'Not correct' for Alonso to miss Monaco, says Massa

Felipe Massa says it’s “not correct” for an F1 driver to miss a major event like Monaco in order to race in another series in the way that Fernando Alonso is doing.

Massa insists that he would never have made the same decision had it been offered.

“For sure not,” he said Thursday. “I think that’s not correct anyway. To be honest you’re racing in the most important category in the world, for a big team, and then you’re not doing the Monaco to do another championship race – it’s not correct. For sure they have different reasons for that, Fernando and Honda, whatever.

“I really respect Fernando for what he’s doing, something that will be completely new for him, very challenging. But it’s not correct. You can ask any team boss in F1 in all history, you stop to one race in the championship that you’re doing and you’re very committed to do to to another championship, it’s not correct. But as I said, they have many reasons to do that.”

Massa said he had nothing against racing on ovals: “I never did it, so I don’t really have the right explanation to say I don’t do it because it’s dangerous. For sure people around me, they always say don’t do ovals, we are not happy to see you doing that. I’m not saying I’m scared, I’m not scared to do ovals. But I never thought about it. I was not really planning to go to do Formula Indy.

“But it’s true that I was watching the whole test of Fernando on the Internet, just to see how he was doing. My wife came to say straight away, you’re not thinking to do the same next? I said ‘no,’ but I said I was always quick in the high speed corners. She said I don’t care! Anyway I’m not planning it.”