Ferrari will drop Massa for 2013 predicts Salo
20 July, 2012
Jul.20 (GMM) Ex Ferrari driver Mika Salo believes that his former employer will drop Felipe Massa from their line-up at the end of the 2012 season.
Speculation about the seat alongside Fernando Alonso remains rampant, despite some settling down of the driver market, most significantly that Mark Webber has re-signed with Red Bull.
But at Hockenheim, Brazilian Massa insisted the news about the Australian is not significant.
“I’m sure not just Mark but a big number of drivers have been in touch, have called Ferrari,” he said.
Massa said earlier that if he keeps up his current improved form, he can expect a new deal.
Finn Salo doesn’t think so.
“Yes, I think they need a better number two to support Alonso,” he told the MTV3 broadcaster.
“It’s hard to say who it could be. I would like to think it’s a good opportunity for Heikki Kovalainen.
“Ferrari are saying Massa could stay next year, but I just don’t believe it.”
The Brazilian correspondent for O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, journalist Livio Orrichio, said he has heard from “well-informed” Italian sources that if Massa does stay, he faces a EUR 4 million pay cut, to about 6 million in 2013.
Massa, 31, indicated he is very keen to keep his current job, even if it means sometimes moving over for Alonso.
Reminded about Hockenheim 2010, when he was instructed on the radio that ‘Fernando is faster than you’, Massa said on Thursday: “I can’t say it was the most enjoyable weekend of my life.
“But I am a professional and if it happens again I will do anything to help my team and my teammate, the championship leader.”
Subbed by AJN.
Related posts:
- Salo surprised that Ferrari kept Massa for 2012
- Massa to test new Ferrari before Alonso
- Alonso and Massa relationship cooling
- Kubica and Massa play down Ferrari rumours
- Ferrari boss unwilling to discuss Massa contract
@McLaren Fan: This was taken from Mika’s blog. And he replaced former F1 driver JJ Lehto as a commentator here in Finland this season, so of course he is talking a lot about F1 now when he is involved in it almost 24/7. He was also a judge in the Montreal GP. Salo is still very enthusiastic about F1.
And he is actually kinda part of Ferrari still. He will be driving some test drives / shows for Ferrari this or next year.
Alonso / Hamilton at the Scuderia; its kind of a throwaway year, as they will be putting most of their attention to the new car & engine for 2014, so why not have the 2 fastest drivers get all they can out of the current generation car?
Mika Salo seems to have had a lot to say this weekend.