Felipe Massa needs to be more than a driver

The former Formula 1 driver is heading to Formula E, but he needs to be more than a driver.

A couple of weeks ago, Felipe Massa announced he would be racing with Venturi in Formula E for season five. Being a former Ferrari F1 driver gives you credibility that very few people on earth hold.

That credibility doesn’t promise you success, but it encourages people to listen, at least to an extent. This means that Felipe Massa will have a much more significant role to play in Formula E. Being such a high-profile driver in Formula E makes you a spokesperson of kinds. More so than a standard driver.

Nico Rosberg is a perfect example of this after his Gen2 demonstration. However, having a high-profile driver that competes is a big deal. Massa can reshape how people view Formula E and more importantly, influence people to give it a chance.

There are of course drivers who already compete like Andre Lotterer, Jean-Eric Vergne, Sebastien Buemi, and Lucas Di Grassi that provide a valuable voice for Formula E. The difference being that none of these drivers have had a career like Felipe Massa.

Massa has never been a super vocal person, but it’s time he takes a more significant leadership role to represent the sport at the highest level with Nico Rosberg. What do you think? Should Massa take on a leadership role for Formula E as a whole? Or should he focus on driving?

Felipe Massa after announcing his Venturi Formula E deal — (Image: Venturi)

By: Andrew Miles