Felipe Massa shares the moment in his F1 career he thinks Drive to Survive would have loved

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Felipe Massa experienced his fair share of incredible moments in Formula 1, and some conflicting emotions came with them.

He will forever be remembered in Brazilian hearts for winning his home grand prix in a 2008 championship decider, only to have the joy of success ripped away by a last-corner overtake from rival Lewis Hamilton.

It’s one of the most iconic tales in Formula 1 history and would’ve made him the first champion from Brazil since Ayrton Senna.

But, it wasn’t to be and the legendary McLaren driver remains the last man hailing from the South American country to have claimed the drivers’ crown.

Netflix would have gained ‘big popularity’ from 2008 finale

Formula 1 has exploded in popularity ever since Netflix arrived on the scene back in 2018 with their Drive to Survive series.

It gave the sport a platform to reach audiences which had been otherwise undiscoverable before, and it has benefitted hugely from the deal.

Speaking to Motorsport Brasil, Massa thinks that if Netflix were around in 2008, the championship tale would’ve helped Formula 1 gain traction even sooner.

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“Netflix started after I had already stopped, right? From 2008 and everything that happened, I was winning in Brazil and together with Schumacher there were incredible situations that happened in my race career.

“Of course, what’s more maybe – the most incredible championship in the history for Formula 1 was 2008. The way it happened was something that would give a very big popularity in the Netflix series.”

Why Formula 1 needs a Brazilian driver on the grid

Formula 1 hasn’t had a full-time Brazilian driver on the grid since Massa retired in 2017, and it’s a huge market.

Throughout the entire Drive to Survive era, their fans haven’t had anyone from their home country to cheer on, which is gut-wrenching for a country that poured its heart and soul into supporting Senna.

There might be light at the end of the tunnel though, with current Formula 2 championship leader and McLaren development driver Gabriel Bortoleto being one of the names mentioned for a possible Sauber drive in 2025.

READ MORE: Oscar Piastri ‘ignored’ McLaren with call that won Azerbaijan GP

The 19-year-old won the Formula 3 championship last year, and it would be hard to see a scenario where he isn’t on the grid by 2026 if he wraps up the title in Formula 2 as well.

Rubens Barichello, Felipe Massa, and Lucas di Grassi are all drivers from São Paulo who have plenty of racing experience and would be willing to advise him if he makes the jump.

If Audi’s Formula 1 project can hit the ground running, he might even have a chance of being in contention for podiums and wins within a few years.