Over 15000 fans were at Mugello this weekend to pay tribute to Felipe Massa ahead of his final two races for the Scuderia before he is replaced next season by Kimi Raikkonen.
Massa who has been with Ferrari since 2006, partnering Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, has had 136 outings for the team which includes 11 race wins.
During the farewell event – held at the same track where Massa had his first F1 test with Sauber back in 2001, Massa was given a 1.2 metre trophy inscribed with each of his eleven race wins.
Speaking at the gala event, Massa said that he is truly going to miss the Ferrari family and the friends he has made over the years.
“I’ve been lucky, I have had a great career with Ferrari, longer than I had ever dreamed of at the start,” Massa said. “When I began racing in go-karts as a kid, I had a red Ferrari suit and it’s always been the team I supported. Even when Senna was at McLaren and Piquet at Williams, I was cheering for Ferrari!
“We began our relationship in 2001 and I have raced for them for eight seasons, which is a very important part of my life. I have so many friends at Ferrari and I will miss them, as I will also miss the nice days I spent at the factory in Maranello. I am happy with the way my time with the Prancing Horse turned out.”
Massa reminisced about the memories he will take away with him but said that the wins, particularly in Brazil when the title slipped through his fingers, will stay with him for the longest.
“These are memories that will stay with me always, just like so many other beautiful moments spent together, starting with the wins. For example, I think back to the wins at Interlagos, because for a Brazilian, to win your home race is something amazing. Sure, the dream just slipped out of my grasp, namely winning the world title in front of my home crowd, but that wasn’t the race where I lost the 2008 title: when you finish second by a point the key moment could have come at so many different places and I’m thinking of Singapore for example, or Budapest, or others still…”
Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo spoke of Massa with great praise and thanks. “Felipe has been a true Ferrari man and he will always be part of our history,” he said. “For all the Grands Prix he drove for us, for the wins, the pole positions and for those few seconds when he was world champion that day in Brazil, before that overtaking move that always seemed a bit strange to me,” he continued. “We spent some great times together, while some others were more difficult, such as the accident in Budapest.
“These have been very busy years and today, I wanted to thank him publicly, having already done so privately, just the two of us,” he continued. “I think the decision to go our separate ways is the right one, both for us and for him. It’s time for a change and also to find new motivation. I wish Felipe every success, starting with the last two races of this championship. As for the rest of his Formula 1 career, I wish him the very best, but naturally, behind a Ferrari and anyway, I am sure we will get many chances to meet up again, because life is long and he will always be part of our family. When one has a mutually agreed separation, in the best interests of both parties, it can be done calmly in a friendly and constructive manner, and that has been the case this time.”
Photo credit: Massa photo by Ferrari
