Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa believes Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc can only realistically be restrained by team orders when the Maranello team is fighting for the Formula 1 World Championship. Reflecting on his partnership with Kimi Räikkönen, the Brazilian explained why managing two competitive drivers becomes considerably more difficult when a team is not in contention for the title. He also discussed Ferrari’s current shortcomings, his admiration for Andrea Kimi Antonelli and his conviction that the young Mercedes star will eventually race for the Prancing Horse.
As a child, Felipe Massa would look towards the wall separating the Interlagos karting circuit from the Formula 1 track, dreaming of the day he would race on the other side. It was a dream that eventually became reality, bringing him two victories at his home Grand Prix, unforgettable moments of happiness and painful disappointments that have never entirely faded.
Today, the former Ferrari driver returns to Interlagos to watch a Formula 1 championship featuring talented young drivers, both Brazilian and international, established champions and potential stars of the future. And, inevitably, to discuss a Ferrari team that he believes must find a way to return to its former greatness.
Felipe Massa reflects on Interlagos, Ayrton Senna and Andrea Kimi Antonelli
What does returning to Interlagos mean to you?
“Interlagos will always feel like my own back garden. It’s where I first started dreaming, where everything seemed possible and where you can never predict what will happen. Even this weekend, with the weather, the rain and the drivers’ mistakes, anyone could win. That’s also what makes this place magical.”
Ayrton Senna is remembered at the circuit by drivers who never saw him race, through tributes and special helmets. What makes him immortal?
“History. When I was young, I had never seen Fangio race, yet he was a legend, someone to look up to. The same applies to Ayrton, who is a legend for these drivers. And then, for all of us, for the whole of Brazil, Senna represents something that goes beyond Formula 1, an admiration and a love that survive the passage of time. I like the fact that very young drivers such as Kimi Antonelli still see him as a legend to look up to today.”
Speaking of Andrea Kimi Antonelli, what do you think of what he has achieved this year?
“I’ve known him since he was 13 and was still racing karts. He was always a humble, decent and very likeable boy, but when he got behind the wheel, there was something different about him, something unique.”
Were you supporting him this year?
“I’m a Ferrari fan, and I always will be, but this year I supported Kimi throughout the season because it’s an incredible story for him, for Formula 1 and for Italy, which now has this young champion who is so strong and charismatic and is giving everyone something unique.”
Felipe Massa convinced Andrea Kimi Antonelli will eventually join Ferrari
Do you think Andrea Kimi Antonelli will race for Ferrari one day?
“Yes, I’m convinced of it. I’ve even told his father. I think his decision to join Mercedes was perfect because they’ve done an incredible job with him, and he’s had the opportunity to develop quickly and have everything he needed to win, with incredible guidance from Toto Wolff. I hope he stays with them to win two, three, five World Championships… and then moves to Ferrari to try to keep winning there as well.”
The former Ferrari driver’s admiration for the young Italian goes back to his karting years, long before his rise through the ranks of motorsport. Felipe Massa believes Mercedes has provided an ideal environment for his development, but he remains convinced that a future move to Maranello could eventually become part of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s career.
Felipe Massa explains what Ferrari still lacks after almost two decades without a title
How do you assess Ferrari’s performance this season?
“Good, better than last year, but it’s still not enough. They’ve had some good races, but something is always missing, and it’s been missing for many years now. The last titles were the ones Kimi Raikkonen and I won, the Constructors’ and Drivers’ Championships in 2007 and the Constructors’ Championship in 2008. Thinking that almost twenty years have passed isn’t easy. Something is still missing for Ferrari to get back to having the fastest car and the most efficient team possible.”
The Brazilian’s assessment highlights a familiar frustration surrounding the Maranello team. Although he recognises the progress made compared with the previous season, he believes Ferrari has yet to recover the complete package that allowed it to fight consistently for championships during his time with Kimi Räikkönen.
For Felipe Massa, the challenge is not simply about producing individual strong performances. Ferrari needs to rediscover both the outright competitiveness of its car and the operational efficiency required to maximise results throughout a season.
The contrast with the team’s championship-winning years remains significant, particularly when examining the career records of Ferrari’s former and current Formula 1 drivers, including those who contributed to its most recent championship successes.
Felipe Massa on Ferrari team orders: Why Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc cannot be stopped
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc arrived at Interlagos after a particularly tense weekend. What do you make of the situation?
