Felipe Massa looking to prove his worth at Ferrari
It hasn’t been the best of seasons for Felipe Massa, has it?
After missing the end part of last season because of a fractured skull he suffered at the Hungarian Grand Prix, he returned to a Formula One car this year full of optimism and hope, but it hasn’t quite been the return the Brazilian was anticipating.
Knowing he was coming back to Ferrari, he had to deal with the bombshell that Fernando Alonso had been announced as his new teammate. Previously he had Michael Schumacher as his teammate, then Kimi Räikkönen, and now Alonso. It’s a certainty that he wants to win the drivers’ championship, but with teammates such as those, the task became impossible.
Alonso was clearly bought to Ferrari to win titles, and by signing the Spaniard the Scuderia feel they have a better chance with him rather than Massa. Although Massa nearly won the championship back in 2008 - where he lost out by a point to Lewis Hamilton on the final corner in Brazil - it seems he doesn’t have a chance with Alonso now as the spearhead for the Italian outfit.
Rumours of Massa departing Ferrari were put to bed as he signed a new deal which would see him stay until 2012. Was the contract Ferrari’s way of telling Massa he had to deal with playing second fiddle at the team?
A few weeks ago Massa was told by Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo to do all he can to support Alonso in the title run-in. Before that, he was instructed to move over in a coded radio message when in the lead and let Alonso through at the German Grand Prix to win the race. Ferrari were fined $100,000 for implementing team orders, but that didn’t stop them from telling Massa to up his game to support Alonso.
Massa crashed out of the last race in Japan in the first lap, and he has said he will do all he can to help Alonso win a third world crown, even though he hasn’t got the full backing of his team. “I was at home in Brazil for about one week and I made good use of my time, getting as well prepared as possible for the final trio of races, which is going to be very important for me on a personal level to fight back after the disappointing outcome of the last two races in Japan and before that Singapore,” he said.
Germany all but ruled out Massa’s chances of fighting for the title, but the Brazilian insists he will give his all as the season draws to a close, starting in Korea. “More importantly, I will be trying to bring home a significant number of points to help the Scuderia in its fight for both championships.
“As for my aims this weekend, firstly we need to qualify well on Saturday and after that, in the race, I want to be in the middle of the battle for the drivers' championship, fighting with those five drivers who are chasing the title, which is the best thing I can do to help Ferrari's and Fernando's aspirations as we head for the end of the championships,” said Massa.
All he can do is play a supporting role to Alonso, but how long can he play this role before questioning his position at Ferrari?
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