Fernando Alonso laughs at the names circulating to replace Massa in 2013

While Lewis Hamilton’s future is a hot topic in the paddock, Felipe Massa’s future with Ferrari is also yet to be confirmed, as the names of potential successors are being discussed almost continuously. The Brazilian nevertheless has a strong ally in his teammate Fernando Alonso: “Felipe and I have worked well together for three years. He has had his difficult moments, but now he needs a few good races to regain confidence and earn points for the constructors’ championship,” can be read on the Autosprint website. “I’m not defending him, but when I read certain names in the newspapers, it makes me laugh. I don’t know if the rumors are true or not, but what have these drivers done better than Felipe, especially in the junior formulas,” the Spaniard wonders.

The Paulista has indeed eleven Grand Prix victories as well as an honorary title of vice-world champion in 2008. In his early years, Felipe Massa won in each category he participated in before reaching Formula One: Brazilian Formula Chevrolet in 1999, Formula Renault Eurocup and Formula Renault Italy in 2000, and Euro Formula 3000 in 2001.

Among the necessarily unofficial candidates for his replacement are names such as Heikki Kovalainen, Nico Hülkenberg, and Sergio Pérez. Regarding the Mexican driver, Fernando Alonso downplays his recent performances: “I have nothing to add to Di Montezemolo’s statements. The fact is, if Kobayashi and Maldonado adopt a ‘different’ strategy in the next race and end up on the podium, their names will be mentioned as well. It’s always like that, from race to race, because a Ferrari seat is appealing to a driver. I’ve experienced it myself because four or five years ago, it was me they were talking about.”

Remains to be seen, however, if Felipe Massa’s experience can make up for his lack of results, considering Sergio Pérez is 18 points ahead of him and while he was recently competing with Nico Hülkenberg in the driver standings. Felipe Massa himself acknowledges the necessity of achieving good results: « There is nothing new regarding my future at the moment, but there is no doubt that good results will be helpful. I just need to keep pushing hard and getting good results in the hope of receiving good news soon. »

However, the Paulista admits that the artistic blur surrounding his future indirectly influences his approach to the race: « It’s always better to know what your situation is, of course, I want to know what I’ll be doing next year. But I can assure you that I’ve never started thinking about it while I’m in my car, in the middle of a race. However, I know that results matter, so if a situation arises that requires taking risks, you have to carefully consider it because the priority is still to finish the race. »

But in the end, no matter the decision Ferrari makes, Fernando Alonso believes, in Singapore, that it must be respected and furthermore, he suggests that team respect should be part of the profile of a potential replacement for Felipe Massa: « In my opinion, we need a driver who will respect Ferrari and the tradition here of working for the team and for the red cars. That’s the first priority. »