Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is backing his driver, Felipe Massa, to bounce back in 2012 following on from a disappointing season for the Brazilian.
Massa failed to finish on the podium or even in the top four in 2011, whilst his teammate Fernando Alonso, managed ten podium finishes including a win at the British Grand Prix.
Montezemolo believes the 30-year-old will return to the same form which saw him battle until the very last race of the season in 2008, only to miss out on the title by a single point to Lewis Hamilton.
“I am sure that we will have a competitive Felipe as he was before,” said the Italian. “Don’t forget that he was sometimes quicker than Michael Schumacher when he was his teammate.
“I expect a strong reaction from Felipe because he is coming out of an unsuccessful season. Felipe can have a very good season next year and I know that he is preparing himself very well.”
Montezemolo ruled out Massa’s 2009 accident as the reason for his drop in peformance, instead highlighting the handling of the F150º and the new Pirelli tyres as the cause.
“The characteristics of our car were not in line with his driving characteristics. This was clear since the first test. And the tyres were too hard.
“A driver doesn’t change so much in one year. He was very quick against Kimi Raikkonen. It’s nothing to do with the crash. Felipe will be competitive if our car is competitive,” concluded the 64-year-old.
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