Formula 1

Massa 'not an enemy' after Bahrain pass - Alonso

After a winter of warnings about Ferrari's new "Latin" driver combination, even an overtaking move at the first race did not threaten the apparent harmony between Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso. Alonso, the Italian team's new Spanish driver with ...

GMM

Published: Mar 19, 2010, 1:42 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

After a winter of warnings about Ferrari's new "Latin" driver combination, even an overtaking move at the first race did not threaten the apparent harmony between Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.

Alonso, the Italian team's new Spanish driver with two titles already under his belt, passed Massa from third on the grid at the first corner in Bahrain and went on to win the race.

But Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo played down the significance of the move.

"The team comes first, before the two drivers," he is quoted as saying by Spain's El Pais.

Alonso, 28, played down claims the pass on Massa was important, in order to "throw down a marker" to his Brazilian teammate.

"I think it is not very important," he answered. "First of all, he's not an enemy, maybe a rival but not an enemy.

"And of course Felipe - with the same car - there will be races that one of us will win and some races that the other will win," added Alonso.

The Italian press does not entirely agree, with La Stampa noting that Bahrain was a demonstration that Alonso "wants to be the boss".

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Rosberg expects one Mercedes on Melbourne podium

Next article Jan Charouz Renault shakedown summary

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup 56 min

Tim Clark wants NASCAR to be better storytellers to counter "brand perception problem"

Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Talladega II

1 h

Why NASCAR's Zane Smith fine for Carson Hocevar contact was consistent

Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h

Jimmie Johnson on the NASCAR business world: "It's a war"

David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"

Moto2

MOT2 Moto2

Phillip Island

1 h

David Alonso lashes out at Dani Holgado: "When you’re not a good person, there’s nothing you can do"

Feature

Discover prime content

Mission control: Inside the FIA and F1's latest answer to football's VAR

Formula 1

United States GP

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Mission control: Inside the FIA and F1's latest answer to football's VAR

How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect

Formula 1

United States GP

By Filip Cleeren

How Kimi Antonelli levelled up his character to be F1 2026's world champion-elect

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

Formula 1

By Jake Boxall-Legge

Why Oscar Piastri has struggled to show his best with this year's McLaren MCL40

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Formula 1

By Pat Symonds

How levelling the playing field isn’t antithetical to the principles of F1

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts