Stefano Domenicali refrains from predicting Felipe Massa’s future with the team
Ferrari team principal, Stefano Domenicali believes that it is too early to talk about Felipe Massa’s future with the team beyond 2011 season. The driver’s contract with the team will end up after this season; however the team refrains from giving any hint
about any possibility of contract renewal.
2010 Formula One season had been a real tough one for the Brazilian driver. After narrowly missing a fatal accident at the German Grand Prix in 2009, it was speculated that Massa might not be seen on the track until the mid of the next season. However, the
29-year-old was quick to recover, and was not only seen at the very first race of the last season but also managed to end at the second place on the podium. However, following his first successful race finish, the driver was unable to shine on the track again
until the mid season.
Exactly a year after his accident the driver met another disappointing race weekend at the same venue i.e. Hockenheim Circuit in Germany. This time it was not another crash but it was the ‘Team Orders’ of Ferrari that left the driver in distress. At the
final laps of the race when Massa was close to a certain race win, his team sent him the infamous message of 2010 season, “Alonso is faster than you.” Following the message, the Brazilian slowed down while Alonso overtook him to bag the second victory of the
season.
Although Massa proclaimed all through the remaining season that he will not serve as a ‘No.2’ driver for the team but that was actually what he did. The exchange of much heated words between the team principal, Domenicali and the driver further affected
his morale and performance. Despite of being asked over and over again to steal as many points as he could from his rivals to help his teammate, the driver was only able to finish on the podium twice in last 8 races.
As the Formula One caravan now moves ahead for the next season, Domenicali advised the driver to show some improvement. While talking to the media earlier this week Domenicali said that Massa’s poor performance last year was because of his injury. However,
he further stated that thorough tests have been carried and the driver is now perfectly fine, which means the next season will see two strong drivers racing side by side for the Italian squad.
When questioned about the extension of the contract, the Italian refrained from giving a direct response, rather he said, "It would be wrong to say anything at the beginning of the season. I hope it will be close between them; that he (Massa) will be as
good, or maybe even faster than Fernando. But for sure we need two strong drivers to win the constructors' title."
Domenicali admitted that the team will make a decision for the driver’s stay only after seeing his performance this season. He insisted that the team wants to see both the drivers score equally good as that is the only way of securing the constructors’ championship.
He further added told the reporters that Ferrari is adamant to enter the next grid with the hope of bagging both the championships as the last two seasons have seen the team finish behind its rivals, Red Bull and McLaren.
He concluded saying that Massa must move ahead with a new spirit now leaving all the mishaps of last season behind. He stated, "We must all learn from the mistakes of the past year and put it behind. I trust that, as in other situations in which he was under
immense pressure and reacted very well, he will do the same now.”
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