Felipe Massa is one of several passionate, competitive Brazilian drivers who hail from São Paulo, the racing hub of Brazil. Like his more prominent predecessors Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna, Massa is known to be a lion-hearted competitor but is yet to explore the depths of his talent the way the two former Brazilian champions did.The Ferrari driver made his entry into the sport with Sauber in 2002. He retired in half the races that year but not without proving that he was furiously fast. He showed this skill many times in his career, notably when he outraced his champion teammate Jacques Villeneuve repeatedly in 2005. Massa was handed a race seat at Ferrari as a result of his visible potential.The scarlet car was set afire as Felipe Massa raced to three poles and seven podiums, including two victories on his way to third place in the Drivers’ Championship. In 2007, he had more success but was overshadowed by his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, who clinched the title that year. The following season gave him his best result as he finished second in the standings behind Lewis Hamilton.Last year, Massa was forced out mid-season due to a freak accident that he was involved in during the qualifying session of the Hungarian GP. This year, the onus is on him to make up for lost time and to stand up to his rivals including his more accomplished teammate, Fernando Alonso.In 2010, he has been dogged of being the number 2 driver in the team after Ferrari’s antics in the German GP. Although the Brazilian has denied of his status, his championship hopes this year is effectively over.