Formula 1 veteran Felipe Massa feels that the partnership with his new team-mate Lance Stroll has reminded him of his own relationship with Michael Schumacher when he first arrived at Ferrari in 2006.
After calling time on his career at the Italian Grand Prix last season, Massa has since returned to Williams after Valtteri Bottas was poached by Mercedes following the shock retirement of reigning champion Nico Rosberg.
When asked by Autosport if Massa was having those similar feelings, he said: “Yeah, I think so – I think I am passing [information] to Lance a little bit easier than Michael was passing to me!
“I was asking more than what he was giving – but he was giving, he was giving a lot. For sure, when I was in front, he was not 100% happy. But I was asking a lot because I always saw Michael as a teacher, as a master, and I was not afraid to ask, ‘what are you doing here, what are you doing there?’
“But I was asking a lot because I always saw Michael as a teacher, as a master, and I was not afraid to ask, ‘what are you doing here, what are you doing there?’
“I was asking everything I could from him. And he was telling me. But sometimes I needed to ask, he would not tell for free.”
Massa is happy to take the mentoring role with Stroll, even if it means scoring the points for the team while the 18-year old gets further up to speed, but maintains that his team-mate needs to be given more time while he learns the ropes.
“I’m helping him a lot, trying to pass everything I see to him,” the Brazilian added.
“We get along very well and everything I can do to help him, I’m doing.
“For example, maybe in one corner I’m doing something and he’s losing lap time there, so then he’s just asking, I say ‘oh you should do like this, like that’. It’s no problem.
“For sure, it’s better to have both drivers scoring points for the team, that’s what we need, that’s what every team needs in the end. But we cannot forget he’s learning, starting. We just need to give the time.”
