Formula One news

Ferrari clarifies Massa-Alonso 'Crashgate' comments

The Ferrari team has moved to calm any speculation that there could already be tension between 2010 team-mates Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso after the Brazilian suggested on Wednesday that the Spaniard was fully aware of the Renault race-fixing scandal of Singapore last year.

Massa led in Marina Bay last season until a pit-stop problem during the Safety Car period following Piquet's crash

With Nelson Piquet Jr's deliberate crash having aided Alonso's drive to victory, Massa has since suggested that the incident - proposed by team chiefs Flavio Briatore and Pay Symonds to bring out the Safety Car - contributed to his loss of last year's Drivers' Championship title.

"He is the least (contributing part) of the problem," Massa explained to journalists of Alonso in São Paulo on Wednesday. "It was the team and Nelson, but Alonso was part of the problem, he knew - we do not know it (confirmed) but of course he knew, it's an absolute certainty."

With the comments having been broadcast in Brazil, Ferrari released a Wednesday evening statement regarding the matter on the team's website:

Massa finished 13th

'Felipe Massa's comments at a lunch with Brazilian journalists are causing some uproar on the internet. When asked if Alonso might have known about the details of the Singapore affair the Brazilian driver confirmed. Afterwards, level-headed, he wanted to be more specific via the Ferrari website.

"What I've said is the outcome of a hunch I've had and is not based on any concrete evidence," Felipe said. "The FIA World Council announced that there was no indication that Fernando may have been informed of what had happened and I respect this outcome.

"Obviously I'm very disappointed about what transpired last year in Singapore: I have already said several times what I thought about it and now it's time to close that chapter and to look to the future. What is certain is that this episode will not mar in any way the relationship I'll have with Fernando when we will be team-mates."

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