Massa: a leading team or retirement in 2013
As the future of Felipe Massa seems sealed, according to some, at Ferrari, the Paulista believes in his chances of keeping his place in 2013, provided he achieves good results. In case of departure, the Brazilian, however, assures that he would prefer to bow out rather than not being able to drive for a competitive team.
Given his start to the season, where he had only scored two points before arriving in Monaco, Felipe Massa’s future at Ferrari, with his contract ending in 2012, didn’t seem very secure at Maranello. Although Luca Colajanni, spokesperson for the Italian team, had told the Brazilian press before the Monaco Grand Prix that the Paulista was still on the list of contenders for his own succession after 2012, the good Monaco weekend for the 2008 world vice-champion didn’t silence the rumors.
However, beyond his potential departure from Ferrari, it is rather the identity of his successor at Maranello that has animated the F1 gazettes, and not his own personal future. Yet, at 31 years old, the Paulista can still continue in the discipline for a few more years, but he confides in an interview with Auto Bild that he does not intend to stay in Formula One at any cost: « I have the possibility to stay with Ferrari, but it will all depend on the results I achieve from now on. For the moment, I have no idea where I will be next year; all I wish is to stay in Formula One, in a competitive team. If that does not happen and I end up in a minor team, then I don’t know if I would continue driving in Formula One. »
That said, among the current leading teams in the discipline, only three seats may eventually become available for 2013: Mark Webber’s at Red Bull, Michael Schumacher’s at Mercedes, and Lewis Hamilton’s at McLaren. Should the seven-time world champion retire, his seat seems destined for a Mercedes driver, with Paul di Resta, currently at Force India, being the front-runner. At Red Bull, the seat potentially vacated by Mark Webber—rumored to be heading to Ferrari—would likely go to a driver from the Red Bull program, either Sebastien Buemi, currently a reserve for the Austrian team, or one of the current Toro Rosso drivers. Finally, at McLaren, while rumors suggest Lewis Hamilton’s desire for a change of scene, the Woking team seems willing to go to great lengths to retain the services of the 2008 world champion. Lastly, if Felipe Massa is not retained by Ferrari for 2013, partly due to his sporting results, there is naturally doubt that another leading team would be interested in the services of the São Paulo native.
The Ferrari driver could, however, benefit teams such as Williams, Sauber, or Force India, which, if the gaps remain as tight on the starting grid, could offer Felipe Massa a good opportunity to relaunch his career. But this alternative does not seem, for the moment, to capture Massa’s attention, who might then, like many of his South American colleagues, turn to the other side of the Atlantic, towards NASCAR or IndyCar. The Paulistano was even seen in Sao Paulo last April, supporting his friend Rubens Barrichello, who was participating in an IndyCar race in the Brazilian city. A simple courtesy visit, or the first step towards a potential career change? At the time, Rubens Barrichello assured that his compatriot was not there to find a job.
