Sweet words for Max Verstappen from Felipe Massa. According to the Brazilian driver, there’s no doubt: the 2024 F1 World Championship title now belongs to the Dutchman.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix could turn out to be the decisive race for Max Verstappen, who could checkmate Lando Norris and secure his fourth World Championship title, equaling Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel, and surpassing the successes of his father-in-law Nelson Piquet, Niki Lauda, and Ayrton Senna. The title could be won with two races to spare if the Red Bull driver finishes ahead of Lando Norris, or if the McLaren driver fails to score any points during the Nevada weekend.
Ahead of the 22nd round of the 2024 season, the third-to-last before the conclusion, Felipe Massa made some remarks about the Dutch driver, who is currently leading the championship. The Brazilian praised Max Verstappen’s qualities, describing him as a “complete driver. He has everything, in terms of speed and mentality. He’s an extraordinary fighter. For him, it’s all about racing, nothing else matters. . Max drives aggressively, on the limit, and sometimes even beyond. Lando is less like that. For me, Max is clearly number one. Personally, I love his mentality “.
Additionally, the former Formula 1 driver – who has 11 wins, 41 podiums, and the 2008 World Championship (which was ultimately won by Lewis Hamilton) narrowly missing out on the title – compared three-time World Champion Verstappen to Lando Norris, as well as himself to the number one, a comparison with which he stated that things might have been different for him if he had shared Verstappen’s mentality. “Sometimes I was too kind, too nice. I was maybe more like Lando.”
As for the British driver, Massa commented: “Let’s not forget that this is his first season fighting for the championship, and against someone like Max Verstappen. It’s not easy. But you can see he’s changing. He’s becoming tougher. In other words, he’s learning. So next year, or in two years, things could already be different “.
On the subject of FIA penalties, Massa stated: “What the FIA is doing doesn’t make sense”
Moreover, Felipe Massa, currently engaged in a legal battle against the FIA and FOM regarding that near-miss World Championship in 2008, also shared his opinion on the latest controversial issues involving the drivers and the FIA: “What the FIA is doing doesn’t make sense. I mean, the drivers fight with everything they have for the World Championship. When you can’t even say something when you’re angry, give me a break. Put a microphone under a football player’s nose during a match and you’ll hear much worse. . Also, Max didn’t insult anyone, he just said his car wasn’t good. So, I completely disagree with the FIA’s penalty. The drivers know what they can and cannot say, the FIA doesn’t need to interfere “.
Photos: Oracle Red Bull Racing.