Massa reveals Ferrari drivers' equal status
Massa is happy to have competition at Ferrari
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Tuesday, 19, Jun 2007 10:21
Felipe Massa has revealed that, just like Formula One rivals McLaren, Ferrari team bosses have allowed their top two drivers to battle it out for supremacy on the track.
The Brazilian came in third at the weekend's American Grand Prix at Indianapolis after holding off a challenge from team-mate Kimi Raikkonen despite being constantly pushed by the Finn.
"There was big pressure. Kimi was on different tyres to me and, for sure, he had better grip at the end of the race," Massa said.
When asked if Scuderia chiefs had looked to calm the battle for fear of a crash that could deal a severe blow to both drivers' and the team's chances of a championship, Massa insisted that only instruction was "to race".
The similar refusal of McLaren boss Ron Dennis to protect reigning world champion Fernando Alonso from his upstart new team-mate Lewis Hamilton has been cited by some as the only possible weakness in the team's dominance.
The Ferrari duo lie some way off the scorching early-season pace set by the British rookie with Massa trailing by 19 points in the drivers standings and Raikkonen a further seven behind his team-mate.
Alonso meanwhile now has a ten-point gap separating him from his colleague.