Fernando Alonso outperformed Felipe Massa throughout their time as Ferrari teammates from 2010 to 2013, soaring through qualifying and winning races. Recently, Massa talked about that stretch of time and the mental difficulties he faced fighting against Alonso on a recent Track Limits podcast.
During his conversation, Massa highlighted an amicable personal relationship with Alonso despite their 2007 on-track disagreements. However, as the conversation progressed, he pointed out the discomfort triggered by what he perceived as the team’s favoritism toward the Spaniard. Massa’s story closely resembles Sergio Perez‘s current circumstances alongside Max Verstappen, as Checo grapples with challenges reminiscent of Massa’s experiences alongside Alonso in the past.
When Felipe Massa was asked about Red Bull’s present dynamics, he initially claimed it was difficult to assess the situation from the outside. Later on, though, he acknowledged Red Bull had a fantastic driver in Max Verstappen, praising his exceptional skill and stressing how mature the driver has become compared to his Formula 1 rookie years. On top of that, Massa also hinted that he might become the best F1 driver in history if the Dutchman decides against retiring prematurely.
However, to the amazement of the fans, Massa, a little later, compared the drivers of Red Bull, pointing out Verstappen’s unwavering domination with the fastest car, while Perez, on the other hand, is finding it difficult to have a significant impact. With this he effectively put an end to debates about Red Bull favoring Verstappen, asserting that even with a slightly more supportive car for Perez, the Dutchman would still outshine him. Considering this while wrapping up Massa said, ” I think Max will beat him you know because he’s the best. So in the end Red Bull has no reason to give something more to Max compared to Checo.”
On what grounds did Felipe Massa make such significant claims about Sergio Perez?
In the 2023 season, Max Verstappen has demonstrated his supremacy by winning 17 of the 20 races, overshadowing Sergio Perez’s performances. Even though Perez had a strong start to the season, he soon had more challenges, especially after the Miami Grand Prix, where he found it difficult to keep up with the Dutchman.
On the other hand, Verstappen appeared ready to make history in the RB19. However, given Perez’s persistent struggles, his father, Antonio Perez felt compelled to stress that Max Verstappen is the focal point of everything at Red Bull.
While returning to the long-running controversy about favoritism, Antonio Perez told Mexican Esto, “ Everything is built around Max, he [Perez] has to respect that. ” Interestingly, the two drivers’ preferences are different, with Verstappen preferring a “pointy car” ‘on the nose’ that responds quickly to tight turns and can control a loose rear end. In contrast, Perez needs a greater grip from the back of the vehicle.
However, once these statements received a lot of attention, the Red Bull team boss Christian Horner disputed them vehemently. The 49-year-old claimed that the car’s primary objective is to be extremely fast on the track, and unfortunately for Perez, Verstappen is the one who is most proficient at handling the vehicle.
