The struggling driver was summoned to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters this week rather than travel home to Brazil to see his young family.

But team boss Stefano Domenicali said the 30-year-old retains Ferrari's full backing, despite two sub-standard performances in Australia and Malaysia and widespread calls within the media for his dismissal.

Felipe Massa, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: xpb.cc

Germany's SID news agency quotes Ferrari president Montezemolo as saying: "We have great confidence in Massa.

"And at the moment I don't see many outstanding drivers out there," he added.

The implication could be that an "outstanding" driver might be a candidate to replace Massa either now or in the future.

The cream of Ferrari's own driver development academy, Sergio Perez, sensationally finished second behind Fernando Alonso last weekend in Malaysia, with Massa fifteenth.

Brazilian former driver and now commentator Luciano Burti traces Massa's decline all the way back to Hockenheim 2010, when on the one-year anniversary of his near-fatal crash he was told by his engineer: "Fernando is faster than you".

"When that order came, his house fell around him," Burti told Brazil's Globo.

Soon after that, Alonso was - and still is - the darling of Ferrari, while one of Massa's strongest supporters, the O Estado de S.Paulo correspondent Livio Oricchio, now believes the Brazilian is little more than the "test driver" for new components.

#60 AF Corse Ferrari F458 Italia: Piergiuseppe Perazzini, Marco Cioci, Matt Griffin

Photo by: DPPI

After the brilliant second place in 2011, Piergiuseppe Perazzini and Marco Cioci become again great stars of the Le Mans Series (from this season, the continental competition for GT cars and prototypes is under the name “European Le Mans Series”, ELMS). Alongside the two Italian drivers, there will be another specialist of the GT car: the Irish Matt Griffin.

The trio will race on AF Corse Ferrari 458 GT2, in the GTE Am category. AF Corse is the only Italian team at the start of the European Le Mans Series.

Perazzini-Cioci-Griffin are one of the crews to beat in their category. They have great ability at the weel, a very competitive car, good feeling with the Michelin tyres and a winning team behind is back.

The new Elms will kick off on the Paul Ricard circuit on 31st March‐1st April with the “6 Hours of Castellet”.

Felipe Massa, Ferrari on the grid

Photo by: xpb.cc

Mar.28 (GMM) Amid his performance slump and rumours Sergio Perez will soon replace him, Ferrari's struggling Felipe Massa has been summoned to Maranello.

A report on the Italian team's official website said there is "sorrow" within the team at witnessing the "particularly difficult time" being suffered by Ferrari's Brazilian driver.

While Fernando Alonso leads the drivers' world championship at present, 30-year-old Massa is yet to record a race finish better than his fifteenth at Sepang.

But amid the calls for Massa's head, team boss Stefano Domenicali - recalling a similar situation after Malaysia in 2008 - said his driver has the ability to react now.

"The papers (in 2008) were demanding his immediate replacement and he managed to react in the best way possible, thanks to support from the team, which saw him win two of the next three races," said the Italian.

"Felipe has changed his plans and, instead of heading home to see his family in Brazil, he will be in Maranello tomorrow to work alongside the engineers to calmly analyse everything that happened in these past two races, trying to identify why he was not able to deliver what he is capable of," added Domenicali.

"That's the right spirit and we are here, ready to help him."

It is believed the Italian team has now finalised its commercial agreement with Bernie Ecclestone.

Stefano Domenicali, Scuderia Ferrari Sporting Director and Christian Horner, Red Bull Racing, Sporting Director

Photo by: xpb.cc

The same is reportedly true for fellow top teams McLaren and Red Bull, whose annual additional fee is, according to German newsmagazine Der Spiegel, $35m apiece.

Ecclestone wanted to announce the conclusion of successful Concorde Agreement negotiations in Malaysia, but major teams including Mercedes and Williams were yet to sign up.

Instead, the F1 chief executive released a statement saying deals have been done with 'the majority' of the teams.

Mercedes, in particular, is more than unhappy.

"It can not be," a Daimler insider is quoted as saying, "that transparency from our business partners is lacking regarding a contract through 2020."

Indeed, the picture in the media is muddled.

With Ferrari in deep trouble until the Sepang downpour, Fernando Alonso's surprise win was therefore a "maximisation of misery" for the famous Italian team, according to Finland's Turun Sanomat newspaper.

After Australia, and another qualifying lock-out in Malaysia, some elements of the media were already referring to McLaren as the "dominant" team.

But Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button struggled in Sunday's race, as did the back-to-back reigning champions Red Bull, and the good qualifying performers, Mercedes.

"There is no such superiority as in the past year, or the past two years," agreed Malaysia winner Alonso.

"Everything seems to be much more open."

Now, the keywords are not Adrian Newey or Vettel or blown exhausts, but how individual teams and drivers use the 2012 generation of Pirelli's tyres.

