Ferrari’s Felipe Massa will today become the thirty-second driver in Formula 1 history to notch up 150 World Championship starts.
Of the current drivers on the grid, only Mark Webber (174), Fernando Alonso (175), Jenson Button (206), Jarno Trulli (250), Michael Schumacher (285) and Rubens Barrichello (321) have chalked up more race starts.
It is actually the Brazilian’s 152nd Grand Prix involvement this weekend. He did not take the start for the six-car 2005 United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis, and he also missed out on the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix after his near-fatal accident in qualifying.
The winner of eleven races made his F1 debut with Sauber in 2002 after winning the European Formula 3000 championship. He was quickly signed up by Ferrari as a test driver, but returned to Sauber for two more seasons (2004-5) before moving to Ferrari in 2006.
Here’s hoping that Felipe can chalk up his first podium of the season this weekend!
[Original images via LAT, The Cahier Archive and XPB]
Richard Bailey
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