Domenicali: No hierarchy at the start
Stefano Domenicali has backed Felipe Massa to bounce back from his "difficult" 2010 season, promising an even playing field - at least at the start of the new campaign.
Despite leading the Drivers' Championship in the wake of the 2010 Malaysian GP, Massa's form slumped as the Brazilian lost out to his team-mate Fernando Alonso.
Adding insult to injury, he was told by Ferrari to move over for Alonso in the German GP, handing the Spaniard the victory that kick-started an impressive run for the double World Champion.
Massa finished the campaign without a single race win and down in sixth place in the standings, 112 points behind Championship winner Sebastian Vettel.
His slump in form earned the Brazilian a rather public dressing-down from Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, who reckons Massa scored a "minus 7", was "fed up and sent his brother" to the grand prix weekends.
But despite di Montezemolo's statements - and reports that Ferrari have already lined-up Vettel to replace Massa in 2012 - Domenicali has given the 29-year-old his backing.
"Felipe had a difficult season, but I am totally convinced that he will know how to react in just the right way, as he capable of doing," Domenicali said on the opening day of Ferrari's annual Wroom event.
"In fact, he has often been under pressure and in these situations, he has delivered in a way that surprised many people. He is a total professional, who has grown here with us and we can count on him: I expect him to be motivated to the maximum."
He added: "We want to have two strong drivers capable of winning: that is what you need if you aspire to winning both titles.
"As usual there is no hierarchy at the start of the season as that is determined by what happens on track."
But although there won't be team orders at the start of the Championship, journalists present at the Wrooom event in the Italian Dolomites were quick to remind Domenicali that they were used last season - and that Alonso didn't go on to win the Drivers' title.
Asked if he regretted issuing the orders, Domenicali said: "It has to be said that I don't like this line of reasoning, because it is one thing to make a decision on the spur of the moment and another to do so with hindsight, having taken stock of the situation.
"Having said that, I think that in Germany, the team - which means the management, the engineers and the drivers - made the best choice.
"I am pleased to see that, in the end, the ban on team orders was repealed: they have always existed and there has just been a clarification aimed at providing greater transparency.
"If something prejudicial should happen, there is article 151 of the Sporting Regulations to right any wrongs, as there has always been."
The team boss was also questioned about his comments in the wake of Ferrari's lost title, the result of a mistake on the Scuderia's part, saying he considered stepping down as team boss.
"From a personal point of view, I can confirm that I did consider that it would be the right thing to do as team boss, and therefore the person ultimately responsible for every decision, to hand in my resignation, but I also told myself that it would be the wrong decision.
"Sure, in the days immediately after, I felt downhearted but then that changed with the support I got, first and foremost from President Montezemolo, but also the thousands of messages of support that came from all over, from partners to fans which only served to sustain my will to react.
"Apart from that, there's no point crying over spilt milk, as all it does is go to our opponents an advantage."
Credit: PlanetF1.com (www.planetf1.com)
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