu, in São Paulo countryside. He is of Italian descent. His grandparents come from the town of Cerignola, in the province of Foggia, Italy. Massa announced that he would retire from Formula One at the end of the 2016 season. However, the abrupt retirement of 2016 Formula One Champion Nico Rosberg from Mercedes precipitated the late move of Valtteri Bottas from Williams to Mercedes, leaving a late vacancy at Williams.
Massa subsequently postponed his retirement, returning to Williams to partner rookie Lance Stroll for the 2017 season. On 4 November 2017, Massa confirmed that he would be retiring from Formula One at the end of the 2017 season. Since retirement from Formula One, Massa has pursued a career in the FIA’s all electric series Formula E. He retired from Formula E at the end of the 2019-20 Championship. He then joined the 2021 season of the Stock Car Brasil series.
Fekipe Massa began karting when he was 8 years old, finishing fourth in his first season. He continued in national and international championships for 7 years, and in 1998 moved into Formula Chevrolet, finishing the Brazilian championship in fifth place. During the following season, he won 3 of the 10 races and claimed the championship.
In 2000, Massa moved to Europe to compete in the Italian Formula Renault series, winning both the Italian and the European Formula Renault championships that year. He could have moved to Formula Three, but instead chose the Euro Formula 3000, where he won 6 of the 8 races and the 2001 championship. Massa was then offered a Formula 1 test with the Sauber team, who signed him for 2002. He also drove for Alfa Romeo in the European Touring Car Championship as a guest driver.
He started his Formula One career with Sauber before joining Scuderia Ferrari as a test driver for 2003. In his rookie year in Formula 1, Massa was paired with 1999 International Formula 3000 champion Nick Heidfeld. He proved he was a competitive driver, but made several mistakes, including spinning off the track several times. Nevertheless, Massa scored 4 championship points in his first season, his best result a 5th place at the Spanish Grand Prix at the Circuit de Catalunya. After picking up a 10-place grid drop for an incident during the Italian Grand Prix, he was dropped for the United States Grand Prix, being replaced by Heinz-Harald Frentzen.
Races | 269 |
Wins | 11 |
Poles | 16 |
Podiums | 41 |
Points | 1167 |
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The Brazilian driver used the number 19 while racing in Formula one because it was the number his uncle had used when racing and one that young Felipe adopted in karting as well.
According to the sources, the Brazilian Formula One racing driver Felipe Massa has an estimated net worth of around £11 million. His salary for his racing days has not been reported yet. It has been revealed that the Brazilian racer also has an endorsement deal with Mercedes.
Felipe Massa married Anna Raffaela Bassi on November 30, 2007. The pair met through mutual friends who were dating, after Massa was fired by Sauber following a poor debut season in 2002. Massa admits that he probably wouldn’t have met his wife if he wasn’t fired. The couple have a son, Felipinho Bassi Massa, who was born in 2009. Raffaela is not shy of the limelight and as her husband’s number one fan, can be spotted at all his races.
Mercedes
Richard Mille
Sauber
Ferrari
Williams