![\"Felipe-Massa-car\"](\"https:\/\/www.racinginfocus.com\/rif\/gallery\/f1-2012-rif-images\/f1-12-drivers\/Felipe-Massa-car.jpg\")
The sport’s journalists are poring over statistics, wondering if there was ever another time when Fernando Alonso – Ferrari’s undisputed and imperious number 1 – had been out-qualified by his teammate so many times on the trot.<\/p>\nThe fiery F1 pairing on everybody’s lips at present is Sebastian Vettel versus Mark Webber.<\/p>\n
But another fascinating battle is brewing at Ferrari.<\/p>\n
The sport’s journalists are poring over statistics, wondering if there was ever another time when Fernando Alonso – Ferrari’s undisputed and imperious number 1 – had been out-qualified by his teammate so many times on the trot.<\/p>\n
Some referred to Jarno Trulli at Renault in 2004, others to Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007, but – actually – the five-times-in-a-row defeat in China next weekend would be historic.<\/p>\n
In short, after a long slump punctuated by a near-fatal 2009 crash, Felipe Massa is back in the sort of form that almost saw him win the title in 2008.<\/p>\n
On the record, Spaniard Alonso insists he is happy that Massa is now strong again.<\/p>\n
“It’s the best news for the team, because we need to have a competition between the two drivers and now I think all the data that we have is very useful to compare and to analyse to make ourselves better,” he said in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Behind the scenes, though, the situation could be more volatile.<\/p>\n
“Fernando is exceptional,” Sir Jackie Stewart told Brazil’s O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper, “but he does not cope well when his teammate is beating him.”<\/p>\n
At the very least, Alonso can count on the full backing of the fabled Italian team, who have put him on a pedestal rivalled only by Michael Schumacher’s a decade ago.<\/p>\n
“In the race, Alonso is the best driver I’ve ever had,” Luca di Montezemolo was quoted recently by Spain’s El Confidencial newspaper.<\/p>\n
The Ferrari president said one-lap pace is more difficult to quantify through the eras, but “in the race itself, yes, he (Alonso) is the best”.<\/p>\n
However, barely since their partnership began in 2010 has there been another time in which Massa was also leading Alonso in the drivers’ points standings.<\/p>\n
Referring to the Brazilian, Montezemolo continued: “It is true that at the beginning of last year, something happened in his head and he could not go as (well as) Fernando did.<\/p>\n
“But now he is very relaxed, he has been very good, but we should not forget that there were times when he was even faster than Michael.<\/p>\n
“If I have any problems, it is not with the drivers,” he added.<\/p>\n
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