Felipe Massa has questioned Fernando Alonso's decision to move to Aston Martin in 2023. It was announced one day after the Hungarian Grand Prix that Alonso would make the switch from Alpine to replace Sebastian Vettel, who will retire from F1 at the end of the 2022 campaign. Massa – who was teammates with Alonso at Ferrari between 2010 and 2013 – was amongst those taken by surprise by the Spaniard's news. "First of all, Fernando is an amazing driver," Massa told Sky Sports' Any Driven Monday show. "I had the chance to be teammates with him [for a] long time [at] Ferrari. I learned a lot with him, so he's, in my view, one of the best drivers in Formula 1. "It was a little bit strange to hear that decision from him to sign with Aston Martin."
Massa questions what Alonso has to gain at Aston Martin
Massa believes that the partnership may prove more beneficial to Aston Martin than it will to double World Champion Alonso. "To be honest, if you want to hear what I have to say, I think Aston Martin has a lot to gain with Fernando there," Massa continued. "I don't know if Fernando has a lot to gain by being there with Aston Martin, in my view." With the British squad currently fighting towards the rear of the midfield, Massa does not think that this will prove satisfactory for Alonso. "The most important thing for Fernando is to have a competitive car in order to show what he's able to," the former F1 driver said. "But, if things stay in the way it is now, Fernando [could be] fighting for 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th position. "So this, I don't think will be really interesting for him."
Vettel praised by Massa
As well as commenting on Alonso's move, Massa also reflected on the announcement that Vettel will be retiring from Formula 1. "I think it's important to speak about Sebastian Vettel, because he's a driver that deserves all the applause for his career, for everything that he did" Massa added. "[He won] many championships, he won in many different categories. He's, in my view, a very important driver in the history of Formula 1, so he deserved definitely a good applause for everything that he did. "In my view, it was a good decision for him to retire and to think about other things [in life] as well."
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