Villadelprat says Ferrari wrong to stick with Massa

Pressure is once again mounting on Ferrari to reconsider its driver lineup for 2012.

The Maranello team said before Abu Dhabi that, contrary to recent speculation, Felipe Massa's contract for next season will definitely be honoured.

Piero Lardi Ferrari

Photo by: xpb.cc

"Massa? I think the car is not the best," said team co-owner and founder Enzo Ferrari's son Piero Ferrari in Abu Dhabi, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"With a car as good as he had in 2008 he will have success again. He has given a lot to Ferrari and we should continue with him," he added.

In his new column for El Pais newspaper, veteran engineer Joan Villadelprat does not agree with his former team's choice.

"Alonso is the lead Ferrari driver and although that is incontestable, it is because he has earned it," he wrote.

"Looking at Massa's last races, where while Alonso seems to be stronger with the pressure, Massa just deflates.

"At this point he is not even the second Ferrari driver; he is not even close to that.

"In my view, Ferrari is wrong strategically to keep him as Alonso's teammate, as while it is comfortable because the Spaniard is not threatened, any driver always does well to have someone beside to push him.

"That's what you see with Button and Hamilton, and it's true to say that in their struggles last year, Sebastian Vettel came out much stronger because Mark Webber demanded so much from him."

Agreed Rome newspaper Il Tempo: "The truth is that Massa is just too slow to be a Ferrari driver."