Alonso expects no problems with Massa

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Alonso believes Massa's Ferrari experience will help him

Fernando Alonso has rebuffed claims there might be friction between him and his new Ferrari team mate in 2010.

Alonso said he thought Felipe Massa’s experience at Ferrari would be useful to himself as a newcomer:

Felipe is a great team mate for me. First of all I think he’s a Latin character like me, speaking Italian with me so the conversation is very fluid. And also I think Felipe has been at Ferrari the last four or five years and I think that when you’re joining a new team that your team mate is not also new in the team because you can get a bit lost with the technical people.
Fernando Alonso

A lot has been written already about whether Ferrari are taking a gamble by having two drivers with ‘Latin temperaments’ in their team. Whether or not that’s an accurate representation of their personalities, the potential for conflict is certainly there.

Massa has had a succession of strong team mates compared to which he’s usually done better than expected: Jacques Villeneuve, Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen for example.

Alonso, however, hasn’t had a team mate capable of keeping him honest since he was paired up with Lewis Hamilton three years ago – and we all know how that turned out.

Speaking at Ferrari’s media event at Madonna di Campiglio, Alonso also said he believes his fourth change of F1 team will be the last of his career:

Racing with Ferrari was my objective and I’ll certainly end my career with this fantastic team. I think that it’s impossible to find the same passion somewhere else.
Fernando Alonso

And he spoke about the planned changes for 2010 and the return of Michael Schumacher. See the video for the full interview.

Read more: Fernando Alonso makes first official appearance for Ferrari (Pictures & Video)

Image (C) Ferrari spa

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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62 comments on “Alonso expects no problems with Massa”

  1. Alonso will get along OK with Massa,but I dont think he should end his career at Ferrari.
    There are other exciting teams. He should end his career at Mercedes.

    1. Alosno’s finishing up with Campos for sure ;)

  2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMjknmNdvrM

    Go what yourself?!?

    Well they didn’t seem like the best of pals in that video. But, hey, Alonso’s clearly not the sort of guy who holds a grudge, so I’m sure they’ll be just fine at Ferrari. Even when Massa is beating him…

    1. ‘Latin temperaments’ is another way of saying. I will hate you one day, and call you a pig/dog.. (or pig-dog).. but I’ll eat with your family tomorrow night and then we can play some music loudly and dance the evening away.

      History will remember him most perhaps, for how he (Alonso) performs at Ferrari. We will see.. :)

    2. That was all I could think of when I saw the Alonso quote:

      First of all I think he’s a Latin character like me, speaking Italian with me so the conversation is very fluid.

      Certainly seems so!

      1. Wondering if poor Ron really made out what these guys were talking. sad that he had to get in between the 2.

  3. It doesn’t really matter if they fall out. Massa’s contract is up so if there are any problems then simple show Felipe the door.
    What annoys me a littlwe about 07 is that it’ll al;ways be impossible to know the full story. Whatever actually did happen well it takes two to argue anyway but it was a fascinating year for Mclaren.

    1. I think Alonso was not allow to speak about McLaren for a couple of years after he finished with them, and probably now he can’t be bothered. Who knows… to me that’s ok; he is still not that naif to write his autobiography…

  4. “Alonso expects no problems with Massa”, because he thinks he is the best driver in the world

    1. “Alonso expects no problems with Massa”
      because the season hasn’t started yet.

    2. “Alonso expects no problems with Massa”

      But what does Massa expect??

  5. Terry Fabulous
    14th January 2010, 19:55

    There will be no problems…..

    Provided Fred is immediately and consistently faster then Phil and gets number one treatment.

    Otherwise, STAND BACK FOR HANDBAGS AT DAWN!

  6. His eye still doesn’t look right to me :(

    And teflonso’s a bag of nonsense.

    1. Jesus Christ!!!! TEFLONSO is full of B.S.

      Alonso is a political animal and this is going to be an ugly blood bath!!!

      I have been a tifosi for 40 years and seeing TEFLONSO in red makes me want to throw up…

      1. take a Valium mate…
        Dont use the lords name in vain too.
        Alonso will cement his reputation is stone with the great red team.

        1. well said…..

  7. Speaking about Schey return, he provide us one of the best quotes from pre season:

    “…And clearly since Michael left the tracks there was the lack of this motivation from my part.”

