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Ferrari downplays talk of Sebastian Vettel joining team in 2014

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has played down talk of Sebastian Vettel joining Fernando Alonso at Ferrari in the future, suggesting Felipe Massa is a more suitable second driver

Vettel has been linked to a switch to Ferrari at times this year, with fresh reports surfacing over the Korean Grand Prix weekend.

Speaking to Italian radio, however, di Montezemolo says he is wary of having a line-up that could create tension within the team.

"Today the problem is not with drivers. 2013 is still to come but I don't want to have two roosters in the same hen-house, rather two drivers who race for Ferrari and not for themselves," Montezemolo told RAI radio.

"I don't want problems and rivalries, which we didn't have between Schumacher and Irvine, between Schumacher and Barrichello, between Alonso and Massa or Massa and Schumi or Massa and Raikkonen."

Massa, whose future at Ferrari was in doubt for months after a poor start to the season, is set to stay at the Italian squad for another year.

Di Montezemolo said he will talk with Massa tomorrow to sort out his future.

"There's no doubt that confirming Massa was unthinkable midway through the season, but he is now giving us what we expect of him," he said. "Tomorrow we'll talk and then we'll take a decision.

"Massa went very well in Monza and in Japan; he is back. I've asked him to come to Maranello tomorrow and we'll have a long chat.

"I think he has always given a lot to Ferrari and that he has a good relationship with Alonso. I count on him to take points off our rivals.

"It's true that the car at the beginning of the season had such characteristics that he couldn't drive it, but I've always told him we needed his reaction and from Spa onwards he has begun to go better. He knew he had the team's full support."

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