Fernando Alonso has tipped his departed Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa to be a “strong rival” in 2014.
After eight years in red, Brazilian Massa’s move to the once-great British team Williams was seen as a clearly backwards step for the 11-time grand prix winner.
But after pre-season testing, Mercedes-powered Williams has emerged as one of the strongest forces for 2014, with Massa tipped as an outside chance for outright victory in Melbourne.
“I’ve talked with Felipe several times this year already,” Spaniard Alonso is quoted by Brazil’s Globo.
“He is happy, Williams has so much history in Formula One and is not just any team, and they have had a very strong pre-season,” he admitted.