Christian Horner says he would not have retained Felipe Massa – Formula 1 news
Red Bull Racing’s team principal, Christian Horner, has stated that if he was in charge of the Ferrari team, he would not have retained Felipe Massa for the 2013 F1 season.
Horner said that F1 was unluckily a tough sport which requires consistent performance to ensure your career.
“No, I don’t think I would (have retained him). Unfortunately, it’s a tough business, and results-based. You’ve got to look at what the guy in the other car, which we must assume is equal equipment, is achieving,” Horner said. “They obviously had a look
at other drivers - at least one of ours! - so they were obviously concerned about his form, but their options seemed to become limited.”
Horner added that the Italian team had certainly been considering their options which was clear from the messages that were coming out from their factory in Maranello. However, Horner said that when Massa improved his performance towards the second half
of the season, Ferrari knew that the option they already had was the best one.
The Brazilian driver remained under much pressure this past season as his form declined badly from the beginning as compared to his championship running teammate, Fernando Alonso. Following this, Ferrari started to look out for other drivers to confirm for
2013. However, Massa started to improve and was then confirmed by Ferrari. He was qualifying better than Alonso by the end of the season and even secured the third position on the podium during the final race in his hometown.
Massa has admitted that being under so much pressure had definitely hurt his performance in the beginning but now he is very motivated following his strong form from the end of 2012 F1 season. He said that he is going to continue it into 2013.
Ferrari has denied the allegations that they retained their driver because they did not have any alternative options but because Massa deserved it after proving that he could perform.
Meanwhile, Red Bull is enjoying its victory over Ferrari both in the constructors’ and drivers’ championships. It is also being reported that Horner has extended his contract with Red Bull for several more years.
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