For 30 seconds at the very end of the 2008 season, it looked like Felipe Massa had become Brazil’s first world champion since Ayrton Senna.

Lewis Hamilton’s last-gasp move into fifth place would deny Massa the crown, but the Ferrari driver could still be satisfied with his year, for he had transformed the paddock’s perception of him during 2008.

He raised his game to lead Ferrari’s title bid, and impressed with a series of devastating pole laps, most notably in Monaco and Singapore – defying those who said he lacked the finesse to be a street ace.

Massa’s gracious and mature response to championship defeat was widely admired, demonstrating how much he had developed as both a driver and a person.

There were still lapses, with a few anonymous performances at crucial moments and an embarrassing catalogue of mistakes in the rain at Silverstone.

But overall Massa has done enough to prove that he is a top-line Formula 1 driver and a potential world champion going into 2009.


Career log

Massa had been on his current team’s radar long before he eventually joined Ferrari as a race driver.

It was with Ferrari-powered Sauber that the then 20-year-old made his F1 bow in 2002.

A turbulent rookie year followed, as he struggled to get close to team-mate Nick Heidfeld and his wayward driving style drew widespread criticism.

According to Jacques Villeneuve, the young charger “couldn’t even drive in a straight line”.

His technique needed refining and after being dropped by Sauber he was put through a year at Ferrari finishing school as its test driver.

He returned to Hinwil in 2004 a far more rounded driver and fared well alongside Giancarlo Fisichella, before making Villeneuve eat his words a year later.

The clear improvement prompted Ferrari to call him up in 2006 to replace Rubens Barrichello alongside Michael Schumacher.

Massa got off to a shaky start, with costly crashes at the first corner in Melbourne and in Monaco qualifying.

But as the F2007 improved, so did Felipe, and he quickly became a podium regular and a very able wingman for Schumacher.

He also proved he could lead the team’s challenge when the great German stumbled, consummately taking a first pole and victory all in the same weekend in Turkey.

He then brilliantly rounded off his season with an assured lights-to-flag victory on home turf in Brazil.

The Brazilian gained equal number one status with Kimi Raikkonen when Schumacher retired in 2007, but it was the new arrival who grabbed the title.

Massa was initially part of the four-way championship fight with his team-mate and the McLarens, before poor luck and a little inconsistency saw him drop out of contention.

His time would soon come, though.


The early years

Massa moved up from the Brazilian karting ranks to contest the Italian and Eurocup Formula Renault series in 2000 – and immediate success followed as he won both championships first time out.

He then dominated the 2001 Formula 3000 Euroseries, winning six times in eight races, attracting the attention of Ferrari and earning an F1 seat at Sauber.