Felipe Massa has explained why Ferrari's title drought in F1 has not surprised him

Felipe Massa has said that he is not surprised by the drought Ferrari has gone through in Formula 1 in recent seasons, with him saying that the Scuderia has lacked the cool heads at the top that are needed to succeed in the sport.

The Prancing Horse has not won a Drivers’ title since 2007, with the year following in 2008 one of the closest times they’ve come since as Massa himself was pipped by Lewis Hamilton in the final corners of the Brazilian Grand Prix as the Brit overtook Timo Glock for the position he needed.

Since then, Fernando Alonso has gone pretty close with Ferrari but Sebastian Vettel beat him both times in the Red Bull, and Vettel himself had some chances during his time in red but ultimately mistakes were made both by him and the team at crucial moments to allow Hamilton and Mercedes to win the titles on offer.

2022, though, could be a different year if Ferrari can interpret the new regulations well, with 2021 a promising step in the right direction with Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz at the wheel.

Indeed, Massa is hopeful this season will see a Scuderia driver back on the top step and he has offered his thoughts as to why they have had their difficulties as a team in recent times:

“That did not surprise me,” he told Spanish daily AS.

“Ferrari’s best years were with [Michael] Schumacher, then 2006, 2007, 2008

“After 2009, Ferrari was no longer the team of the hour.

“There have been many changes and it is important to keep a cool head. That is difficult at Ferrari.

“Ferrari’s problem is not a driver problem, it’s a car problem, a team problem. Sainz and Leclerc form a very important driver pairing.

“Sainz works hard, he’s consistent and fast. He’s a very strong driver.

“He has the necessary consistency,