Ferrari prefers Alonso because Massa slower - Piquet

Felipe Massa should speed up if he wants to avoid being Fernando Alonso’s number two.

That is the interesting perspective of Nelson Piquet Jr, who was Alonso’s number two at Renault in 2008 and the first half of last year.

The Brazilian was then ousted by the team, triggering the so-called crashgate scandal by revealing that he was ordered to crash on purpose to help Alonso win the 2008 Singapore grand prix.

Now, the sport is gripped by a new team orders scandal, after Massa was ordered to let his now Ferrari teammate Alonso win at Hockenheim last Sunday.

Piquet, now racing in NASCAR’s lower-tier truck series, said: "Massa is slower than Alonso, so he has become the team’s number two."

He made the comments to the Diario Catarinense newspaper whilst competing in the Brazilian kart championships this weekend.

25-year-old Piquet added: "80 per cent of the time, Alonso is much faster than Massa, so it is normal that the team gives him preference."