“When drivers are on track, they try to give their maximum and keep everyone else behind them, including their team-mates. Leclerc is very quick in qualifying, Hamilton is more consistent in races, but the truth is that in a situation like the one this year, you can’t stop them.”
Why is that?
“You can only stop them with team orders if you’re fighting for the World Championship. When I was racing for Ferrari, it was simple: Kimi and I were free to race until Spa, and then whoever was ahead at that point in the season had priority over the other. That was it. If you’re not fighting for the title, the drivers have more freedom to try to make the most of every opportunity to win a race, and it’s not easy to tell them clearly what to do.”
Felipe Massa’s explanation offers an important perspective on the tensions between Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, particularly following the controversial incidents that have brought Ferrari’s approach to managing its drivers under scrutiny.
The Brazilian draws a clear distinction between a team fighting for championship honours and one attempting to maximise individual race results. In his experience, establishing a hierarchy becomes more straightforward when there is a clear championship objective and one driver has emerged as the stronger title contender.
During his partnership with Kimi Räikkönen, the arrangement was relatively simple. Both drivers could compete freely during the opening part of the championship, with priority subsequently given to whoever held the stronger position by the time the season reached Spa-Francorchamps.
Without a realistic championship battle to dictate those priorities, however, Felipe Massa believes drivers naturally have greater freedom to pursue their own opportunities. That makes instructions from the pit wall considerably harder to impose, especially when both drivers believe they have a chance to achieve a strong result.
His comments come amid continuing debate over Ferrari’s internal racing rules following the Mexico City Grand Prix controversy, with the team facing questions about how to balance the ambitions of its two drivers.
Felipe Massa backs Brazilian talents Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Câmara
There will be two Brazilian drivers at Interlagos, Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Câmara, who is making his debut. How do you see them?
“They’re both extremely talented drivers, and having two Brazilians back in Formula 1 makes everyone very proud. Gabriel is racing for a team, Audi, that has great ambitions for the future, and I know Mattia Binotto very well because he spent many years with me at Ferrari. I know he sees Gabriel as a key part of the team’s future. Rafael, meanwhile, faces an enormous challenge, making his debut at his home Grand Prix with Haas, but he’s an incredibly quick driver, someone who gave Antonelli a hard time in karting and the junior categories.”
What do you hope for Rafael Câmara in the future?
“First of all, I hope he does well here in Brazil, because there’s a lot of pressure and it won’t be easy, particularly with the possibility of rain. And then I’d like Ferrari, given that he’s part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, to do with him what Mercedes did with Antonelli: help him develop and improve and then, when the right opportunity comes along, bring him to Maranello. He certainly doesn’t lack talent; he just needs experience.”
Felipe Massa therefore sees Rafael Câmara as another promising talent who could potentially form part of Ferrari’s future. His hope is that the Italian team will provide the Brazilian with the same kind of structured development and opportunities that helped Andrea Kimi Antonelli progress through Mercedes’ driver programme.
For the former Ferrari driver, patience and experience will be essential. The Brazilian believes Rafael Câmara already possesses the necessary speed, but his development must continue before a possible opportunity with the Maranello team.
Felipe Massa on watching his son pursue a career in motorsport
Your son is now racing cars as well. What kind of father are you?
“One who suffers! (laughs). I worry a lot, and it’s not something that’s good for a father. I’ve always told my son that if he wanted to race, I would take him, but he had to be the one to ask. For a long time, he only spent a few days a year karting and wasn’t particularly interested in it. Then, at a certain point, something clicked in his mind and he devoted himself to sports car racing. Last year he competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona, this weekend he’ll be racing here with Porsche, and his dream for the future would be to compete in the WEC. For me, it’s fantastic that he has this passion, but being a racing driver myself was less stressful.”
After a career spent competing at the highest level of motorsport, Felipe Massa now finds himself experiencing racing from a very different perspective. Watching his son follow his own ambitions brings pride, but also the anxiety that comes with being a parent rather than the driver behind the wheel.
For the Brazilian, motorsport remains a central part of family life, just as Interlagos remains the place where his own Formula 1 dreams first began. And while he continues to follow the next generation of drivers, his attachment to Ferrari remains unchanged, along with his hope that the Maranello team will eventually return to the championship-winning standards he remembers so well.
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