Felipe Massa details why feud between Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton will grow until end of F1 season

Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc clashed early in the Mexican Grand Prix after a major incident at Turn 4.

The Brit was furious at his teammate after Leclerc passed him off-track before the Monegasque driver was handed a five-second penalty.

It could be argued this incident cost both Ferrari drivers the chance to win the Grand Prix, as Hamilton finished second while Leclerc placed fourth.

The pair have since been involved in back-and-forth verbal exchanges in the build-up to the Sao Paulo GP this weekend, creating unbelievable tension in the Ferrari camp, something that Felipe Massa expects to grow.

READ NEXT: Damon Hill solves Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc saga once and for all with brutal decision

Felipe Massa believes Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton feud will only grow

Massa was a mainstay in the Ferrari car between 2006 and 2013, having to compete with several high-profile teammates.

During his time at Ferrari, there may have been tension, particularly with Kimi Raikkonen, as the Finnish driver secured the Drivers’ Championship in 2007 as the pair battled it out for the title with the McLaren team of Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

However, as the campaign went on, the Brazilian admitted he had to follow team orders near the end of the season to help Raikkonen lift the title.

It was a fate he would have to accept from 2010 onwards when Alonso became his teammate too, yet, as long as it benefitted Ferrari in their aims to lift the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, he would do it.

The reason for this was that titles were on the line, so, Massa believes that the fact that there is no silverware on the line for Ferrari, Hamilton, or Leclerc this season the feud will continue to grow.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Massa said: “When the drivers are on the track, they try to give their all and keep everyone else behind them, including their teammates. Leclerc is very fast in qualifying, Hamilton is more consistent in the race, but the truth is that in a situation like this year's, you can't stop them.

“You can only stop them by giving them team orders if you're fighting for the championship. When I was racing for Ferrari, it was simple: Kimi and I would race to Spa, free to do so, and then whoever was ahead at that point in the season had priority over the other.

“Period. If you're not fighting for the title, the drivers have more freedom to try and exploit every opportunity to win a race, and telling them clearly what to do isn't easy."

READ NEXT: Toto Wolff sends Ferrari clear warning about Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc feud

Felipe Massa’s rivalry with Fernando Alonso

The Brazilian almost won the Drivers’ Championship in 2008, but Hamilton pipped him to the title at the Interlagos Circuit in the final race of the season, the Brit claiming the crown by just one point.

Massa would struggle the next season for Ferrari before suffering an injury mid-season, meaning Ferrari turned their attention to bringing in a racer that could win the title.

Alonso was their man, yet it would be understandable that Massa would feel hard done by, considering he had come so close to the title in 2008.

Massa may have felt tension towards Alonso and wanted to prove he was the man to win the Formula 1 Drivers’ Championship.

However, the Spaniard clearly won this battle, as in qualifying, Alonso achieved the faster time nearly 75% of the time, beating Massa 59 times to 18.

Overall, Alonso scored more than double the number of points that Massa achieved and beat him in the drivers’ standings in all four years. The Spaniard finished second three times in that period, while Massa’s best was sixth in 2010 and 2011.