Alonso would accept Vettel (as a team mate)-Domenicali

**Tifoso** · 11th October 2011, 17:39

Read this in the Gazzetta dello Sport.
EDIT: found an English link

Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel could "co-exist" as teammates on the Italian Formula One outfit one day.

Vettel secured his second consecutive F1 title at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix and his contract with Red Bull expires in 2014.

Alonso, who won two F1 titles with Renault, has a contract with Ferrari through 2016.

Domenicali was asked in Tuesday's Gazzetta dello Sport whether Alonso would accept Vettel at Ferrari in 2014.

"I think so," he replied. "I think they could co-exist.

"Fernando's strength is not being afraid of anyone."

Vettel has made no secret of his desire to race for Ferrari one day, saying after his Italian GP victory last month that the only thing that could have made it better "would be wearing a red suit."

Felipe Massa, Ferrari's other current driver, has a contract that expires at the end of next season, and the Brazilian appears to have lost his edge after a life-threatening accident at the Hungarian GP in 2009.

In recent races, Massa has been involved in a series of incidents with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, whose contract also expires in 2012.

"Massa will do everything he can to show that he's worthy of Ferrari and other drivers with contracts expiring will want to show that they're ready to come to Ferrari," Domenicali said. "Hamilton is also probably among those.

"But it's early yet."

Ferrari is concluding a miserable season that has seen it take just one victory so far — Alonso's win at the British GP in July.

With four races remaining, Alonso is third in the drivers' standings and Massa is sixth.

In the constructors' standings, Ferrari is third — 226 points behind Red Bull and 96 points behind McLaren.

The focus at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello has turned almost exclusively to redeveloping the car for next year.

"Everything will change, including the steering wheel," Domenicali said.
cbc.ca

Throws Massa under the bus a bit.

**REDARMYSOJA** · 11th October 2011, 18:36

In recent races, Massa has been involved in a series of incidents with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, whose contract also expires in 2012.

"Massa will do everything he can to show that he's worthy of Ferrari and other drivers with contracts expiring will want to show that they're ready to come to Ferrari," Domenicali said. "Hamilton is also probably among those.

Kind of makes you wonder if Hamilton is racing Felipe so hard in an attempt to show he deserves that seat more than Massa.

**Katu** · 11th October 2011, 18:42

Originally Posted by REDARMYSOJA

Kind of makes you wonder if Hamilton is racing Felipe so hard in an attempt to show he deserves that seat more than Massa.

by wrecking ferraris? yeah, his brain would come up with this

**Tifoso** · 11th October 2011, 18:46

Originally Posted by Katu

by wrecking ferraris? yeah, his brain would come up with this

But if he was in a Ferrari, he'd be wrecking Macca's (and others)

**Hornet** · 11th October 2011, 18:53

Originally Posted by Tifoso

Throws Massa under the bus a bit.

Not at all. Stefano D was asked a question, and so he answered it. Of course Alonso can accept Vettel as his team mate. Just as much as he can accept anyone as his team mate.

Do anyone really expected a different answer?

**Hermann** · 11th October 2011, 18:54

But if he was in a Ferrari, he'd be wrecking Macca's (and others)

Quick, give him a contract before someone else gets the idea.

**Katu** · 11th October 2011, 19:04

in this case, we could take Flav on the ship too, he can convince Lewis into doing even something more spectacular than crashing into others...

**Tifoso** · 11th October 2011, 19:06

Originally Posted by Hornet

Not at all. Stefano D was asked a question, and so he answered it. Of course Alonso can accept Vettel as his team mate. Just as much as he can accept anyone as his team mate.

Do anyone really expected a different answer?

I did

"Vettel? Absolutely a great driver. Possibly someday. Right now we are happy with our current driver line-up"

**REDARMYSOJA** · 11th October 2011, 19:40

Originally Posted by Tifoso

But if he was in a Ferrari, he'd be wrecking Macca's (and others)

He could be the perfect wing man for Alonso. Crash out the rest of the field while Alonso drives away. Hamilton would just say it's the other guy's fault, so he'd be the new Rubens but wouldn't know it.

**REDARMYSOJA** · 11th October 2011, 19:42

Originally Posted by Katu

by wrecking ferraris? yeah, his brain would come up with this

Well, I don't think that's how he intends it to end up, though I wonder about this recent get together with Massa at Suzuka, it looked like it could have been on purpose.

**Alessandra** · 11th October 2011, 20:45

"Co-exist"? Wow! That sounds like fun!
Welcome to Ferrari, Seb. Come and co-exist with us!

I'd guess Felipe is safe for the foreseeable future

**ferrari4life** · 11th October 2011, 20:49

Originally Posted by Tifoso

But if he was in a Ferrari, he'd be wrecking Macca's (and others)

like...very funny

**racingbradley** · 11th October 2011, 22:26

what about the Ferrari young driver programme. I understood that's where our next signing would come from

**Hermann** · 11th October 2011, 22:29

Originally Posted by racingbradley

what about the Ferrari young driver programme. I understood that's where our next signing would come from

Its called 'keeping your options open'.

