The end is near for Felipe?

[Enforcer]

Ferrari publically saying they want improvement from him, whilst bizarrely reminding everyone of their support for him.

As for an analysis of the Scuderia’s performance and its two drivers, Fernando has always maintained a very high level (67 points and second place in 2010, 51 and fifth place last year) while Felipe’s drop off has made itself felt. The Brazilian had picked up 49 points two years ago and 24 the following year, while so far this season he has just 2. In Montmelo, Felipe was very unlucky, both in the race and in qualifying, but everyone, he more than anyone, is expecting a change of gear starting right away with the Monaco Grand Prix, his second home race, given that he lives just a few hundred metres from what, as from next Sunday, will be transformed into the paddock for the sixth round of the 2012 championship.

Original statement: http://www.ferrari.com/English/Formula1 ... ula-1.aspx Their site editor should be fired for passing two block paragraphs like that.

The BBC report on it: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/18067284 I saw first before I found the original made it look a bit nastier than it actually is. But at the same time, publically drawing out how Massa isn't scoring points, especially compared to previous years is a bit cold.

[Phoenix]

They have said they're disappointed with him on their Twitter account. Still, for some reason, I can't see him being sacked until the end of the season...

[pasta_maldonado]

They have said they're disappointed with him on their Twitter account. Still, for some reason, I can't see him being sacked until the end of the season...

I'm struggling to find reasons why he deserves to be there at the moment

[Londoner]

But the statement comes in the wake of increasing rumours that the 32-year-old will be replaced sooner rather than later.

I'm guessing spending the best part of a year being crashed into by Ramilton made Massa age two years more. That'd be the reason why his performances are shite this season.

On a more serious note, Alonso is killing Massa's career at the moment. Massa seems to drive with an air of resignation; like he would rather be somewhere else, whilst Alonso is driving like a man posessed, hauling that crapbox up to places it has no right to be in.

I mean, Malaysia was just embarrassing. He had some pace and was in the lower points, but he went slightly wide on one corner, which I think dropped him out of the points. But unless his tyres had cried enough at that point, what happened to his pace? It was like he had given up on the race.

[Phoenix]

But the statement comes in the wake of increasing rumours that the 32-year-old will be replaced sooner rather than later.

I'm guessing spending the best part of a year being crashed into by Ramilton made Massa age two years more. That'd be the reason why his performances are shite this season.

On a more serious note, Alonso is killing Massa's career at the moment. Massa seems to drive with an air of resignation; like he would rather be somewhere else, whilst Alonso is driving like a man posessed, hauling that crapbox up to places it has no right to be in.

I mean, Malaysia was just embarrassing. He had some pace and was in the lower points, but he went slightly wide on one corner, which I think dropped him out of the points. But unless his tyres had cried enough at that point, what happened to his pace? It was like he had given up on the race.

If he'd rather be somewhere else, why doesn't he walk out? I'm sure there would be many drivers craving for his seat.

[TomWazzleshaw]

But the statement comes in the wake of increasing rumours that the 32-year-old will be replaced sooner rather than later.

I'm guessing spending the best part of a year being crashed into by Ramilton made Massa age two years more. That'd be the reason why his performances are shite this season.

On a more serious note, Alonso is killing Massa's career at the moment. Massa seems to drive with an air of resignation; like he would rather be somewhere else, whilst Alonso is driving like a man posessed, hauling that crapbox up to places it has no right to be in.

I mean, Malaysia was just embarrassing. He had some pace and was in the lower points, but he went slightly wide on one corner, which I think dropped him out of the points. But unless his tyres had cried enough at that point, what happened to his pace? It was like he had given up on the race.

If he'd rather be somewhere else, why doesn't he walk out? I'm sure there would be many drivers craving for his seat.

Nah. The prospect of being given a crapbox of a car and having your career destroyed by Alonso isn't too good for any prospective drivers

[Phoenix]

If he'd rather be somewhere else, why doesn't he walk out? I'm sure there would be many drivers craving for his seat.

Nah. The prospect of being given a crapbox of a car and having your career destroyed by Alonso isn't too good for any prospective drivers

May I remind you there's people paying to drive for Marussia and HRT?

[RonDenisDeletraz]

This year just makes me wonder what would have happened if Massa hadn't got hit in the head with a spring.

[dr-baker]

This is more embarrassing than seeing Damon Hill's performances in the Jordan in 1999, I reckon.

[mario]

If he'd rather be somewhere else, why doesn't he walk out? I'm sure there would be many drivers craving for his seat.

Nah. The prospect of being given a crapbox of a car and having your career destroyed by Alonso isn't too good for any prospective drivers

May I remind you there's people paying to drive for Marussia and HRT?

