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Felipe Massa - Biography
Now in his seventh season as an official driver for Scuderia Ferrari, Felipe Massa is pushing harder than ever to clinch his first Drivers' Championship. Learn how this modest Brazilian go-kart racer grew up to become one of the most iconic Formula One™ drivers of the 21st Century.
Born in São Paulo in 1981, Felipe Massa began his career in karts at the age of nine. He continued in national and international championships for seven years. In 1998 he moved into Formula Chevrolet, taking the championship in 1999 before moving to Europe to advance his career.
Massa then won the Italian Formula Renault Championships in the year 2000 and the European Formula 3000 Championship title the following year, achievements that catapulted him to the attention of the Formula One™ world.
Massa became an official driver for Ferrari in 2006. In his debut year with the Scuderia he finished third in the FIA Formula One Drivers’ World Championship™, making an impressive mark on the sport.
2007 was another competitive year for Massa, who finished fourth with seven podiums and an impressive six pole positions.
In 2008 Massa built on the success of the previous season, putting in consistently strong performances and coming within one lap of winning the Drivers’ Championship at his home race in Brazil. That famous battle at Interlagos ended with Lewis Hamilton taking the Drivers’ Title, despite Massa having driven what he describes as the strongest and most memorable race of his career.
Undoubtedly, 2009 was an unlucky year for Massa. After a blow to the head from a stray piece of a competitor’s suspension at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he had to retire for the rest of the season and his Ferrari team-mates took over his drive for the remaining races.
Over the last six years Massa has worked closely with Shell, promoting the strength of the technical partnership with Ferrari and taking part in Shell events and promotions around the world.