Red Bull team principal Christian Horner says he wouldn’t have retained Felipe Massa for 2013 had he been in charge at Ferrari.
The Brazilian struggled throughout the 2012 season before a steady improvement in his results led to his first podium in two years at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Ferrari duly announced that Massa would remain Fernando Alonso’s team-mate for the following year – something Horner wouldn’t have done had it been his decision.
“No, I don’t think I would [have retained Massa],” Horner said. “Unfortunately, it’s a tough business, and results-based. You’ve got to look at what the guy in the other car, which we must assume is equal equipment, is achieving.
“They obviously had a look at other drivers – at least one of ours,” he said in relation to Mark Webber who confirmed Ferrari had approached him. “So they were obviously concerned about his form, but their options seemed to become limited.
“Then Felipe obviously picked his form up in the last third of the year. They were obviously deliberating – the messages coming out of Maranello confirmed that – and probably when the music stopped they realised that the option they had was best for them.”
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