Felipe Massa, former Formula 1 driver, has returned to Interlagos, the place where his dream of racing began. For him, Interlagos remains a “home garden”, a magical and unpredictable venue where any driver can win, regardless of the weather or mistakes. He reflected on the immortality of Ayrton Senna, calling him a myth that goes beyond Formula 1, an admiration that outlives time, especially for the new generation of drivers such as Kimi Antonelli, who still see Senna as an inspiration.
Massa revealed that he has known Kimi Antonelli since he was 13 years old, describing him as a humble, polite boy with a unique talent behind the wheel. Although a lifelong Ferrari fan, Massa admitted that this year he has been cheering for Antonelli throughout the season, considering his incredible story for Formula 1 and Italy. He is convinced that Antonelli will one day race for Ferrari, an opinion he has also expressed to the driver’s father. Massa believes that Antonelli’s choice to join Mercedes was perfect for his rapid growth under the leadership of Toto Wolff. He hopes that Antonelli will win several World Championships with Mercedes, and then move to Ferrari to continue the road to victories.
Regarding Ferrari’s performance this season, Massa rated it as better than last year, but still not enough. He stressed that the team has been missing something for many years, recalling that its most recent titles (Constructors 2007, Drivers 2007, Constructors 2008) were won with him and Kimi Räikkönen, almost two decades ago. For him, Ferrari needs a faster car and the most efficient team possible to return to the top. As for Ferrari’s current drivers, Hamilton and Leclerc, Massa commented that they always strive to give their maximum. He pointed to Leclerc’s speed in qualifying and Hamilton’s consistency in the race, adding that in a situation like this year’s, they cannot hold back. Massa explained that team orders are justifiable only when the team is racing for the World Championship. In the absence of a title fight, drivers have more freedom to seize every opportunity to win a race.
Massa expressed pride in the two Brazilian drivers, Gabriel Bortoleto and Rafael Camara, who are making their debuts at Interlagos, considering them very strong talents. Bortoleto races for Audi, a team with great ambitions, and Mattia Binotto sees Gabriel as a key figure for the future. Rafael Camara faces a major challenge by debuting at his home Grand Prix with Haas, but Massa described him as a very fast driver who, in the junior categories, also caused problems for Antonelli. As for Camara’s future, Massa hopes he performs well in Brazil and wishes that Ferrari, since Camara is part of the Ferrari Driver Academy, will do with him what Mercedes did with Antonelli: help him grow and then, when the right moment comes, bring him to Maranello. The talent is there; he only needs experience.
Finally, Massa spoke about his son, who also races cars. He described himself as a worried father, laughing, and admitted that this is not good for a parent. His son, initially not very interested, later devoted himself to closed-wheel racing, taking part in the 24 Hours of Daytona and racing with Porsche this weekend, with the dream of racing in the WEC in the future. Massa finds it fantastic that his son has this passion, but admitted that being a driver was less stressful than being the father of a driver.
Source: La Gazzetta dello Sport