Top 5 Brazilian F1 Drivers of all Time

#4 Felipe Massa

Felipe Massa won eleven Grands Prix in his career and was a fan favourite.

Felipe Massa came as close to winning a driver’s title as one can. During the 2008 Formula One season, Massa was involved in a closely fought battle with Lewis Hamilton for the championship trophy. In Brazil, the last race of the season, Felipe did enough to hold on to victory while his title rival was stuck in sixth place till the last lap.

Lewis overtook Timo Glock at the last corner on the ultimate lap of the race to clinch the world championship title by a single point. The triumphant celebrations soon turned to sour frustration in the Ferrari camp, snatching a maiden title from Massa.

Felipe’s fifteen-year-long stint in the sport was marred by a crash in 2009. A suspension spring hit his head during the second part of Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying, leading to a collision with the tyre barrier. He was unable to compete in the remaining races of the season but effectively made a comeback the year after that.

The former Ferrari driver won eleven races during his career and was a fan favourite. When he finally decided to retire, everyone came out in full force to say goodbye, even though they had to do it twice.