Ferrari doesn't blame Massa after Suzuka

Following the announcement of the departure of Felipe Massa from the Team Ferrari at the end of the year, the Brazilian publicly announced that he would seek to promote himself to other teams without helping his teammate Fernando Alonso. The Paulist kept his word last weekend at Suzuka by maintaining the advantage over the double world champion even though he had received instructions from his track engineer Rob Smedley. “In the end, Fernando overtook him on the track”, declared Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal of the Maranello team. “Felipe is trying to go as quickly as possible and I understand his feelings. He will have a team that will support him until the end without any problem. We have done our best and there is no point in making a fuss about it because we have to focus on something else, particularly on how to improve the car before the end of the season. »

Fernando Alonso doesn't blame his teammate either. The rival of Sebastian Vettel knows his title chances are in vain and that the podium was out of reach at Suzuka. “We cannot make it a state affair. We run and finish in more or less the same positions no matter what we do because we can't do more. It would be nice to go back to the glory days of Ferrari where we were fighting for the top two places before fighting for victory. Or do like Red Bull, with one car at two stops and the other at three, before signing a double. It makes life easier. I try to do my best like Felipe and the team. » His teammate does not regret in any case having fought against the Asturian, even if he painfully finished in the top ten following a penalty for excessive speed in the pits. “It was an instruction, they never satisfy me. We've discussed this before, but I had an unlucky run with my drive-through. I didn't follow the instructions when he passed me, it had arrived well before. »

Discover the analysis of the Japanese Grand Prix carried out by our special correspondents in issue 1931 of AUTOhebdo, available from tomorrow in digital version on all platforms, and from Wednesday on newsstands.