Ferrari President di Montezemolo confirms Massa will be part of 2012 drivers’ line-up – Formula 1
Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo has confirmed that their driver Felipe Massa will be part of their 2012 drivers’ line-up alongside Fernando Alonso, dismissing recent speculations about the Brazilian driver’s future with the team.
Luca added that Alonso is a superb driver and although Massa is not where he expects him to be, there is no doubt he will be in the team for the next year as well.
Although Former F1 drivers criticised the Brazilian for wasting the opportunities in the Scarlet car in the 2011 season, Luca is confident that the drivers’ line-up will remain the same for the 2012 Formula 1 season.
Luca stated, “Massa and Alonso always bring something more. Alonso is super, Massa is coming back: I think the drivers are not a problem. This is the time for gossip, but next year's drivers will remain Alonso and Massa.”
Although Massa has been winless from the 2008 season and has not been able to outperform his younger teammate in the 2011 season, his seat at Ferrari has been confirmed for at least one more year.
There were speculations that Red Bull’s Mark Webber or McLaren’s Jenson Button might be up for the Ferrari seat for the 2012 season.
Luca also commented that there were times in Formula 1 when the car and the driver mattered equally to win the races but now-a-days, the car has more proportion in determining the race winner.
“In the seventies, when I was a young sporting director, people would say that car and driver counted 50-50. Nowadays the car counts for more, but it's in that 30% that the driver can make a difference,” commented Luca.
Nevertheless, the 2011 season continues in Germany on July 24 with the tenth Grand Prix of the season and for once, the Brazilian driver Felipe Massa will be relieved to go all out on the track without worrying about his next year’s seat.
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