What is Ferrari's "Plan B"?

Because nobody believes it's Fisichella. As Felipe Massa prepares to test a 2007 car with GP2 tires, benchmarked in effect by Michael Schumacher who ran with the same setup in the weeks leading up to Valancia, several puzzle pieces in the driver's market have yet to fall into place, coincidence?

Behind all the public support there has to be a huge doubt at Ferrari regarding Massa. Looking at today's published pictures from his first day back at Maranello, you can't help but notice his left eye is not quite healed and during his kart test last week Felipe had to modify his helmet for it to fit over his wound. It may sound cruel but it is very unlikely Ferrari will be caught unprepared as it was after Hungary.

Would Ferrari "dump" Massa? Yes, of course it would. Though everyone has him as a given at Mclaren, Raikkonen has yet to announce and keeps repeating he has a contract for 2010. Kubica, though he is rumored to announce a Renault contract, possibly today, is still technically available. Schumacher is always lurking. You know people are just circling, waiting to see how Massa will do before making long term commitments.

Cruel? A few months back Andrea Corbetta wrote about how in 1976, as Niki Lauda lay between life and death in the Mannheim hospital after his fiery crash at the Nürburgring, there was a call from Maranello. "Enzo Ferrari wanted to speak with then Team Manager Daniele Audetto. The phone call was, not as one may think, to ask about Lauda's health but rather is was a series of instructions and directives for how Audetto was to go about inquiring on the availability of a top driver, a Fittipaldi or a Peterson to step in for Lauda. Only at the end of the phone call did Ferrari toss in a casual 'How's that guy doing'.

Cruelty? Lack of pity? The only way to survive in racing?

Lauda himself, a few years earlier had been one of those who, faced with Roger Williamson's burning car at Zandvoort, did not stop and kept racing. After the race when asked why he, and most other drivers except for David Purley, did not stop his answer was "we are paid to race, not to rescue people"

Massa may have the team on his side but only as long as the stopwatch agrees, So, good luck Felipe, get well soon but beware of F1 sharks in the pool!




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