Monza: Ferrari are ready to decide who will partner Fernando Alonso at their Formula One team next season, president Luca di Montezemolo said on Saturday without ruling out their 2007 champion Kimi Raikkonen.
"We will think of this immediately after Monza because we wanted to arrive at this weekend without any strange pressure," he told reporters after qualifying at Ferrari`s home Italian Grand Prix.
"We will take any decision in the next days and we haven`t taken any kind of a decision yet," Montezemolo added. "We haven`t signed any contract with anybody, we will talk with (Felipe) Massa and then we have our opinion and then we will decide."
Brazilian Massa is out of contract at the end of the season and paddock speculation is swirling around his future at the team after a season in which he has again been eclipsed by Alonso.
Raikkonen is also out of contract at Lotus, who want to keep him but need to provide the Finn with guarantees that they can pay his wages.
Sauber`s German Nico Hulkenberg, who qualified third and ahead of both Ferrari drivers on Saturday, has also been mentioned.
Raikkonen is Ferrari`s most recent world champion, leaving at the end of 2009 to make way for double world champion Alonso and spending two years in the world rally championship before making a comeback last year with Lotus.
Asked whether Ferrari could take Raikkonen back, Montezemolo replied: "Also we can take somebody else.
"What happened in the past with Kimi? We won a world championship. First of all, Kimi is a good driver. For us it was a big satisfaction to win with him the first championship with the new team without Michael (Schumacher), without Ross (Brawn)," he added.
"I think there are also the possibilities of some other drivers but there is also the possibility as last year that we decide to continue with Felipe. We haven`t taken any kind of decision yet at all.
"In every decision, you have to be very careful because you have plus and minus. Now is time to take a decision. Before it was too early. And we will take it."
Montezomolo said relations with Alonso were good, despite a very public reprimand on his birthday in July after the Spaniard criticised his car and was then linked to a possible switch to champions Red Bull.
"The truth is that he was trying to go to Marussia," joked Montezemolo, saluting the Spaniard as he walked past with a cheeky grin.
"He is a very important member of the family and I share sometimes his attitude that he would love to have a better car...everything is OK."
Reuters
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.