Williams F1 driver Felipe Massa has spoken about his time at Ferrari and said once Fernando Alonso joined the team in 2010, he had no power within Ferrari.
In an interview with LaRepubblica.it, Massa spoke about his time at Ferrari alongside Alonso and his re-birth at Williams.
“At first, yes (I was important),” he said. “Then things changed when Alonso came. I looked around and saw that suddenly I had no power over things, over the details. And our sport is made of the details.
“And you can change them only if you have the power. It’s all about power, and I had lost it.
“The most obvious symptom was that I did not feel important anymore,” Massa explained. “It was enough to see it just by making eye-contact with the people around me. It was impossible to be happy.”
Up until the 2010 German Grand Prix, Massa had been given equal treatment alongside Alonso, however, was forced to move over while leading the race.
Massa suggests he had no say in terms of development of the car.
The Brazilian was comprehensively beaten by Alonso in each of the following seasons up until 2013.
Massa added that he enjoyed his time at Ferrari but admits it was time for a change, when he was replaced at the end of 2013.
“My story with Ferrari was beautiful, intense, honest, like the applause I got (on the podium) at Monza showed. But it was time to feel important again.”
The 11-time race winner admits he questioned himself during this period alongside Alonso.
“So many times I thought I should be less kind. Harder and selfish. But then you look at yourself and take stock.
“Many things have happened to me. I was friends with a legend like Schumacher and a golden boy like Bianchi. I went through two or three eras of the sport, I saw injustice and the worst time of my life when I was forced to let my teammate past me, but I also won a lot and above all I enjoyed.
“I fell often, but every time I got up. No, I would not change anything. I have always been myself, Felipe, and if that caused me some difficulty then my strength allowed me to overcome and become a man and a better father,” said Massa.
Massa currently sits fourth in the drivers’ championship, behind Hamilton, Rosberg and Vettel.
