'Mercedes and Ferrari can do the same as Aston, but choose not to'

In his years at Ferrari, Massa was a teammate of several big names: Michael Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen, and Alonso. The Brazilian got to see up close how good these drivers were, and therefore does not look surprised that more than a decade later, Alonso can still compete for the podium.

"We all know how strong he is," Massa reflects on his former teammate. "If the car is there, he is as fast as when he won World Championships. He is the longest-running driver in F1 history, and with results comes an increased desire to continue. Fernando is the teammate that made it the most difficult for me."

Aston Martin especially improved by Red Bull staff

For now, Aston Martin is enjoying the team's best year since Lawrence Stroll took ownership. Over the past year, the Canadian has invested heavily in the structure around the team and brought many new people to Aston Martin, including former Red Bull engineer Dan Fallows. According to Massa, this is the main reason why Aston Martin has made such a big step forward this year compared to last season.

"Until a few years ago their car looked like Mercedes, then the rules changed and they couldn't imitate it anymore. So they went and got from Red Bull a technical director and good people, who built the current car. They got it right. The reason Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren don't do the same thing is because of their prestige, which leads them to look only at home. But Red Bull also took Adrian Newey to start a cycle."