**Meiga** · 11th October 2011, 23:00

Originally Posted by Tifoso

I did

"Vettel? Absolutely a great driver. Possibly someday. Right now we are happy with our current driver line-up"

I think that the question was more along the "could Alonso be in the same team as Vettel if you decide to hire him?" than along the "is Vettel a potential future Ferrari driver?" line.

**Tifosi** · 12th October 2011, 08:13

Originally Posted by racingbradley

what about the Ferrari young driver programme. I understood that's where our next signing would come from

I think as long as Fernando is their main focus you may just be right!

**racingbradley** · 12th October 2011, 17:37

Originally Posted by Tifosi

I think as long as Fernando is their main focus you may just be right!

And you could be right too

I have just watched that super video SFR news no 21 and it would be easy to imagine that Ferrari has only one car.

**Greig** · 12th October 2011, 18:52

Originally Posted by racingbradley

And you could be right too

I have just watched that super video SFR news no 21 and it would be easy to imagine that Ferrari has only one car.

Stefano spoke about both? Then a interview with Alonso's race engineer, I am sure we had Rob and Felipe in one edition?

But yeah Massa is forgotten about.......

**da_one** · 13th October 2011, 02:05

Massa only has himself to blame if the team is steadily losing faith in him. Sure he can blame the car and Lewis for his subpar season, but really he hasn't been the same since returning from his accident two years ago. I have nothing against Massa, but his results are far from satisfactory given that Alonso almost won the title last year in a 2nd best car and can still be 2nd this year in a 3rd best car.

As for Vettel joining Alonso, I don't see it happening anytime soon because other than the fact that RB is 'his' team where he enjoys no. 1 status, he knows he won't stand a chance against Alonso in the same car. Atleast that's the way I see it...

**Stormsearcher** · 13th October 2011, 19:58

Ofcourse he wouldnt mind vettel. Or for that matter anyone. In equal equipment, he will blow them all away.

**Hermann** · 18th October 2011, 11:56

While sitting in a doctor's waiting room today i was reading the german magazine 'Spiegel' and found an interview with Gerhard Berger about Vettel.

What he said is basically what Fernando gets 'accused' of quite often in the press, only this time it was not about him.
He said that Vettel demands all the attention on him inside the team. That he would never accept Fernando as a team-mate (not the other way round), and that he would never go to Ferrari unless he would see they were able to produce a dominant car again. Vettel is only interested in a winning car and the whole team working for him.
Berger also said that he is very good in giving the team feedback in how he wants the car, and that at RB the whole team is concentrated on giving him the car he wants. And that he would have no interest in leaving RB as long as it stays that way.

He didn't even mention Webber.

**Katu** · 18th October 2011, 14:35

i'm not at all surprised reading that

**racingbradley** · 18th October 2011, 17:02

Originally Posted by Hermann

While sitting in a doctor's waiting room today i was reading the german magazine 'Spiegel' and found an interview with Gerhard Berger about Vettel.
What he said is basically what Fernando gets 'accused' of quite often in the press, only this time it was not about him.
He said that Vettel demands all the attention on him inside the team. That he would never accept Fernando as a team-mate (not the other way round), and that he would never go to Ferrari unless he would see they were able to produce a dominant car again. Vettel is only interested in a winning car and the whole team working for him.
Berger also said that he is very good in giving the team feedback in how he wants the car, and that at RB the whole team is concentrated on giving him the car he wants. And that he would have no interest in leaving RB as long as it stays that way.
He didn't even mention Webber.

Thanks for that Hermann.

I am sure he is no different than all "great" champions before him eg Michael. Nando is exactly the same so what Gerhard is saying is there is no space at Ferrari for Nando and Seb together. Just imagine their salaries.

**Hermann** · 18th October 2011, 17:43

Originally Posted by racingbradley

Thanks for that Hermann.

I am sure he is no different than all "great" champions before him eg Michael. Nando is exactly the same so what Gerhard is saying is there is no space at Ferrari for Nando and Seb together. Just imagine their salaries.

Not quite. Fernando left Macca and went back to Renault because he, like he said himself, chose 'to have a life over driving a winning car'. He also joined Ferrari at a time when was no sign of a 'winning car'. He has no problem with acknowledging that he is not the only one in the team. Not really the same, i'd say.
The article has been mentioned on some german motorsport sites but they only quoted the part where Berger compared Vettel to Senna (

)- they all skipped the rest. It obviously doesn't fit the picture that is painted of Vettel being the 'nice champion'.

Talking about the press creating an image. And i think not even Schumacher was that egocentric when he was driving for Ferrari.