Alonso Did Not Attack Massa to Keep Ferrari Harmony

Fernando Alonso's surge from P22 during the Australian Grand Prix did not go unnoticed, as plenty of F1 pundits praised the Spaniard's efforts on Sunday. Needless to say, to recover over 12 positions on a wet track in only 17 laps is no coincidence, and the 2-time world champion was even aiming for a podium finish late in the race.

However, when on a high pace, the Spaniard was kept behind by his own teammate Felipe Massa, who blocked his efforts to score a 3rd – or even 2nd place – in Australia. While former Grand Prix driver and BBC commentator Martin Brundle admitted Ferrari should have pulled out some team orders to let Alonso pass – as he had more chances of pressuring Renault's Robert Kubica for 2nd place – the Spanish media also hit at Ferrari for not telling Massa to back off.

At one point, Alonso was heard asking his team why isn't Massa called to the pits for new tires, since it was obvious he was having a hard time keeping his F10 on the track. The response was more than conclusive, “everyone has the same problems.”

After the race, Alonso told the media that it was natural for Ferrari not to ask Felipe to let him pass, as this was only the second race of the season and each driver has to fight for his own points. However, talking to Spanish newspaper El Pais, the two time world champion revealed the real reason why he didn't challenge Massa for a podium was because he didn't want to upset Ferrari's team principal Stefano Domenicali.

“If it was another driver I would have tried, but it's difficult to fight with your teammate. I thought of the boss and did nothing strange,” said Alonso, according to the aforementioned publication.