Massa reveals: ''I've suffered a lot as a teammate of Alonso''

F1 News

4 May 2020 at 09:00
Last update 4 May 2020 at 09:16
  • GPblog.com

Felipe Massa has had to compete against several world champions throughout his career. Michael Schumacher on his debut, Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso, but who was the best?

Alonso the best

Massa answers that question in a live question session on his Instagramaccount. A follower asks him about his best competitor and although Schumacher has seven world titles to his name and knew how to impress the Brazilian, there was one driver who was one step better.

''The best and most hardened teammate was Alonso. I don't want to beat Michael on that, but Alonso was without a doubt just as talented and fast. Schumacher had the power within the team when I came in and felt like an older brother. However, being with Alonso was the same, but he managed to get everything to his advantage'', Massa says.

The two became teammates in 2010 and after a victory in the first race for Alonso, the proportions in the second race immediately became clear. ''It was raining in Australia and we were in third and fourth place. Fernando stayed behind me and then the team asked me to leave him in front. I refused because it didn't make any sense, but you're mentally broken.''

The mental struggle

And so Fernando started to get more and more a grip on the team. ''It wasn't fair and then he mentally tried to crack me so I would finally do what he wanted. In Germany, I ended up leaving him, because at that time it was the right choice''. It's Massa, however, not sitting in the cold clothes.

''I suffered a lot as Alonso's teammate. Not necessarily because the work wasn't fun and I got on well with him, but within the team he managed to get everything behind my back, so he always got his way. With Kimi I never had this problem and so I had to work hard on this in my fight with Alonso'', concludes Massa who left for Williams at the end of 2013.