A Brazilian correspondent has leapt to the defense of Felipe Massa.<\/p>\n
“Ferrari is making a huge mistake,” wrote Livio Oricchio in his O Estado de S.Paulo blog.<\/p>\nngg_shortcode_0_placeholderMassa is currently the subject of widespread criticism and vociferous calls for his dismissal, after failing to get close to Fernando Alonso’s pace in the difficult new F2012 car.<\/p>\n
The Italian team is publicly denying it is seriously considering replacing Massa with Sauber’s Sergio Perez, but rumours to the contrary indicate the opposite is true.<\/p>\n
The loudest voices are being heard in the Italian press, with a La Stampa headline saying Ferrari “has done everything it can to support him (Massa), but everything is meaningless.<\/p>\n
“You would have to find him a new team with a weaker teammate.\u00a0 That would be the only way to save him.”<\/p>\n
A Ferrari insider told Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport: “Since Jean Todt left Ferrari, they are once again listening to the press.”<\/p>\n
Oricchio contends that Ferrari is not giving Massa a fair go.<\/p>\n
“At times, Massa has become a test driver — with (private) testing forbidden, he is the one experimenting with new components at the two races so far.<\/p>\n
“And in some of this testing there was so little downforce on the car that it explains fully his difficulties,” the Brazilian added.<\/p>\n
“But they (Ferrari) are not making this clear so it only confirms the already deeply eroded image of Massa becoming almost unsustainable in the face of public opinion.”<\/p>\n
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