Felipe Massa admits ‘incredible’ F1 driver was the ‘master of qualifying’ last year
Felipe Massa admitted last year that the “fantastic” F1 driver was a “master of his craft”.
Felipe Massa admitted last year that the “fantastic” F1 driver was a “master of his craft”.
Felipe Massa has admitted Ferrari star Charles Leclerc is a qualifying specialist and will one day be in that elite group.
Charles Leclerc’s record of turning pole positions into race wins may be debatable, but there’s no denying he’s always a threat on Saturday. In an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, Felipe Massa spoke highly of the 26-year-old driver and previewed the upcoming campaign.
With so much uncertainty surrounding the field at the moment, Leclerc’s future may be decided sooner than others. His contract expires at the end of this year, but a new deal could be announced with the car’s launch next month.
This will be a huge boost for Ferrari, who see Leclerc as their best chance to win the title. They won the Constructors’ Championship in 2008, shortly after a certain Felipe Massa won the Drivers’ title, but never achieved such a victory.
Massa now talks to Leclerc about his incredible ability to get the most out of Ferrari during qualifying. Only Max Verstappen took more poles last season in a much better car.
Unfortunately, every chance Leclerc had to win the front race ended in disaster. The worst case was in Sao Paulo, where he crashed into a barrier on the formation lap due to technical problems with his car.
F1 Mexican Grand Prix – Qualifying
Photo credit: Michael Potts/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Massa is enthusiastic about Leclerc’s ability to qualify.
“I think Leclerc has a little advantage,” Massa said of the Monegasque driver. In 2023, he drove a great race at the end of the season.
“He’s a master of choice because he always gets the most out of the car in one lap. “Well, he made a few mistakes, but it’s easier to make mistakes when the pressure is on and the chances of winning are slim.”
Leclerc is 14th in Formula 1’s all-time pole position, supporting Massa’s claim that he is a qualified professional.
He overtook Fernando Alonso last season and is a long way off the record set by Niki Lauda and Nelson Pique. Martin Brundle said last season that Leclerc could be faster than Verstappen, which is a big claim.
Now Ferrari must provide him with a car to help him fight for wins and poles.
