Felipe Massa had a seven-year run with Ferrari in Formula 1 from 2006 to 2013. However, his relationship with the team began to decline in 2012 after Fernando Alonso joined as his teammate. The following year, Massa’s standing with Ferrari didn’t improve, as he remained the number two driver and was not provided with the same prospects to win races. In addition, his performance was hindered by a series of mechanical issues throughout the season, which led to a few podium finishes.
Back in 2013, during Felipe’s last season with Ferrari amidst Red Bull dominance, a weirdly funny incident occurred during the Italian GP weekend. Where the Ferrari driver was fined 214 dollars for speeding.
Felipe Massa slapped with $214 fine for speeding
The Brazilian Formula 1 driver was caught breaking the speed limit on his journey to the Italian Grand Prix race in Monza, Italy. He was driving a silver Ferrari 458 at a rate of more than 100 mph in a zone with a maximum speed of 70 mph.
Felipe Masa was fined $214 and had six points deducted from his driver’s license.
The speeding ticket had no impact on Massa’s performance in the race, and he ended up coming in fourth position, which made the race one of his best results of the season. However, there is speculation that Ferrari will not renew his contract at the end of the season, and this speeding violation could reduce his prospects of finding a new team for the next season.
The incident of speeding was quite peculiar, yet it highlights the lengths to which a driver can go to secure and maintain his position. This was especially true for Felipe during that season, as he was striving to earn a share of the 101 million prize money that Ferrari could have won had they taken the Constructors’ Championship that year.
Massa eventually retired from the tracks in 2017
Brazilian driver Felipe Massa, who has the sixth most Formula One Grand Prix starts in history (267), was initially set to leave the F1 grid at the end of 2016. However, when Valtteri Bottas moved to Mercedes, Massa was persuaded to remain with Williams. Last month, Williams announced that Massa was among the drivers being considered for a 2018 race alongside Lance Stroll. But Massa later confirmed that 2017 would be his final year.
He soon put up an Instagram post of himself talking about his journey with Williams, and he thanked all his fans. He said, “I have now enjoyed four great years with the team, but my career in Formula One will finally come to an end this season. Once more, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this time: my wife and my father, my whole family, my manager Nicolas, and all my friends, colleagues, and sponsors.
“I would also like to add a huge thank you to all of the fans who have been incredibly supportive and passionate over the years.”
Do you recall these humorous incidents from the 2013 season? And let us know of any other unusual occurrences in the sport in the comments section down below.
