Massa is not our second priority - Ferrari
President of team Ferrari Luca di Motezemolo insisted that Felipe Massa will always be the No. 1 driver at his team and is the No.1 driver at the team. If this statement is true, why did the team ask Massa to play as a second fiddle to Alonso for the rest of the season? It is understandable why the team asked Massa to cover Alonso’s back. However, claiming that this is not the case was very childish and unprofessional. Everyone is aware that Massa is not performing up to the mark and Ferrari’s role is understandable. This will create a bad impression on the team’s credibility and possibly create conflicts between Felipe and Ferrari.
Earlier this week, Massa expressed that he was not happy with his role as a wingman for the leading Ferrari driver according to the points this season. Massa was forced to give a statement like this after di Motezemolo announced that Ferrari has decided to focus on Alonso this season and this decision has been proven right.
However, after talking to both of the drivers on the telephone before the Japanese grand prix at Suzuka, the president of Ferrari claims that he does not consider Massa as the “No.2” driver at the team. It is available on record that di Motezemolo stated that the team is favouring Alonso in order to secure the drivers title. It was quite reckless of the president of Ferrari to issue such a statement without even analysing the consequences. These sorts of misunderstandings will prove to be harmful for the team in every way. Ferrari should be careful with what they say as their statements can get them in trouble. In addition, if Massa is not happy, Ferrari will struggle a lot before the end of the season to get the title.
"Felipe is and will always stay a No. 1 driver for Ferrari. I expect the performances of a No. 1 driver from him - both in the next four races and, with different tyres, next year,” he told the Ferrari website. Massa would return next year as strong as he used to be and take important points for the team from their opponents in his battle for the world championship.
However, if we notice, di Motezemolo did not give a statement about what he said regarding Massa playing as a second fiddle for the front man Fernando Alonso. This is not the kind of environment a team should create for its drivers. These sorts of statements show that the team is not sincere to its drivers and the team can show its back to either of its two drivers.
Ferrari should grow up after suffering from so many controversies regarding the same matter. Ferrari has always been known for its “cheap shots” and it is about time that Ferrari looks into it. This decreases the sport’s credibility and creates a biased atmosphere. F1 is not supposed to be this way and if a driver is to win a championship, he should earn it himself.
Yes, teams should be allowed to use this strategy but only as a last resort. Ferrari on the other hand has just been misusing it and making Formula 1 a predictable sport. This year has been different however, and one has to agree that Ferrari made the right decision however; the team should get its priorities right and not issue any silly statements making things more obvious.
The team president is expecting maximum output from the two-time world champion Fernando Alonso in the final four races.
“Fernando sounded very focused and determined, just like the whole team. It's an important time and I'm sure that everyone will give everything they have in order to achieve our objectives”, he added.
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