You're right that there are some drivers on the grid who would not object to driving the F2012 in its current state given that it is still arguably a better car than some (like the wildly oversteering F112 that Karthikeyan was piloting last weekend). Besides, there are some rookies who might feel that it would be worth the risk of driving alongside Alonso - being a rookie with limited experience in what is clearly a difficult car would give a rookie driver some leeway before being criticised (let us not forget that Massa could be considered a veteran driver given he has been driving since 2002, albeit with a break as a test driver).

Mind you, there are rumours that there is a different reason as to why Massa has not been sacked - that his contract doesn't allow him to be sacked until the middle of the season at the earliest. Added to that, there might be the problem of extracting your preferred driver from his team (assuming you want to hire another active driver) given the teams have pretty tight terms in their contracts to prevent drivers being poached in season (BMW-Sauber resolutely blocked any attempt for Ferrari to hire Kubica to replace Massa after his accident via their contract terms, and it is rumoured that Force India only allowed Fisichella to go to Ferrari as part of a settlement on their back payments for the customer engines Ferrari sold them in 2008).

[Klon]

Why not put Nick Heidfeld in the car? He has experience, therefore wouldn't slam it in the wall and would be a decent minor points scorer if the car allows him to. He still won't win anything.

[Aerond]

Bring Sutil or Alguersuari in

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

This year just makes me wonder what would have happened if Massa hadn't got hit in the head with a spring.

I'm wondering the same question me too. It's really sad for a Massa's fan as I am to see him racing this way.

[Pamphlet]

It really pains me to see that he pulled what can only be described as a reverse Hakkinen.

[TomWazzleshaw]

I don't know about you but the title reminded me of this.

[LellaLombardi]

I so wanted him to make a blazing comeback from his accident and blow Alonso away (who I didn't like at the time, but now have to give him huge respect for what he's doing there). But it isn't happening.

Would he go anywhere else on the grid? I'd love to see Perez in the seat more than Di Resta, but equally the Sauber isn't too shabby this year and he might be better off staying put. Force India seem to be going backwards badly but Di Resta is just too steady a driver for my liking. I'm not sure Massa would even get a drive unless Ferrari help Force India out with a swap and a financial sweetener, which let's face it, they need at the moment.

[CoopsII]

Paul Di Resta for Ferrari before 2013?

[Backmarker]

I think if Ferrari came a-calling Perez would jump at the chance to go there, regardless of whether it's the right time. Even if Ferrari have a worse car than Sauber this year (actually, I think the Ferrari is better), in the long run Ferrari are always going to have a better budget and do better than Sauber, and it would be silly for Perez to miss his chance to be part of Ferrari. Of course, for his career it might not be the right move, he's still young and in my opinion needs time to learn before being thrown in the deep end where he'll have to be number two to Alonso, but drivers rarely make sensible choices like that. If Ferrari did buy out Perez's Sauber contract, I think Sauber would take Massa as Perez's replacement (unless Massa refused). Their test driver, Esteban Gutiérrez, needs more time in GP2 (where he's not been doing as well as he should), and with the chronic lack of testing available he would be too far off the pace in a competitive midfield. Massa would have the advantage of being experienced, having driven in 2012, and having driven for Sauber before. After the year is up, however, I would think he'd probably go to IndyCar, or to run some sort of junior open-wheel team/development series, while Sauber will bring in Gutiérrez (if it helps them hold on to the Telmex money) or someone else.

[Faustus]

Bring Sutil or Alguersuari in

Definitely the Alguersaurus!

[FMecha]

Massa = Capelli '92.

Do you agree?

[eytl]

Massa = Capelli '92.

Do you agree?

Not really. Capelli wasn't doing well but Alesi wasn't that brilliant with it either, compared to what Alonso is producing this year. And the F2012 this year is better - slightly - than the F92A, although that isn't saying much.

[Nuppiz]

Massa = Capelli '92.

Do you agree?

At least Massa has managed to keep the car on the track for most of the time. But on the other hand, with the current points system Capelli would've scored 11 points in the first five GPs, compared to Massa's 2. Granted, Formula One was a very different business 20 years ago, but still...

[Ferrim]

And now, the end is here, and so I face, the final curtain...

[Pamphlet]

And now, the end is here, and so I face, the final curtain...

SCHUMACHER IS GAY

[DanielPT]

And now, the end is here, and so I face, the final curtain...

SCHUMACHER IS GAY

Sutil, in his new job as Schumacher henchman, promptly glasses Barrichello.

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

Massa = Capelli '92.

Do you agree?

Capelli in 1992: fired by Ferrari
Capelli since 1998 to present: F1 commentator on TV

So, if Massa is fired by Ferrari, I absolutely want him as TV commentator in a few years!

[mario]

Bring Sutil or Alguersuari in

Definitely the Alguersaurus!