"This is probably the most important area at the moment," Red Bull team boss Christian Horner agreed, according to DPA news agency.

"Different cars are fast at different times," he said, after Sauber's Sergio Perez almost won the Malaysian grand prix.

Race winner Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari, second place Sergio Perez, Sauber F1 Team, third place Lewis Hamilton, McLaren Mercedes

Photo by: Hazrin Yeob Men Shah

Horner is quoted by Auto Motor und Sport: "If you are not in 'the window', you're nowhere. And that's different from tyre (compound) to tyre, and from driver to driver.

"I think the only good thing is that it will be a really good year for the fans," he smiled.

McLaren's Martin Whitmarsh agrees.

"No one is able to say with confidence how this year is going to pan out," he is quoted by Germany's Focus.

"And that's as it should be."

"Ferrari is making a huge mistake," wrote Livio Oricchio in his O Estado de S.Paulo blog.

Massa is currently the subject of widespread criticism and vociferous calls for his dismissal, after failing to get close to Fernando Alonso's pace in the difficult new F2012 car.

The Italian team is publicly denying it is seriously considering replacing Massa with Sauber's Sergio Perez, but rumours to the contrary indicate the opposite is true.

The loudest voices are being heard in the Italian press, with a La Stampa headline saying Ferrari "has done everything it can to support him (Massa), but everything is meaningless.

"You would have to find him a new team with a weaker teammate. That would be the only way to save him."

A Ferrari insider told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "Since Jean Todt left Ferrari, they are once again listening to the press."

Oricchio contends that Ferrari is not giving Massa a fair go.

"At times, Massa has become a test driver -- with (private) testing forbidden, he is the one experimenting with new components at the two races so far.

"And in some of this testing there was so little downforce on the car that it explains fully his difficulties," the Brazilian added.

"But they (Ferrari) are not making this clear so it only confirms the already deeply eroded image of Massa becoming almost unsustainable in the face of public opinion."

Felipe Massa, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: Hazrin Yeob Men Shah

Race winner Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari and second place Sergio Perez, Sauber F1 Team

Photo by: Hazrin Yeob Men Shah

That is the view of Patrick Tambay, a French F1 driver of the 80s who raced with Ferrari.

Sergio Perez currently drives for Sauber, but he is the cream of Ferrari's development programme and Tambay told RMC he thinks the Mexican is now definitely set for a future with the famous Italian team.

Perez's current boss Peter Sauber, however, insists that is not going to happen, at least for now.

"If there are teams like Ferrari that are interested in Perez, that's a compliment for us," the Swiss told the Blick newspaper upon arrival at Zurich airport this week.

Ferrari is Sauber's engine supplier and traditional political ally.

"But Sergio has a contract for 2012, which was agreed last year, and this is respected," added Sauber. "There are no talks with Ferrari."

Sauber, 68, also alluded to the fact that this year's red car is not exactly a world-beater at present.

"It would be the wrong time for him to go to Ferrari now," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Sauber also repeated his denial that Perez was ordered to ensure he finished behind Fernando Alonso on Sunday in deference to the team's big cousin Ferrari.

"I'm not saying that's what happened," former engineer Joan Villadelprat told Spanish TV3 television, "but it wouldn't be the first time Ferrari have done that."

Sauber however defended the instruction to Perez that, whilst chasing down Alonso, he should "be careful".

"If anything had happened during the attack on Alonso," he insisted, "we would have zero points instead.

"And then you have nothing at all."

Podium: champagne for all

Photo by: Hazrin Yeob Men Shah

Hinwil, 26th March 2012 - In what was only his 19th Formula One race Sergio Pérez achieved his first podium in the highest echelon of motorsport. The 22-year-old came second in the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday and is on his way back to his home town of Guadalajara in Mexico.

Sergio, has it sunk in that you have just had your first F1 podium finish?

Sergio Pérez: “I must say it is a bit difficult to accept it because in Formula One everything happens so quickly and, although I had to leave straight after the race, I’m still not at home in Mexico and have not really celebrated yet. I am just having a stopover in the US, at Dallas. For sure it was a great race and in a way a great feeling. But initially I was a bit disappointed because I thought maybe I could have won it, although nobody knows what in the end would have happened if I had managed to attack Fernando (Alonso) and whether I would have got by him or not. Meanwhile, of course, I realised that having come second is also a great result for us and is a perfect boost for the entire team, which is working very hard. I am happy for everybody in the Sauber F1 Team.”

What do you expect to happen when you arrive in Guadalajara?

SP: I have no idea. Mexicans are completely out of control.

Even Felipe Calderón was among those who tweeted their congratulations. Have you been able to check all the congratulatory messages yet?