  8. Two ‘Latins’ in one team. What were they thinking?!

    Mercede’s, RedBull’s, and McLaren’s garages will be like paradise in comparison.

    1. “No swearing, insults, advertising or racial, sexual or similar discrimination allowed.”
      I believe you are not obeying F1Fanatic comment policy, chap…

      As for Alonso having problems with Massa, well, I don´t think so. Fernando is way better, his history as a driver confirms it, and Ferrari hired him to be the central part of the team, the benchmark.

      1. ‘Latin’ is not swearing, nor an insult, nor a race, nor a sex. In this context it is used to describe a personality! How does that break any rules?

      2. “No swearing, insults, advertising or racial, sexual or similar discrimination allowed.”
        I believe you are not obeying F1Fanatic comment policy, chap…”

        I was referring to the question asked by the interviewer in Domenicali’s recent interview at ‘Wroom’.

      3. “As for Alonso having problems with Massa, well, I don´t think so. Fernando is way better, his history as a driver confirms it, and Ferrari hired him to be the central part of the team, the benchmark.”

        Ferrari hired him to be a ‘team player’, so he’d better do as he’s told!

  9. I’m actually surprised how many seem a bit on the negative side with this pairing. I think it’s excellent and the best in years. Two Latins pushing each other the full season, a deep rivalry and passion but I seriously doubt it’ll spill over into anything more. Frankly I can’t wait

    1. Lets see if they take each other off the track… That will be fun!! :)

  10. I think Alonso’s stint at Macca has thought him quite a bit. I actually think he will be a team player and support Ferrari for better and for worse. He comes across as being little more grounded these days.

  11. I don’t expect a repeat of 2007, but sparks are going to fly here. I expect them at McLaren and Mercedes at some point too.

  12. Alonso expects no problems from Massa because he knows that about halfway through the year he will outperform Massa and receive the number one status at Ferrari.Building the team around Schumacher worked for them.Having Massa and Kimi on equal status did not.Fernando is the type that you can build a team around and that is the formula for Ferrari.That is why Fred is there.

  13. To be honest, I want to see sparks fly this year. Still not completely convinced by what Fernando claims, but only he knows how he feels about having Massa as his team mate. The key here is that Alonso has tasted the bad situation of having a team mate who is clearly well intergrated with the team and fast with it. Its too easy to forget that Alonso prior to 2007 had been the golden egg to Briatore’s goose. Nobody can seriously say that either Trulli or Fisichella stood a chance whilst at Renault. So there is truth in that.
    I agree with Fernando on Massa’s experience at Ferrari. He came within yards of winning the championship in 2008, and drove some great races that year. He has matured and showed great poise and dignity when Hamilton beat him in Brazil, when lesser mortals would have probably completely cracked up. Massa has proven his skills, but also has flaws too, not unlike Hamilton.
    The Silverstone race of 2008 highlighted these flaws for all to see, and event that saw Felipe spin his Ferrari as if it were a Las Vegas roulette wheel. I felt so sorry for the guy, he really struggled. Have I ever seen Alonso do that? No, and I don’t expect him too. I think, overall, Massa will cause Alonso problems on certain occasions, but on the whole, Fernando will beat him. The key here is, if Massa is beaten fair and square, he will help Fernando in the championship, as he did Kimi Raikkonen back in 2007. There is an honourable side to Massa that I like, not unlike Rubens Barrichello.
    Also, Ferrari is not McLaren. The two teams and poles apart in terms of attitude and style. Fernando has experience with the Italian way if life, and speaks fluent Italian, so I think he will fit in just fine. Just aslong as they are both given a chance, everything will be fine!

  14. “Alonso expects no problems with Massa”
    because (beating)massa isn’t a problem for him.

    I think the situation is going to be very similar to 2007. Now substitute Alonso in place of Kimi. Massa’s challenge would fade around middle of the season and last 3 to 4 races there would be no chance/sense and he only going to support Alonso. Webber vs Vettel situation is another example of what i think is most probably going to happen with Ferrari drivers. Alosno in place of Vettel.

    1. What makes u think the situation is going to be like 2007?.. Massa proved he has the capability to perform better than expected in 2008 and he now surely is a better driver than 2007.

      1. this is “what i think is most probably going to happen with Ferrari drivers”

        Massa is surely very good and improved a lot since 2007 but this is what i think/predict NOW, at this moment, is going to be the case. Maybe after the first 3 to 4 races situation would be very different but we all are allowed to predict. Isn’t it?

