I wonder if there may be element of making Alonso squirm a bit with all the uncertainty, just to remind him of who's in control there.
At this moment in time, I think Mercedes and Red Bull are the very top seats for next year, with Ferrari, Mclaren and Lotus in a lower tier. Ferrari's prestige probably helps elevate them slightly above Mclaren and Lotus though. If Ferrari want a really top driver, you'd have to say their only options are Raikkonen and Button. If they want a second driver rather than a lead driver, you'd think they'd have their pick of anyone outside those 5 teams, because no seats at Red Bull, Mercedes or Mclaren are available for next season. I can't see anyone turning them down for that reason, unless their 2014 car is not progressing as expected.
Alonso's victories have just been focused on him and not Ferrari, it's like Renault not getting the respect from Red Bull and their victories. Ferrari need to get a strong driver to (prove) Ferrari are a team to fear and respect, which they're not at the moment. Mercedes is the team Red Bull fear most now.
Ferrari certainly need a healthy dose of new blood. I decided recently that one reason, apart from the obvious ones, that Red Bull could rise as meteorically as they have is that they weren't a 'proper team', as has often been said! Ferrari are so weighed down by their history and the whole culture that has grown with them (cf also McLaren); Red Bull, by contrast, had no such legacy and so it was possible for them to grow unburdened in 'the now'. It's interesting that Mercedes are Red Bull's immediate threat because, despite their history in F1, they are, to all intents and purposes, new too.
After saying earlier that deal hasn't been done but was close, the BBC are now saying the deal was done today:
Ferrari might of paid him to keep his mouth shut. The BBC are already running with it now making it sound 100% confirmed.
Assuming the "rumours" are true, Where does ths leave Massa? Redbull, nope McLaren, unlikely Mercedes, nope Lotus? Maybe, but I'd like Hulk to get a chance in a race winning car. Sauber, nope, what with the pay driver route they are taking. Force India, maybe, in place of Sutil? Doubt he'd consider any of the other teams.. So, could 2013 be the last we see him in a F1 car?
All no apart from Sauber, Williams, Caterham, Marussia. Sauber: Bianchi-Sirotkin *Pretty likely* Williams: Maldonado- Bottas *Again Pretty likely* Caterham: Nasr-Pic/Massa *Possible* Marussia (Esteban/Massa - Vandoorne/Magnussen)
I can see massa being offered to be kept by Ferrari as test driver and then to drive in their new le man's team.
Red Bull Jnr team, are they not keeping the Ferrari power-plant for next year? If so, Ferrari could do a deal there fore Massa, but i'd assume that is highly unlikely given their intention of blooding new talent in this team..
Yeah I hope not either. Tost has said he would like to keep him on and Helmuthead has suggested he will stay, although Tost doesn't make the decisions and I wouldn't trust Marko's word on keeping drivers
