Massa still doesn't get it

http://planetf1.com/news/3213/6431356/Massa-I-ll-Quit-If-I-Become-No-2

 

I suspect he is correct. This is the last year he will be #2 at Ferrari as he will be replaced after the end of the season

 

Yep...

 

Good for him. Id rather see this defiance, no matter how it works out, rather than him being a clone of Rubens. Rubens didnt open his mouth until he left. Rubens was never as close to a title as Felipe was. He has every right to speak out. We all complain how about how 'corporate' the drivers are in their manner of speaking. We need more of this. To heck with Luca and contrived finishes and racing.

 

The talk means nothing.

Alonso has shoved Massa out of the way more than once. His response ought to be to shove Alonso right back out of the way.

B*tching out and accepting an obvious team order was not a smart move to that end.

Agreeing to lie about it to the FIA was not a smart move either.

Not punting Alonso off-track when he tried to overtake Massa on the pit-in wasn't a smart move either.

He needs to get down into the dirt with Alonso. If that means punting him off track - so be it. If that means screwing up his strategy to gain a win for himself, so be it.

Right now, he can talk all he likes about refusing to be a #2... but he's a #2 and nobody even questions that. He needs to prove that false. Sure, Ferrari will be pissed. They can choose not to re-sign him after his contract expires next year. But he probably won't be around there long anyway, so may as well behave in a manner which endears him to his future employer as a fast, cold-hearted, win-at-all-costs type of guy, not a biznatchy #2.

 

+1!!! If only he would. I applaud his talk as it is, until he does as you post. Its just talk no matter. Would be fantastic to see. Not holding breath Too bad he missed a chance in Monza with Fernando. Doubt he gets another chance like that anytime soon.

 

Tough talk from Phil... Hope he lands a gig next year where he can back it up... because he's not backing it up this year, and running his mouth such as he is, he's not going to be driving the Ferrari hotness next year.

 

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?p=139957403#post139957403

 

Massa needs to show he deserves to be #1 on the track. By out qualifying and out finishing Alonso. This does not mean putting his teammate into the wall or the dirt. It means being faster.
He also has to accept the fact that a some point in the season the team will look at the standings and decide which driver has the best chance of taking the championship. At that point the ENTIRE team has to unite behind that driver. If its Massa so be it. If its Alonso so be it.

 

Pretty hard to do when Smeldey tells you to let Alonshole by and learning afterwards that Alonshole cheated with putting the wig up on his engine.

p.s. don't underestimate what this does to a sportsman.

 

Usually I don't respond to vulgarity but..
by this point of the season the team had correctly determined that Alonso had the best chance at the championship and there should not have needed to trick Massa into helping the team.
He should have done so willingly.

 

correct. plus...he's got a contract....and i'd be surprised if it didn't have performance clauses AND remedies for non conformance. that would be normal commercial practice.

 

I don't really understand Massa:

- He is paid a #2 driver's salary.
- He is given a #2 driver's team orders.
- He follows the team orders like a #2 driver.
- Everyboby sees (and appreciates) him as a #2 driver.

And then he claims otherwise?

But we all know the outcome:
- Eventually he'll be dropped by Ferrari like a #2 driver.
- He'll end up in a midfield team and its anonymity like previous Ferrari #2s.

Irvine was clever. He accepted his #2 status and lived the good life that came with it. Occasional podiums, fortune, fame and babes. Nothing wrong with being Ferrari's #2.

 

If they start the season with equal opportunity (not pay, That's determined by Santander and reflects Alonso's off track value in Spain) and each have a chance to earn the number one spot neither one has a reason to gripe.

 

Well and if you look at the season up until Germany it was exactly like that and Alonso already managed to pull ahead. Despite being new to the car and team.

motorsport aktuell did an analysis and states that Massa has only himself to blame by not producing the results required.

 

In the end who else can he blame? AFAIK he's had the same equipment.
At some point the team has to go with the hot hand. They're in it to win.

 

Alonso has beaten him decisively in qualifying this year.

If you can't beat your teammate in qualifying how do you expect to beat him in races?

 

We tend to forget that Massa made a comeback from a life threatening injury. Yes, he's no Lauda in this respect, but if i were Massa, i'd cut my losses this year and continue to support Fred.

Next year, however, he should stop being Mr. Nice Guy and allowing Fred to pass him easily (ie China this year).

He should step up his game and rattle Alonso a bit.

 

I agree with your first sentence, but when I say put him off - I mean... when Alonso tries to pull a move and relies on Massa moving over to make it work - don't move over. Channel Mark Webber and cause a crash Had Massa not gimped out in the pits earlier this year, it would be seen as Alonso's fault.

When Alonso didn't turn down his engine and used the added performance to catch Massa - Massa needs to do that sort of thing right back.

 

I believe Felipe is contracted with Ferrari for 2011, isn't he?

Maybe I am mistaken.

 

At this point in the championship race I say he should defer to Alonso and make way. Once Zo is past the Ferrari can get as wide as possible.

 

Massa at this point needs to stfu and put the lotion in the basket. Be the team player and help fred....next year, assuming he's still at ferrari, he will need to wipe the slate clean and up his game but this talk of knocking f
red off the track is completely silly at this point in the season. I guarantee you if he did that he'd be off the team, and then what are his options? Be vettel's b!tch at rb? Hammy's at mcl? Maybe he can be number one at renault cause robby would make the jump to ferrari....

 

I like Phil, but he should leave Rubens out of it and accept the fact there's a new "massa' in the Ferrari paddock.

 

At this point, yes. But I'm saying it would perhaps not be at this point had Massa been as cold and calculating as Alonso. He has only himself to blame!

 

Absolutely.
As long as they start off the season with equal opportunity they have only themselves to blame.