Alonso tips Ferrari to ‘miss’ Massa’s input

[vcs316]

Dec.17 (GMM/Inautonews.com) Ferrari is likely to “miss” Felipe Massa, according to the Williams-bound Brazilian’s teammate of the last four seasons.

For 2014, after a period in which Fernando Alonso was regarded as the clear number 1 at Maranello, the Italian team has signed up its last world champion Kimi Raikkonen to replace Massa.

Alonso, who said he counts Massa among his few friends on the F1 grid, pushed to keep the 32-year-old on board, but ultimately must now face the prospect of working alongside the famously cool and odd Finn.

“Definitely Felipe was a hard worker,” Alonso told Brazil’s Totalrace.

“He works day and night for the team to improve the car’s performance,” he added.

“I don’t know Kimi, but the rumours say that he speaks very little and is a bit more isolated. So I think that Ferrari could miss him (Massa),” said Alonso.

However, Alonso played down the prospect that a bad working relationship between himself and Raikkonen – like the one between former Red Bull duo Sebastian Vettel and the retiring Mark Webber – will hurt Ferrari.

“What we have to do now is focus on making a good car in the winter,” he insisted.

“If it’s good, like the Red Bull, it doesn’t matter if there’s ‘Multi-21′, ‘Multi-35′ or anything like that, because the atmosphere in the team will be great,” Alonso added.

[Kingdom Hearts]

Already here:

http://www.thescuderia.net/forums/showthread.php/31800-Fernando-worried-about-Kimi-work-ethics?highlight=

The press is way too slow.

[wisepie]

We'll all miss Felipe, especially if the car turns out to be a winner and he's not able to share in its success after so many years of service!

[brembo man]

We'll all miss Felipe, especially if the car turns out to be a winner and he's not able to share in its success after so many years of service!

Just think how Massa will feel if what you say comes to be. He deserved 2 more years or at least a shot with a new car ,engine etc. at Ferrari. I'll never understand how they could show him the door before 2014.

[fratelliferrari]

Just think how Massa will feel if what you say comes to be. He deserved 2 more years or at least a shot with a new car ,engine etc. at Ferrari. I'll never understand how they could show him the door before 2014.

Yes I totally agree with you! My feeling was the whole season that Felipe would get a contract for 2014 season and in my eyes he totally deserved that to see what he could achieve with the new car and regulations!

[Giallo 550]

Just think how Massa will feel if what you say comes to be. He deserved 2 more years or at least a shot with a new car ,engine etc. at Ferrari. I'll never understand how they could show him the door before 2014.

I concur.

[FrankAlfa]

Sounds like an honest, positive comment on Felipe's work ethic.

[Stormsearcher]

lol.. Kimi must really have a bad reputation for nando to go public with such a comment.

But its likely to be his way of showing appreciation for Felipe than being negative about Kimi. IMO.

[ManFromMilan]

But its likely to be his way of showing appreciation for Felipe than being negative about Kimi. IMO.



I also believe that this is just Ferrari showing appreciation of Massa's commitment and work ethics for his time at the team.

Once again if Kimi was not a team player he would not have been given a race seat in Ferrari again. The team knows what he brings and they are happy to have him back.

[fratelliferrari]

I also believe that this is just Ferrari showing appreciation of Massa's commitment and work ethics for his time at the team.

Once again if Kimi was not a team player he would not have been given a race seat in Ferrari again. The team knows what he brings and they are happy to have him back.

I think you are right. Also I heard lots of stories that Kimi is a nice guy if the media is not around and offcourse Ferrari knows his character more than anyone here I guess :xmastongue:

[Kristof_F40]

I think you are right. Also I heard lots of stories that Kimi is a nice guy if the media is not around and offcourse Ferrari knows his character more than anyone here I guess :xmastongue:

Fernando and Felipe were good friends, which was ofcourse an extra help for their work relationship. Kimi and Fernando don't have problems with each other, but probably they won't become best friends, but you never now. I don't think we should be worried about work ethics.. Kimi will let Fernando pass if necesarry and Fernando will do the same. I think if the time is there, Fernando will have more problems with this because it means that if there's a chance, it's not for him, even after all these years. It willl be interesting how the first half of the season will be.. If one is constantly ahead fo the other, we don't need to worry. But if there constantly battling for position, wwe will have a problem because they are taking points from each other.

[fratelliferrari]

Fernando and Felipe were good friends, which was ofcourse an extra help for their work relationship. Kimi and Fernando don't have problems with each other, but probably they won't become best friends, but you never now. I don't think we should be worried about work ethics.. Kimi will let Fernando pass if necesarry and Fernando will do the same. I think if the time is there, Fernando will have more problems with this because it means that if there's a chance, it's not for him, even after all these years. It willl be interesting how the first half of the season will be.. If one is constantly ahead fo the other, we don't need to worry. But if there constantly battling for position, wwe will have a problem because they are taking points from each other.

Yes I think you descriped the situation correct :xmaswink: We will have to wait and see what happens next year!

[F2002]

Let's not take this discussion to the other extreme, after all up to a few weeks ago, and according to some people on this board, what we were really missing were Massa's points in the constructor's championship.

However good he was in developing the car behind the scenes, it didn't seem to have an impact in recent years unfortunately.

Time to look forward, not backward.

[Module]

Let's not take this discussion to the other extreme, after all up to a few weeks ago, and according to some people on this board, what we were really missing were Massa's points in the constructor's championship.

However good he was in developing the car behind the scenes, it didn't seem to have an impact in recent years unfortunately.

Time to look forward, not backward.

Sad but true

You easily also forget that its not only about the drivers. The engineers are extremely competitive themselves. For the past years when Alonso fought for podiums and victories the other side of the garage could at most hope for an odd victory in a teammate battle, and that on Saturday. Scuderia is a dream cometrue for many of them and has required a lot of work and sacrifices to get to so being on the sidelines of succes must hurt and lower morale. As much as it was for future succes of the Scuderia I think the change was also made to boost morale and get a healthy competitive drive for the employees.