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Baku - Felipe Massa has warned that Bernie Ecclestone may be serious in his threat to axe the Brazilian grand prix.
Given that Interlagos has a contract until 2020, some Brazilian reporters have played down the Formula 1 supremo's warning that November's race could be the last.
That's how he works
Williams driver Massa told Brazil's UOL in Baku: "We know how Bernie works with his negotiations.
"He likes to put pressure on, as we have seen with Monza and what has happened with some other places. When something is not going the way he wants, he says what he says.
READ: Ecclestone wants Africa F1 race, pressures German GP
Brazilian Massa added: "On the other hand, we know what the situation is. What is happening in Brazil at the moment is very difficult.
"So it's not impossible that F1 in Brazil will be over. It is quite possible.
"We live in a situation where everything is reaching the limits in many ways," he said.
Insulting the leadership
UOL said the Interlaogs promoters had issued a statement saying that renovation plans were on track and there is no legal reason the contract should be broken.
Ecclestone, meanwhile, was up to his old tricks with reporters on Thursday (June 16 2016), saying the 2017 calendar could be anywhere from 18 to 22 races long.
Ecclestone said: "They (Monza) are still looking. Brazil has got a few problems - they haven't got a proper president at the moment so they can't worry about small technical things like getting paid."