What happens when someone is paired up with World Champions? Only Felipe Massa can perfectly describe the feeling. Massa was under Michael Schumacher’s umbrella for his initial two years in Ferrari. Imagine the pressure he must have felt to be at par with the Red Baron! And following the 7x champion’s exit, Fernando Alonso replaced him. Young Alonso was a beast. His fierce nature brought an unprecedented intensity to Formula 1.

Moreover, Massa recently admitted his close relationship with Michael Schumacher. He felt “lucky” to be in the presence of the legend. “It was a great time to be able to be teammates with Michael Schumacher. I learned a lot from him. He was an amazing driver,” the Brazilian revealed.

Since Schumacher was in his last stint with Ferrari, Massa was soon to get a new partner. Kimi Raikkonen filled in and after two seasons it was his time to leave. That was when the already two-time world champion Fernando Alonso walked into the Ferrari garage. And things turned completely different for Massa.

2010 witnessed a historical transfer. Fernando Alonso donned the Red suit with pride. Standing on the same ground as Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher must have been an honor for him. However, his teammate, Felipe Massa had a tough time. “I think during that period, I suffered much more with Alonso than with Michael, for example,” Felipe Massa revealed to UOL Esporte.

“With Schumacher, it was a great situation in which Ferrari was investing a lot in a young driver like today, and he was in the final stretch of his career in Formula 1 and also at Ferrari,” the 43-year-old further added. A strong rivalry was seen between Massa and Alonso over the years. And as teammates, nothing much changed. Fernando Alonso ‘wielded’ more power at Ferrari than the seasoned Felipe.

However, amidst a series of accusations and counter-accusations, the Spaniard ended his journey with Ferrari, while Massa continued.

Fernando Alonso versus Felipe Massa: Who won the battle?

Had the ‘Crashgate’ incident not happened at the 2008 Singapore GP, Felipe Massa could also have been a world champion. The Brazilian regrets this episode and is angered by the motorsport organization’s callous approach. However, his teammate Fernando Alonso was already a two-time world champion when he joined the Maranello outfit in 2010. Over the next 4 years, an unforeseen rivalry intensified the F1 map.

Alonso successfully outperformed Massa in all of their four seasons as teammates. The Asturian bagged three runners-up results in the championship, while Massa struggled. He reported an alleged ‘split’ in Ferrari, that was supposedly hampering his races. “It was quite difficult to work together inside the team. Actually, it was splitting in the middle,” Massa recalled. But, with the same machinery, Fernando Alonso was dominating the circuits. Hence, the Spaniard had the upper hand in a team that nurtured Massa for eight long seasons.

So, in terms of difficulty, Fernando Alonso tops Felipe Massa’s list. His experiences with World Champion teammates show the challenges of competing alongside legends. With Michael Schumacher, Massa benefited from mentorship and growth. In contrast, his time with Alonso was marked by intense rivalry and internal team struggles, with Alonso consistently outperforming him.

After spending years as the second driver for Ferrari, Massa’s experiences highlight how having a champion teammate can be both a great opportunity and a significant challenge.