With Massa struggling to perform this season, Ferrari could be tempted into looking for a new partner for Alonso. PHOTO: AFP
Alonso’s current partner Felipe Massa has endured a torrid season so far with the Brazilian committing costly errors at each of the last four grands prix.
This has given way to speculation that Ferrari could look for a new driver to partner Alonso next season. However, Montezemolo stressed Massa has the team’s full support for the rest of the season but was not willing to give any assurances about the next.
“Felipe is fully aware he can count on our total confidence in him,” Montezemolo told the official Ferrari website. “I hope he will soon secure the results that will show his talent to the full, such as the great starts he pulled off at the last two races.
“The future? We will talk about that further down the line as there’s no hurry.”
Red Bull change pitstop procedures
Formula One champions Red Bull have changed their split-second pitstop procedures after a rear wheel flew off Mark Webber’s car in the pitlane in Germany last weekend and injured a television cameraman.
An investigation carried out by the team in the wake of the Nurburgring incident found that Webber’s car was released prematurely because a ‘go’ signal was sent accidentally by the right rear wheel man.
Red Bull said they would revise the design of the wheelgun to ensure that, if it accidentally rotated in the mechanic’s hands, the ‘go’ signal could not be sent by accident.
The front jack man would also be instructed to hold the car, in the event of any problem, until receiving a clear signal that all wheels had been changed.
British cameraman Paul Allen, working for Formula One Management, suffered a broken collarbone and fractured ribs after being hit in the back by the bouncing 10kg wheel.
The incident has led to a clampdown on access to the pit lane during the race weekend.
The International Automobile Federation decreed this week that media would be restricted to the pit wall and only authorised team personnel and event marshals would be allowed in the pitlane during qualifying and the race.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 12th, 2013.
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