        I am sure Massa would again try to prove me and many others wrong.

  15. Am I cynical for actually hoping there are problems a little (Also with Hamilton and Button)? F1 gets a boost of intrigue when rivalries bubble up to the surface. The argument between Sutil and Truli? The argument from Flanders video above? It makes things all the more spicy. Better than how things have been in the last couple of years with everyone nice and polite to each other. A 1 on 1 battle between two drivers who are known to hold contempt for each other is drama at it’s finest.

  16. I don’t think there will be problems – well no more than the usual tensions which flare up between team mates. The situation at Ferrari in 2010 is very different to the one at McLaren in 2007. Not to mention that both Nando & Flippy are three years older & wiser, and both have suffered fairly humbling experiences in that timeframe.

    At any rate, much improved that Flippy is or rather was (we don’t know how he’ll fare after the accident), I still don’t think he will be able to hold a candle to Nando, so the age old question of who is numero uno will be somewhat moot.

    1. yup, got to agree with you there. People grow, change, learn, and i’m sure they have both had life lessons since then, and i think alonso is going to reveal how food he is again.

      1. i’m sure he revel hos good he is as well, not just what he likes to eat

  17. “I’ll certainly end my career with this fantastic team” – Fernando Alonso

    Didnt Kimi say the same thing a few years ago? He might end up getting pushed if he doesnt outperform Felipe.

    One things for sure though, it’ll be interesting to see who becomes the defacto number 1 in the team!

    1. Well technically, Kimi *has* ended his career with Ferrari. He is not driving for any other team on the grid, is he?

  18. i dont think alonso expected any problems from hamilton at the begining of the season in 07.

    as good as alonso is he cant predict what will happen on track and how that will affect his relationship with massa. who knows the biggest in team collapse may come from force india! no1 knows!

  19. It’s not about “Latin” temperaments, whatever that means. It’s about Alonso combining paranoia and insecurity with, shall we say, a healthy self-regard, and a need, whether he’s cracking walnuts or driving an F1 car, to be the centre of everyone’s attention. It is also about Massa never backing down from a fight when he sees one, and having become if anything a bit more touchy since his bang on the head.

    And further, it’s about S. Domenicali being the nominal team principal without the force of personality to corral his two drivers, which will leave Three-Car Monty to try do it, leading to Domenicali sulking, and the atmosphere in the garage declining even further.

    Even noted disciplinarian Ron Dennis couldn’t keep Alonso in line — with him and all the other combustibles packed into the garage, the result is going to be excitingly combustible. Not so exciting for the tifosi, though.

    1. I don’t think Alonso is as bad as you put it and Ron or Lewis that good. What do you think is going to happen between Lewis and Jenson? Are we all asuming that Hamilton is gonna walk over Button? Maybe there’ll be some “status” fight in the Mc garage. Jenson is the current Champion and has had a team behind him last year. Is he going to take the Mclaren adoration for Hammo that well?

  20. I still think Massa & Alonso is not a good recipe.

  21. They wouldn’t have brought Alonso into the team and not told him where he stands. They will be fine next session.

  22. USING ‘LATIN TEMPERAMENTS’ IN UR ARTICLE
    IS NOT A RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AT ALL?

    EVERYWHERE ALONSO GOES, THERE SEEM TO BE PROBLEM?
    ..ACCORDING TO MOST OF UR WELL WRITTEN ARTICLE

    1. I´m not very good in english, but the guy who wrote the article put this sentence on it:

      Whether or not that’s an accurate representation of their personalities or not, the potential for conflict is certainly there…

    2. I don’t think Keith’s use of the term ‘latin temperament’ is racist or discriminatory, since Alonso himself used the term in his interview. Keith is just paraphrasing the quote.

      Besides, the definition of racism is the idea that one’s own race is superior and has the right to rule or dominate others. I don’t see how referring to what is effectively a personality trait can be considered racist.

    3. Alonso himself used the phrase. I’m not comfortable with it myself and as Becken points out I question it in the article.

      Nor did I say that everywhere Alonso goes there is a problem. I pointed out there was a conflict the last time he had a competitive team mate.

