Fernando Alonso has thrown his support behind his team-mate Felipe Massa, who has struggled to match the Spaniard in race conditions.
Massa currently sits 14th in the drivers’ championship with ten points, eight of which were scored in Monaco last weekend. Compare that to Alonso who sits at the head of the table with 76 points, you could be forgiven for thinking they were driving different cars.
However Alonso believes the Brazilian’s lacklustre pace is the result of ‘bad luck’ and ‘slow adaptation’ to the new Pirelli tyres.
“It’s been an unfortunate start to the season [for Massa] because of a number of things: bad luck and a slower adaptation than before to the tyres. Felipe’s results weren’t normal. He’s got all my support,” said Alonso at the opening of Ferrari’s latest store.
“He’s got all the support of the team to change the situation around. Or to change his results, because many times in practice or qualifying we’re very close but then in the race, because of the start or because he got hit, he would be towards the back early on.”
Alonso truly believes his team-mate will be fighting for podiums and race wins in the latter part of the season.
“In Monaco it looks like his results changed, so we hope that from here on it will all go well for him,” he added.
“It’s hard to think that Felipe won’t win many points in the second part of the season, that he won’t make podiums or fight for wins. He’s got the talent for it.”
