Charles Leclerc Joins Felipe Massa in Unwanted Ferrari Club

Charles Leclerc has joined Felipe Massa in an unwanted chapter of Ferrari’s F1 history. The Monegasque and the Brazilian now stand as the only two drivers in the sport to have spent eight or more seasons with the Italian team without winning a single drivers’ championship. The statistic particularly highlights Leclerc’s prolonged wait for a drivers’ title, despite representing the Scuderia as the team’s core driver.

The 29-year-old made his Ferrari debut in 2019, following an impressive rookie campaign with Sauber. Since then, he has established himself as a leading figure at Maranello, securing multiple Grand Prix victories and pole positions.

However, when it comes to the ultimate prize in the sport, it is something that has remained elusive. The closest he came to winning the title was in 2022, when he finished as the runner-up behind Max Verstappen by a margin of 146 points.

Meanwhile, Massa experienced a similarly frustrating journey with the team between 2006 and 2013. He claimed 11 Grand Prix victories while driving for the Scuderia, but had to depart the team without securing the drivers’ crown. Much like Leclerc, his best finish with Ferrari was also a P2 finish, but his story comes with heartbreak.

Racing in front of his home crowd, Massa needed a race win in 2008 to guarantee himself the championship. But he also needed Lewis Hamilton to finish sixth or lower to achieve the feat. Having crossed the checkered flag in P1, Massa was champion, with Hamilton running sixth with two corners to go.

But the British driver made a daring lunge on the final corner to take P5 for himself and take the championship away from Massa, who was a world champion for a total of 39 seconds.

As for Leclerc, the Monegasque continues his pursuit of the drivers’ title, and the push can often have a lasting impact on intra-team driver relations. While the current Ferrari lineup is feeling its effects, Massa claims this is just the start.

Felipe Massa Confident of Seeing the Charles Leclerc-Lewis Hamilton Drama Grow

The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc, which reached boiling point in Mexico City, is still in its early stages in the eyes of Massa. The public exchange of criticism has exposed the growing friction within the team, and Massa believes the absence of a championship battle makes the situation particularly difficult to manage.

When fighting for race wins, Massa detailed that drivers often prioritize their personal ambitions over team harmony. He added that Leclerc’s qualifying speed and Hamilton’s race consistency make them formidable competitors, leaving little room for either to compromise.

The Brazilian former driver also drew inspiration from his own experience within the team, back when he was in an intra-team battle with Kimi Raikkonen. The Brazilian revealed that both drivers were allowed to race freely until Spa in 2007, after which the championship situation determined who received priority.

The former Ferrari driver also experienced a difficult partnership with Fernando Alonso, who joined the team in 2010. As such, his warning suggests that Ferrari could face an increasingly complicated internal battle unless circumstances change in the coming days.

Charles Leclerc Plays Down Any Lingering Issues Post Mexico City

While Massa feels it is just the start of an intra-team war, Leclerc has confirmed that his disagreement with Hamilton after the Mexico City race has been cleared up. He revealed that there was a team discussion involving the two drivers and Fred Vasseur, with the team closing the chapter once the talks were over. No longer feeling the need to discuss the topic with the media, he also felt the controversy had been blown out of proportion.

A pragmatic Leclerc still discussed the fact that it is inevitable for tensions to arise when teammates start fighting for race wins. But he stressed that as long as healthy communication is maintained, all the issues can be resolved between the parties involved. He further admitted that both he and Hamilton naturally want to finish ahead of each other, meaning occasional differences in opinion are unavoidable.

Hamilton also confirmed that the pair had put the incident behind them, revealing that neither driver had made any demands during their conversation. The seven-time world champion reiterated the mutual respect between them and expressed hope that they could work together more effectively in future races.

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