Luca Di Montezemolo: Fernando Alonso in for many years, Felipe Massa secured until 2012 – Formula One News
Ferrari’s President, Luca Di Montezemolo revealed that both drivers, Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, will remain in the team despite on track performance issues. The Italian also said that Massa will remain with Ferrari until his contract ends in 2012,
but the team won’t let go of Alonso.
After having a slow start to the 2011 season, speculations were rife that the Brazilian driver, Massa, will be left out of the team. Luca brushed away all these speculations and confirmed that the Brazilian will complete his contractual commitment with the
team.
“Yes. Yes. He has a contract with us for this year [and] for next year. So absolutely yes, no question about it,” said the Ferrari President while speaking to the media.
Both Ferrari drivers started the 2011 Formula 1 season under pressure as the car, Ferrari 150° Italia, failed to deliver a performance even close to the pre-season testing sessions.
Ferrari’s duo was down and out of the competition in the first two races in Australia and Malaysia. However, they showed good speeds in the Chinese Grand Prix where Massa ran the anchor of the two Ferrari drivers.
Finally in the Turkish Grand Prix, Alonso managed to grab a podium position and marked the start of the 2011 season for the Ferrari team.
Talking about Alonso and his performance in the Turkish race, Luca said, “Alonso is very, very strong. He is one of the best drivers I have seen in my career, very strong in the mind, very pushing with the team, but in a constructive way, but also very close
to the team. So I want to have a long time Alonso.”
Alonso now is fifth on the drivers’ championship table with 41 points while Massa follows in sixth place with only 24 points.
The season continues in Barcelona with the Spanish Grand Prix on the 22nd of May. It will be interesting to see how Ferrari’s duo come out of the teammate war and focus on the more important issues at hand, as Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel seems
to be getting out of reach of the two Ferrari drivers with every passing Grand Prix.
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