16 October,2009 11:14 AM IST | | PA Sport
Fernando Alonso is adamant there will be no psychological war with new Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.
Massa appeared to stoke the fires on by claiming Alonso was aware of the plot that culminated in Nelson Piquet Jnr deliberately crashing his Renault in last year's Singapore Grand Prix, helping the Spaniard to claim a remarkable victory before later clarifying his remarks.
"There will be no psychological war," said Alonso. "Maybe it was a misunderstanding with Felipe or the media, so it's difficult to know what is true and what was said because later he said a different thing."
Fernando Alonso |
"It was the team and Nelson, but Alonso was part of the problem," Massa is quoted as saying by the Brazilian media after a briefing.
"He knew. We cannot know it, (but) of course he knew. Absolute certainty."
Within hours a climbdown followed as he later clarified his remarks via a statement on Ferrari's website, although even then there was still an element of suspicion in his words.
"What I've said is the outcome of a hunch I've had and is not based on any concrete evidence," said Massa, who has previously stated he would have been world champion but for the crash.
"The FIA World Council announced that there was no indication that Fernando may have been informed of what had happened and I respect this outcome."
Alonso added: "It's not very important for me. I'm not too worried. I made it clear to the World Council I had nothing to do with what happened in Singapore last year.
"I was not involved in anything, I didn't know anything, so there were no doubts. I didn't pay too much attention.
"It will not affect anything, me or the relationship. I actually think we will be great."