Fernando Alonso insists he is “very happy” to have a “strong opponent” to fight against at Ferrari this year.<\/p>\n
Some believe the Spaniard cannot possibly have supported the team’s decision to replace the subordinate Felipe Massa with the former Ferrari champion Kimi Raikkonen.<\/p>\n
But Alonso insists Massa was no pushover.<\/p>\n
“Sometimes he was even faster than Michael Schumacher when they were together,” he told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper.<\/p>\n
“But my four years were fantastic with Felipe, so I expect nothing other than my coming years with Kimi to be fantastic too.”<\/p>\n
Finn Raikkonen had a poor race return with Ferrari in Australia, but Alonso tipped him to get up to speed quickly.<\/p>\n
“He’s very, very fast, perhaps the fastest of us all, or at least he is considered as such by some,” he said.<\/p>\n
“Last year, he battled for the title with a Lotus, an achievement I rate highly because I do not think Lotus are so strong,” Alonso added.<\/p>\n
“I have a very strong opponent in the team and I am very happy about that, whether you believe me or not.”<\/p>\n
He said all the recent speculation about their relationship was “understandable”, given the new season and a “winter in which nothing much happens”.<\/p>\n
“This has become a routine for me, especially since I’ve been with Ferrari, because it was also said it would be very difficult for me with Felipe,” said Alonso.<\/p>\n
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