Alonso shrugs off Massa's allegations
Date published : 15 Oct 2009 - 20:28:19
Fernando Alonso says Felipe Massa's comments about the Singapore 2008 race fixing scandal are not important to him and will not have any bearing on their relationship at Ferrari.
The team had to issue a statement playing down Massa's remarks yesterday after the Brazilian press quoted him as saying he was convinced that Alonso must have known Renault planned for Nelson Piquet to deliberately crash for his benefit in Singapore a year ago.
The FIA investigation cleared Alonso of any involvement in the plot - and Alonso said that mattered more than Massa's opinion.
"I don't know whether it's true or not - maybe it was a misunderstanding with Felipe or the media or whatever, and I think later he said a different thing," said Alonso.
"It's not very important for me, I'm not too worried.
"The world council statement was very clear - I had nothing to do with [the] Singapore 2008 [scandal], I was not involved in anything and I did not know, so there are no doubts on that point.
"So I didn't pay too much attention [to Massa]."
The Spaniard is confident that Massa's allegations will not cause an issue when they team up next year.
"It will not affect the relationship, I still think that will be great, because in Ferrari the group is more important than the individual," said Alonso.
"With all the mechanics, the people in the factory, the drivers, Stefano [Domenicali], president [Luca di] Montezemolo, everyone is a big family and part of the team."
This weekend in Brazil Massa will attend his first grand prix since sustaining head injuries at the Hungaroring, but Alonso insists there are more important things for them to talk about than the Singapore furore.
"Maybe we'll have a chat but I'm sure it will not be about this matter," he said.
"If we have a chat it will be more about his recovery and about his experience at Ferrari.
"He has been there four years and I need to learn and to take the experience that he has at Ferrari to adapt myself a little bit quicker if possible."
Alonso also dismissed suggestions that there was already bad blood between them over several wheel-banging moments during the 2007 season.He pointed out that they had got to know each other better last season and that he had publicly expressed his desire to see Massa beat Lewis Hamilton - and more specifically the McLaren team - to the 2008 title.
"We fought a few times on the track, at Barcelona and the Nurburgring in 2007, but I think last year we built a good relationship.
"I was supporting him in the last part of the championship."
