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| © AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis |
Mark Webber’s extension of his contract with Red Bull for 2013 has offered no respite to the future of Felipe Massa at Ferrari.
The Australian was one of the candidates to replace the Brazilian at the Italian squad and had admitted that he had been in discussions about his future at Maranello before deciding to stay with his current team next year.
But the announcement that Webber is no longer in running for a Ferrari drive has not made it any easier for the underperforming Massa.
“It’s to be expected that it is reaching great heights, which could have something to do with the torrid heat hitting Italy, or the incessant rain that’s still drenching the UK, as names start being bandied about, when it comes to who could be sitting alongside Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari garage in 2013,” said the anonymous Horse Whisperer on the team’s website.
“Now the most vociferous and qualified rumourmongers are taking it for granted that Felipe will be confirmed, these generally being the same voices that, not only had him down as being out of the running for 2013, but would have had us believe he would not even see out the season,” it pointed out.
Among the potential names that have been circulating include Sauber’s Sergio Perez and defending world champion Sebastian Vettel.
“Now coming into bloom are a whole list of possible and potential replacements, with a list of names from A to Z, something Ferrari is well used to,” the Horse Whisperer continued satirically. “In truth, one letter, the 'Z', seems yet to be uncovered, or quite possibly it’s Zorro… unmasked.”