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Horner's Massa bemusement

LONDON, England - Felipe Massa is lucky to have kept his seat at Ferrari.

That's the view of Christian Horner, boss of Ferrari's chief championship rival in 2012 and new champion team, Red Bull.

Asked if he would have signed a new deal with Brazilian Massa in 2013, Horner admitted: "No, I don't think I would have. It's a tough business and results-based."

He told the book 'The Official Formula 1 Season Review 2012': "You have to look at what the guy in the other car (Fernando Alonso) - which we must assume is equal equipment - is achieving."

REVIEWING THEIR OPTIONS

Horner said it was obvious that Ferrari considered axing Massa, who made his Ferrari debut to join Michael Schumacher in 2006. 

"They obviously had a look at other drivers - at least one of ours! - so they were obviously concerned about his form, but their options seemed to become limited."

Horner said Sergio Perez, eventually signed by McLaren for 2013 and beyond, initially seemed "a shoo-in" for Massa's seat. "Then Felipe obviously picked up his form in the last third of the year," he added.  "They were obviously deliberating - the messages coming out of Maranello confirmed that - and probably when the music stopped they realised that the option they had was best for them."

During Ferrari's 2012 Maranello Christmas party team president Luca di Montezemolo joked about Massa's mid-season return to form. "I don't know where you went in the first part of the year," he smiled at Massa, "but I am very pleased you came back."

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