Lewis Hamilton was once a rival of Felipa Massa’s when the Brazilian was racing for Ferrari, and in 2025 the Brit will be the one representing the famous Italian brand
Lewis Hamilton was once a rival of Felipa Massa’s when the Brazilian was racing for Ferrari, and in 2025 the Brit will be the one representing the famous Italian brand Lewis Hamilton was once a rival of Felipa Massa’s when the Brazilian was racing for Ferrari, and in 2025 the Brit will be the one representing the famous Italian brand
Felipe Massa says Lewis Hamilton’s age might have made him consider not signing the Brit if he was in charge at Ferrari.
Hamilton begins a new chapter of his Formula 1 career next year at the age of 40. He has made the move in the hope he can win the drivers’ title again before he retires.
It is a feat that was never managed by Massa during his time racing for the Scuderia. He famously came closest in 2008 when he thought he had become champion after winning the Brazilian Grand Prix, until a last-lap overtake from Hamilton on Timo Glock saw the Brit snatch it from him.
Hamilton’s credentials are unquestionable and Ferrari leapt at the chance to sign him when it became clear he was interested in a change of scenery. And while Massa admits he would probably have made the same call, he still has reservations about the seven-time champion’s age.
The Brazilian said: “If you asked me if I would hire Hamilton, as the head of Ferrari, as a driver – yes I would, without a doubt, because of the talent he has. He is one of the most incredible drivers in F1.
“But because of his age, maybe not. Because of his age, if you look at the sport, age matters. And we have to understand how much age is weighing on him in this situation or not.
“I’m talking about myself, these days I need to train much more physically than I used to. It’s much harder to recover physically after a difficult race or an intense training session. Age takes its toll in some areas, that’s normal. Age is something that has weighed negatively on several drivers, as it did for Schumacher.”
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Hamilton has enjoyed remarkable success during his many years with Mercedes. However, the last three seasons have been devoid of many happy moments, other than a fairytale victory at Silverstone which ended a 945-day wait for a win – by far the longest drought of his career.
Speaking to Mirror Sport, former F1 champion Jacques Villeneuve said he thinks the Brit may have felt some internal frustration over his own role in Mercedes’ struggles since 2022. He said: “He needs the right car. He’s had no involvement in the development of this Ferrari car whereas he did at Mercedes, and maybe that’s why it became tough for him.
“You could argue it may have been an extra weight for him to carry. At Ferrari, he’ll arrive knowing he’s had no involvement in the car for 2025. I think that will make it a little bit easier as he’ll have time to adapt and can then make the car his. It seems as if he needs to be loved but I don’t know him well enough. It just seems he’s very receptive to external noise, both positive and negative.”
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Mirror – Sport