SP: “I have seen a lot of messages and it is absolutely great to receive so many of them, and especially so many from my home country. I feel a lot of support and I appreciate it very much. I regard it as a kind of reward for all I have done in my career so far, which hasn’t always been easy. I’d like to thank everybody for all the kind messages!”

What will you be doing over the next days?

SP: “Of course I am looking forward to going home and seeing my family and friends. I will prepare myself for the next races as we have a long season ahead of us. I will get in touch with the engineers to talk and see what we can do next to improve, and I certainly will be training to be a hundred percent fit and ready to give my utmost at the forthcoming Grand Prix in China.”

What is your next target?

SP: “The target is to keep improving our overall performance and the car. We have to push hard and, of course, we have to stay realistic. Although the pace in the race was good we should not forget that this result came after a very special race in extraordinary conditions. Ultimately I always wanted to win races and I strongly believe my first win in Formula One will come sooner or later - in an ideal world it will happen this year.”

Sergio Perez, Sauber F1 Team and Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: xpb.cc

Is the impressive young Mexican being lined up to imminently oust the struggling Felipe Massa?

"I only congratulated him, as a team they did a great job," Perez insisted.

"My full commitment is with my team, with the Sauber team. Obviously it's only rumours but no, I will stay with Sauber for the whole season."

But not everyone in F1 believes that, including McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh.

"I imagine he has put a bit of pressure on Mr Massa," he is quoted as saying by the Telegraph, after watching Perez sensationally finish second in his Ferrari-powered Sauber behind Fernando Alonso.

"I don't know what the odds are on him switching teams before China, but there must be consideration," added Whitmarsh.

Alonso, however, is not expecting to have a new teammate any time soon.

"At the moment, as Sergio said, he is concentrated on Sauber," said the Spaniard, acknowledging however the Mexican's "big talent".

"At the moment with Felipe we are a very strong team, a very united team."

It is the big talking point in F1 circles at present, but Brazilian Massa insists he is not worried.

"I'm happy for him (Perez) and his team, but (my) worry? Zero," he is quoted by Brazil's Globo. "I never worry about whether a good performance of someone else could be a problem for me or not."

And boss Domenicali, admitting that Perez "confirmed his great talent" in Malaysia, backed his current driver.

"This is a particularly difficult time for him (Massa) because he cannot get the most out of a car that objectively is very difficult to drive," said the Italian.

"So we need to be close to him, which is how it should be in a team that is close together," he insisted.

But things always change quickly in formula one. Former Toro Rosso Jaime Alguersuari was asked by AS newspaper if he thinks Ferrari should replace Massa.

"I should not answer that because I am a friend of Massa and also with Checo."

However, he added: "Vettel is better than Webber and Fernando is better than Felipe. Each team has to make its decisions and I will not do it for them."

Peter Sauber has a solid contract with Perez for 2012, but even he is expecting to see the Mexican move on.

"At some point we will lose him to another team," the Swiss told Blick newspaper.

Domenicali continued: "Sergio drove a good race. But at this difficult time we must stand with Felipe.

"He took a step in the right direction in qualifying here and he needs to regain his confidence."

If Perez does move to Ferrari, a seat will open up at Sauber.

Force India refugee Adrian Sutil hopes he is at the front of the queue.

"All I can say is: I'm ready, I'm very motivated and training hard and want to be back in formula one as quickly as possible," he told German television Sky.

If it’s true that the F1 cognoscenti have spent the winter saying we will only understand the current team hierarchy after Qualifying in Albert Park, it had been expected that maybe Friday’s three hours of free practice would shed some light on the matter. However, Melbourne’s famously changeable weather meant that any possible judgement was hiding behind the clouds that meant a wet track was a feature of both sessions.

Felipe Massa, Scuderia Ferrari

Photo by: xpb.cc

For the record, Fernando Alonso finished fourth in both the morning and afternoon and Scuderia Ferrari team-mate Felipe Massa was 18th in the F2012 in the morning after a harmless spin left him stuck in a gravel trap and then seventh in the afternoon. Given that yesterday was the first time the Australian city had seen rain in a long time, it seemed as though this was a special arrangement to spice up the show.

For what it’s worth, Michael Schumacher was quickest in the afternoon for Mercedes, ahead of Nico Hulkenberg in the Force India and Sergio Perez third for Sauber. After Fernando, Kamui Kobayashi was fifth in the other Sauber with Paul di Resta completing the top six in the second Force India.

There are some new faces on the grid and some not so new: this year we have two French rookies, Jean-Eric Vergne at Toro Rosso and Charles Pic at Marussia, while bringing the number of World Champions up to six is the returning Kimi Raikkonen, who had a two year rallying sabbatical after leaving Ferrari and is now lining up for Lotus. Tomorrow is expected to be dry, so hopefully qualifying, at 17h00 will finally provide the answers to the questions that have been asked all winter.

Ferrari fans, check out our new sister site FerrariCircuit.com