Formula One: Troubled Massa gives trouble to Ferrari...
The 2010 Formula One season has seen a lot of in-team rivalry just like many other seasons. Worst of all is witnessed in the top two teams; Red Bull and Ferrari. By the middle of the season Mark Webber of Red Bull and Felipe Massa
of Ferrari apparently seemed to be suffering from team-orders issue, however, the Austrian team cleared its air soon but for Massa things turned out differently.
Ferrari that has been accused for team ordering a number of times earlier as well, once again followed the same strategy to elevate its driver Fernando Alonso, while Massa was asked to assist the Spaniard to get his third world
championship.
Now the poor show of Massa at the Japanese Grand Prix makes many believe that the driver is under performing on purpose as he is not willing to support his teammate. The sparks of this enmity became visible for the first time at
the German Grand Prix where Massa had to hand over his certain victory to Alonso. He received a coded message on his radio telling him that Alonso was quicker than him, though he wasn’t. Following the message the leading driver slowed down letting his teammate
overtake, while he settled for second place. The team ordering was so evident that soon after the race the stewards penalised Ferrari for US $100,000 while the case was forwarded to FIA for further investigation. Though the team came out of the case clean
and clear, yet their strategy remained the same for the rest of the season.
Now, as the Formula One caravan headed for the sixteenth race of the season the Ferrari team president, Luca di Montezemolo urged the driver to shave off as many points as he can from their rivals, in order to make the battle easier
for his teammate. The Italian was very clear as he stated, “Those who race for Ferrari don't race for themselves, but for the Ferrari team colours. One who wants to race for himself will have to face his team."
However, the statement was taken very offensively by Massa who talked to the press following this statement saying that he will rather quit racing than act as a No. 2 driver for the team. Though the team undermined their previous
statement, and assured that Massa would never be a No. 2 driver but still the driver does not seem to ‘forgive and forget’.
At the Suzuka track last month Massa did not stand anywhere above 7th on the grid, blaming traffic for his poor qualifying. Later, on the final race day he retired at the very first minute after smashing into the Williams
of Nico Hulkenberg. The poor performance of the driver is being suspected as his conscious effort to take revenge on the team.
Now, as the team returned from Japan the team principal apparently dismissed the journalists who suspected his retirement saying, “I’m sure he [Massa] will be the surprise of the last three races of the season. After this bad day
he will be desperately keen to react and we will do everything to give him the possibility to win.” However, the statement has not been taken as a motivational or optimistic remark for Massa instead it has been interpreted as a final warning to the driver.
Moreover, his teammate, Alonso has also pleaded him to give maximum support to the driver saying that Massa is surely capable of doing much better than his past few races. “I know that he will be really hoping to make up for two
negative results and he has all the capacities required to return to the podium.” Point to be noted here is the ‘podium; not the ‘victory’, said Alonso.
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