Missing Alonso quali coup not important - Massa

Felipe Massa has played down being outqualified by his teammate Fernando Alonso in China.

Had Brazilian Massa earned a better grid position than his Spanish cohort on Saturday, it would have been the first time in Alonso’s entire career he was outqualified five times on the trot.

The statistic riled Alonso earlier in Shanghai, when reporters asked the double world champion if Massa’s form was a worry.

"I haven’t slept since Australia. I only like to eat white rice. I’m losing my hair," Alonso said sarcastically.

He then qualified third, two places ahead of Massa.

When told he had missed out on the five-times-on-the-trot coup, Massa insisted: "You (reporters have) talked all week about it, but what really interests me is winning races and fighting for the championship.

"That’s my target," he is quoted by Spain’s EFE news agency, "not beating a record or Alonso.

"I don’t think you get a trophy for that.

"To be honest, I want to be faster than him in every race, every practice, every qualifying, but I also want to be faster than everyone else as well."

Massa continued: "Anyway, race strategy is now much more important than two or three places on the grid, so let’s concentrate on that."