“No. I don’t [have any doubts],” he said. “But anyway we wait for the time.
When you get the OK from both directions that is when you are sure. I think
it will be pretty soon to be honest.”
Domenicali described himself as “very happy” with the Brazilian’s fourth-place
finish on Sunday, which helped Ferrari to leapfrog McLaren into second place
in the constructors’ championship.
“He did an excellent race, and an excellent qualifying,” Domenicali said. “But
I have to say he’s doing an excellent job since a couple of races, so this
is really very promising for the end of the season.
“And if I want to anticipate the next question that I’m sure someone will ask,
very soon you will know what will be our position on that respect.
“I think that for sure [Massa] understands now better the car, he understands
better the tyres — and also the fact Felipe is a very, very strong driver
because otherwise we would have already taken a different decision.
“So I feel that now when Felipe has under his control the understanding of the
tyres and car, he performs at the level he should.”
Elsewhere, ex-Toro Rosso drivers Jaime Alguersuari and Sebastien Buemi are
understood to be competing with Adrian Sutil for the Force India seat to be
vacated by Hulkenberg, while Britain’s Max Chilton looks certain to get a
seat at Marussia.
Force India said on Sunday that an arrest warrant issued against their
co-owner, the billionaire entrepreneur Vijay Mallya, would have “no bearing
whatsoever” on the team. Mallya’s struggling Kingfisher Airlines has issued
four cheques amounting to some $2 million which have bounced.
“I don’t think it will go anywhere,” deputy principal Bob Fernly said of the
claim. “It is an offence in India to issue a cheque without the funds being
there, for sure. There is substance in that. Why it was done I don’t know.
It is so far below Vijay he wouldn’t have a clue what is going on anyway.”