30/11/2007
NEWS STORY
There's a certain amount of mirth following comments that have appeared on Giancarlo Fisichella's website in response to comments made earlier in the week, when Bernie Ecclestone suggested that the Italian should give serious consideration to quitting F1, feeling that the three-time GP winner was no longer truly competitive.
Referring to Fisichella, and fellow veteran Ralf Schumacher, Ecclestone told the official F1 website Formula1.com: "Both have been in decent teams for quite a time and should have performed better than they have. They ought to give very serious consideration to whether it makes sense to move into a less competitive environment. Maybe if they change teams they'll get a bit of a wake-up call."
Today, in response to the F1 supremo's comments, Fisichella's website contains the following: "Like a father you have talked about your children, including me.
"I wanted to remind you dear Daddy, I mean dear Bernie, that I am the one who won the first grand prix in Melbourne in 2005 with Renault and therefore I was the one who first discovered the R25 as a winning car."
"In the two seasons I spent alongside Alonso, in full agreement with the strategies of my team, I have contributed to two constructor titles, taking home the fourth place in the drivers' championship just like Massa this year. Given the circumstances, I believe I could not do any better."
All very amusing.
However, a well placed source insists that the Roman driver would never talk, far less write like this, and that the comments bear the hallmark of his manager, Enrico Zanarini.
The source claims that many, including Ecclestone, will know exactly who is behind the comments, which could ultimately come back to haunt Fisichella.