Fernando Alonso has hit out at soon-to-be former team principal Marco Mattiacci for comments the Italian made on Friday about new signing Sebastian Vettel.
Alonso believes the comments were a dig at him following his decision to leave the team after Mattiacci said it decided to sign Vettel because it wanted a driver with the “utmost motivation and commitment”.
He added: “I’m sure he [Vettel] will bring the phenomenal experience and the enthusiasm needed to go through certain difficult moments that are waiting for us.”
Alonso however revealed that Mattiacci tried on numerous occasions to re-sign the Spaniard, but gave up and signed Vettel when he realised Alonso was committed to leaving the team at the end of the year.
“I heard the comments and I don’t think they were very good,” Alonso said. “If he tried to mean that I was not motivated, he arrived at Ferrari too late.
“He’s only been here for a few months and has not seen the five years that I’ve spent here and how I’ve fought every single race.
“Probably I was too old when he tried to renew me [at the] Monza race, and he kept pushing, and pushing and having talks, and even in the last moment we had a lot of phone calls and e-mails that I still have in my computer.
“Probably at that time I was not so old, but when I took my decision I guess he had to find another driver.”
