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Former Ferrari driver Felipe Massa does not think Lewis Hamilton can win another F1 title and beat Michael Schumacher's record.
Hamilton was only a lap away from winning his eighth title in 2021 if not for a late safety car restart on the final lap of the season's final race. The following year was just not good enough for both the driver and the team as Mercedes failed to produce a competitive car.
This has been followed by another disappointing package in 2023 and any thoughts of a title fight have quickly been shelved. When pointed out to Massa that Schumacher's record of seven F1 titles is still intact, the Brazilian said that it would not be broken any time soon. Massa also claimed that Hamilton was not winning an eighth title due to the Mercedes package that he's got.
The Brazilian told Bild:
“And it won’t be any time soon. Sure, Lewis Hamilton also has seven World titles, but I don’t think he can win an eighth – at least not with this car this season. The Mercedes is too bad for Lewis to have a realistic chance of playing a major role in the title race. He can drive as well as he wants, his car is too slow."
At the same time, Massa had words of praise for Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen and opined that the Austrian team might dominate the sport for some time. He said:
“Max Verstappen has been World Champion the last two years. I see no reason why he shouldn’t achieve the hat-trick. Much more, Max can also win four, five or six titles in a row. Everything has to be right for such a run, that’s what is happening at the moment. Max makes no mistakes, Red Bull works perfectly, the engine is strong. That’s how it was with Michael with Ferrari and Lewis with Mercedes. The conditions are optimal for a Red Bull era.”
Massa picks Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton to break Michael Schumacher's record
When pushed if he would back Max Verstappen over Lewis Hamilton to beat Michael Schumacher's record, Felipe Massa replied in the affirmative. He felt that Verstappen made no mistakes and that the conditions were perfect for him to dominate.
Massa said:
“At the moment, yes. Max doesn’t make any mistakes, he drives like a robot. He is extremely mature for his age. The two titles have made him even better. He’s more relaxed now, not so dogged. He still drives with a crowbar from time to time, but he uses it more purposefully.”
