Felipe Massa snubs Hamilton and Vettel: “Alonso is the best driver, and we’re not best friends”. Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa weighs in on the 2026 F1 season.

Just before the start of the 2026 Formula 1 season, there was a great deal of anticipation surrounding the AMR26, Aston Martin’s new car, and particularly regarding what Fernando Alonso would be able to achieve behind the wheel of a competitive F1 machine. Alonso’s skills as a driver have never been in question, but now, at 44 years of age, people are looking for tangible proof of why Fernando can still compete at the highest level and challenge the best drivers in the world.

Massa: “Stroll isn’t Leclerc, but Alonso could beat him even at 65”

Unfortunately, the 2026 season began with a disappointing start for Fernando Alonso, both in terms of the Honda engine and Aston Martin performance. However, a strong statement has come from his former Ferrari teammate from 2010 to 2013, Felipe Massa. Speaking to Diario Sport during last weekend’s GT Winter Series event, which he attended with his son, the Brazilian driver said: He was without a doubt the best driver I have ever raced against.

This was a sharp comment, particularly aimed at Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel. Both multiple world champions active during Felipe Massa’s career (he retired at the end of 2017). And if you’re thinking that Felipe Massa’s statement was merely courtesy, you’d be wrong. Massa and Alonso do not share a particularly close relationship: We have had dinner together and done a lot of things, but we’re not best friends.

Alonso’s future in F1

When asked about the future of the two-time World Champion from Asturias in Formula 1, Massa continued: Fernando is doing a great job. His teammate is certainly not Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, or George Russell, but he could still beat Lance Stroll even at 65 years old. I just hope that when he realizes it’s time to retire, he chooses the right moment. I don’t think Fernando is the type of driver who needs to stay in Formula 1. He doesn’t have the ambition to stay just to fight in the back. There are many other categories where he can enjoy himself.

Felipe Massa’s candid comments underline Alonso’s enduring talent and competitiveness, even as he approaches the later stages of his career. Despite not being best friends, the mutual respect between the two former Ferrari drivers is evident, with Felipe Massa placing Fernando Alonso above his contemporaries, including modern champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, in terms of pure racing ability.