Felipe Massa is one of the most respected Brazilian racing drivers of the modern Formula One era. If you make the 1x registration procedure, you will also have a great opportunity to bet on other great names from the modern Formula 1 too.
Born in São Paulo on 25 April 1981, Massa began karting as a child and quickly showed exceptional talent. After winning several junior championships in Brazil and Europe, he captured the Euro Formula 3000 title in 2001, a success that opened the doors to Formula One. Making a 1xBet registration will also grant you access to excellent betting opportunities on multiple motorsport series too.
Massa made his Formula One debut with Sauber in 2002. Although he was fast, his aggressive driving style led to several mistakes during his rookie season. After briefly serving as a test driver for Ferrari in 2003, he returned to Sauber in 2004 and improved significantly, earning podium finishes and attracting Ferrari’s attention once again.
In 2006, Massa joined Ferrari as teammate to the legendary Michael Schumacher. That season proved to be a breakthrough year. Massa earned his first Formula One victory at the Turkish Grand Prix and later won his home race in Brazil, becoming the first Brazilian driver since Ayrton Senna to win at Interlagos. He finished third in the championship standings and established himself as one of the sport’s top drivers.
Coming painfully close to winning the Formula 1 World Championship
The peak of Massa’s career came during the 2008 Formula One season. Driving for Ferrari alongside Kimi Räikkönen, he won six races and fought an intense title battle against Lewis Hamilton. Massa famously won the final race of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix, and for a few seconds appeared to be world champion. However, Hamilton overtook Timo Glock on the last lap to secure enough points to win the championship by just one point. The dramatic finale remains one of the most memorable moments in Formula One history.
In 2009, Massa suffered a serious accident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix when a spring from another car struck his helmet. He missed the remainder of the season but successfully returned to racing in 2010.
After leaving Ferrari in 2013, Massa joined Williams, where he continued to achieve podium finishes and became an experienced leader within the team. He retired from Formula One after the 2017 season, ending a career that included:
- 11 Grand Prix victories;
- 16 pole positions;
- and 41 podium finishes.
For those reasons, Massa remains admired for his speed, determination, and sportsmanship.
