Former F1 driver Felipe Massa commented on Ferrari’s decline, saying it never came as a surprise to him.
Ferrari haven’t won a world championship since Kimi Raikkonen took an upset victory in 2007. In the fifteen years that have passed, they have never come close to the top of the mountain.
Even though they have had the likes of Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel and a returning Raikkonen in their ranks, they have not challenged for either championship. With an illustrious name like theirs not getting back to winning ways, it is a cause for concern.
However, Massa commented on Ferrari’s decline, saying he saw it coming a long time ago.
“That did not surprise me,” he said, as quoted by Motorsport-magazin.com.
“Ferrari’s best years were with (Michael) Schumacher, then 2006, 2007, 2008. After 2009, Ferrari was no longer the team of the hour.
“There have been many changes and it is important to keep a cool head. That is difficult at Ferrari. Ferrari’s problem is not a driver problem, it’s a car problem, a team problem.”
Drive, but no survive
“(Carlos) Sainz and (Charles) Leclerc form a very important driver pairing,” the former Ferrari man explained.
“Sainz works hard, he’s consistent and fast. He’s a very strong driver. But whether he will ever win a title depends on the car. He has the necessary consistency, but it’s not easy to get a teammate like Charles Leclerc right at the start overtake. He has to do a perfect job for that.
“If there are big changes, there can be surprises, although that’s difficult. I think the big teams will still be at the top, like Mercedes and Red Bull. But maybe also Ferrari or McLaren. Usually the big teams are more likely to start the year at the top.
“I hope that with the changes Ferrari can win again in 2022. I’m a Ferrarist. But it’s not easy. It takes a lot of hard work and a cool head to get good results,” he concluded.