Frustrated Massa ’fighting for seat’ says Coulthard

A frustrated Felipe Massa is fighting for his Ferrari seat, his former rival David Coulthard said in his latest Telegraph column.

The Scot, now a Red Bull consultant and commentator for British television, wrote about Brazilian Massa’s confrontation with Lewis Hamilton after the pair clashed in Singapore.

Playing down the subsequent media reaction, Coulthard said it was "hardly the Thriller in Manila. The only thing missing from the Scrap in Singapore was some handbags," he joked.

Brazilian Massa was highly critical of Hamilton throughout the Singapore weekend and on Monday insisted "I have not changed my opinion by one iota" since the fracas.

Coulthard advises Hamilton not to worry.

"I could not imagine a less threatening character than Felipe and I’m sure it will blow over quickly," he wrote.

"I don’t think Felipe should have done it, certainly not on camera, but I can understand his frustration. He is fighting for his Ferrari seat and the collision during the race, while unfortunate, was certainly Lewis’s fault," added the veteran of almost 250 grands prix.