Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel could "coexist" as teammates on the Italian Formula One outfit one day.
|Last Updated: Oct 12, 2011, 09:18 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Rome: Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel could "coexist" as teammates on the Italian Formula One outfit one day.
Vettel secured his second consecutive F1 title at Sunday`s Japanese Grand Prix, and his contract with Red Bull expires in 2014.
Alonso, who won two F1 titles with Renault, has a contract with Ferrari through 2016.
Domenicali was asked in Tuesday`s Gazzetta dello Sport whether Alonso would accept Vettel at Ferrari in 2014.
"I think so," he replied. "I think they could coexist. Fernando`s strength is not being afraid of anyone."
Vettel has made no secret of his desire to race for Ferrari one day, saying after his Italian GP victory last month that the only thing that could have made it better "would be wearing a red suit."
Felipe Massa, Ferrari`s other current driver, has a contract that expires at the end of next season, and the Brazilian appears to have lost his edge after a life-threatening accident at the Hungarian GP in 2009.
In recent races, Massa has been involved in a series of incidents with McLaren`s Lewis Hamilton, whose contract also expires in 2012.
"Massa will do everything he can to show that he`s worthy of Ferrari and other drivers with contracts expiring will want to show that they`re ready to come to Ferrari," Domenicali said. "Hamilton is also probably among those (drivers), but it`s early yet."
Ferrari is concluding a miserable season that has seen it take just one victory so far - Alonso`s win at the British GP in July.
With four races remaining, Alonso is third in the drivers` standings and Massa is sixth. In the constructors` standings, Ferrari is third, 226 points behind Red Bull and 96 points behind McLaren.
The focus at Ferrari headquarters in Maranello has turned almost exclusively to redeveloping the car for next year.
"Everything will change, including the steering wheel," Domenicali said.
Bureau Report
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.