      1. So what about saying. Things will be very relaxed between them next year because they both have “meditteranean temperment”

        Theres absolutely nothing to substantiate racism here.

  23. if this is the case then AVATAR movie is also racist

  24. I honestly hope and think that Massa will be the faster of two.
    But also that Alonso will go crazy and repeat 2007 but Montezemelo sais that Alonso knows that he has to be a team player

  25. The idea that Alonso and Massa are going to fall out is just wishful thinking. Both know how important it is to get Ferrari back at the top, and how damaging it will be to the team if they start fighting each other. Alonso’s problem at McLaren was that he was misled into thinking he was going to be the number one driver – at Ferrari he knows the score and the team will be stronger for that.

    1. A very accurate description of events.

  26. I don’t think there will be any problems at all. Ferrari hired Alonso because they want to return to their winning ways and see him as the best person to do it. They’re not going to alienate him the way McLaren did because it would be counter productive to all parties. While I think Massa is good enough to beat Alonso on a few occasions, Alonso is so consistant over a whole season I think he’ll end up on top.

  27. Ferrari handled Kimi and Massa very well. They should handle Massa and Alonso with composure as well.

    But the job can get tricky towards the end of the season.

    In 2007 and 2008, Felipe and Kimi respectively were “out-of-form” for a couple of races before the final 3-4 races. This made the job easier for Ferrari. I think Ferrari are hoping for similar things to happen.

  28. I hope the cars have less white on them than the clothes.

  29. Hmmm….

    A native Spanish speaker – used to living in Britain and speaking English, talks to a native Portugese speaker – who spent time in teams where he spoke English and still speaks English to his British engineer… and they’re going to choose to converse in Italian – their 3rd language? One for the cameras there Fernando…

    In fairness, I believe Italian was Alonso’s 2nd language, but I’m sure his English has overtaken it by now. Why do I suspect if we get any eavesdropping microphones they’ll be speaking in Spanglish?

  30. Felipe Massa has an opinion on everything and can’t keep his mouth shut.

    Fernando Alonso acts like a spiteful child when things don’t go his way.

    I think it is pretty safe to say there will be fireworks which ever way the performance goes!

    They are both terrible at politics so it will all be in the public eye.

    I make an early prediction that one of them will leave ferrari before the end of the season.

  31. Alonso believed he was the fastest driver in F1 bar none when he joined McLaren in 2007, he could give 0.6 secs to the car, so he said. So confident was he that he did not look too closely at the other driver and to the fact that McLaren do not have a number one and two hierarchy. After all, the other guy is just a rookie “how could he be faster than me”.
    Trouble was Hamilton was one tenth of a second faster than he, right from the off! Alonso said that he was sometimes number two in 2007, if he was it was into the second half of that season (It certainly was not around Monaco time) and he was well behind Hamilton on points. So why shouldn’t he be, that’s what all the other teams do! So he blows a gasket like he will do at Ferrari if Massa gets ahead on points during the later part of the season. Mind you, there was the added humiliation in 2007 getting beaten by a rookie when you were the reining double World Champion.

    1. Derek

      you are obviously a Hamilton fan and looking at history thru rose-tinted glasses. 2007 Belgian Grand Prix, remind me where the two McLaren drivers qualified and finished.. Alonso was fighting against his own team as Ron Dennis famously let slip at the end of the year.. I got nothing against Hamilton but I try to be objective…

      1. @ Antoine

        Yawn……

        All Alonso fans have sour grapes.

      2. This article is about Alonso, Massa and Ferrari.

        Keep Hamilton out of it.

        As someone said above, Alonso obviously has grown up since 2007. And only the most passionate Alonso hater will think that he will repeat the same mistake again.

        1. We wouldn’t for one minute think that he might be involved in something far more sinister than what happened in 07.

        2. @sumedh

          I think Derek does have a vaild reason to bring up hamilton – no matter what you say about Hamilton’s talents, Nandos was a double world champ, he had even beaten Schumi to a world championship.

          Its not unreasonable to think that nandos expected to murder Hamilton heading into that season – and equally i can also understand why he would have been extremely fruistrated when Hamilton acheived what he achieved in that rookie year.

          I dont think Nandos has demonstrated that he has actually grown up since then (see Singapore scandal for case in point) and thats why i believe that nexts years championship is wide open!!

          Bring on F1 v.2010!!

          …oh….and go MERCGP!!

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