Alguersuari might stand a chance given his involvement with Pirelli as their official tester - being the Pirelli test driver helped Heidfeld and De La Rosa work their ways back into the sport, and Jaime does still have recent experience in the cockpit at Toro Rosso. I certainly wouldn't rule out Alguersuari returning to the grid at some point in the future (maybe not at Ferrari, but his insider knowledge of Pirelli's test program might be enough to help him into a seat somewhere, perhaps in a midfield team).
Mind you, Sutil cannot be entirely discounted either given that he is also actively seeking to work his way back onto the grid (as attested by his presence in the paddock in Spain), although his conviction for GBH might still cause him problems.

[DanielPT]

Bring Sutil or Alguersuari in

Definitely the Alguersaurus!

Alguersuari might stand a chance given his involvement with Pirelli as their official tester - being the Pirelli test driver helped Heidfeld and De La Rosa work their ways back into the sport, and Jaime does still have recent experience in the cockpit at Toro Rosso. I certainly wouldn't rule out Alguersuari returning to the grid at some point in the future (maybe not at Ferrari, but his insider knowledge of Pirelli's test program might be enough to help him into a seat somewhere, perhaps in a midfield team).
Mind you, Sutil cannot be entirely discounted either given that he is also actively seeking to work his way back onto the grid (as attested by his presence in the paddock in Spain), although his conviction for GBH might still cause him problems.

Given the recent performances by both Ricciardo and Vergne, I do think that Alguersuari wasn't as bad as Helmut Marko wants us to believe. It actually may rise is stock the anonymity of those two.

[Backmarker]

I always thought Alguersuari was actually pretty good. The STR6 last year was not the team's best car, but he managed to wring some points out of it on a regular basis. Would have been nice to see him up against someone who's a bit more of a known quantity than Buemi was.

[Yannick]

It looks like Felipe's motivation is broken ever since that team order scandal in Hockenheim not so long ago when on the anniversary of his crash, he absolutely dominated Alonso until his team waved Alonso by.

He fully recovered from his crash but not from that event which put the relationship to his team in doubt.

If Ferrari really want somebody else to step into their 2nd car, it should be their 3rd driver Fisichella because he knows how to play 2nd fiddle to Alonso and still be reasonably quick on track. And Giancarlo also would at least know something about the car whereas all those sidelined drivers such as Sutil, Alguersuari, DiGrassi, D'Ambrosio, etc. don't and everybody in a race seat with another team surely remembers how Fisi performed before and after going to Ferrari and thus will not want to join at this point.

[WeirdKerr]

HWNSNBM that is all

though that would probably scare the spaniard

[Sunshine_Baby_[IT]]

HWNSNBM that is all

though that would probably scare the spaniard

You're right!

[Salamander]

HWNSNBM that is all

though that would probably scare the spaniard

You're right!

To be fair, who wouldn't it scare?

[pasta_maldonado]

HWNSNBM that is all

though that would probably scare the spaniard

You're right!

To be fair, who wouldn't it scare?

Maldonado

[TomWazzleshaw]

HWNSNBM that is all

though that would probably scare the spaniard

You're right!

To be fair, who wouldn't it scare?

Daniel Melrose

[Ferrim]

It looks like Felipe's motivation is broken ever since that team order scandal in Hockenheim not so long ago when on the anniversary of his crash, he absolutely dominated Alonso until his team waved Alonso by.

He didn't really dominate Alonso that day, but it was one of these few days on which, ironically, Alonso wasn't faster than him.

That said, I had been expecting Ferrari to help Alonso that day since early on, and I was surprised when they called Felipe first, I had assumed he would be called later to help Fernando to "undercut" him.

[Henrique]

Massa is doing really poor compared to his teammate. Alonso has 61 points and Massa has only 2.
I believe Massa may get sacked if we reach a point in the championship where Alonso can't win races because someone else is being helped by a teammate, or because Alonso doesn't have his teammate close by to assist him. I think at least half the drivers in the paddock right now could do a better job than Massa in his seat. Ferrari could even give Fisichella another shot, since he's still officially a Ferrari driver.

[14 Hundred Hours]

Massa is doing really poor compared to his teammate. Alonso has 61 points and Massa has only 2.
I believe Massa may get sacked if we reach a point in the championship where Alonso can't win races because someone else is being helped by a teammate, or because Alonso doesn't have his teammate close by to assist him. I think at least half the drivers in the paddock right now could do a better job than Massa in his seat. Ferrari could even give Fisichella another shot, since he's still officially a Ferrari driver.

Good point. I always forget about Fisichella, but it'd be interesting if he came back.

[RonDenisDeletraz]

You're right!

To be fair, who wouldn't it scare?

Daniel Melrose

No, that is called playing on noob level.

[Klon]

To be fair, who wouldn't it scare?

Kay Lon