Massa ready to play supporting role

Although Massa still has a mathematical chance of winning the crown, his 20 points deficit to Lewis Hamilton with three races to go is realistically too big a margin to overhaul.

But although he insists that he has no official orders to act as Raikkonen's number two from now on, Massa has said he will not hesitate to help the team if needed.

"I work for the team," said Massa at the Fuji circuit on Thursday. "If I don't have a chance, then for sure I will help the team.

"The team are very fair with me. We had a very good championship, they were very fair in terms of how we worked inside the team, and I don't have any problems to help the team in whatever championship if I have no chance.

"That is pretty clear. I am going to do the best I can to do what is best for the team."

Massa is well aware that his title charge was dented by poor reliability this season, having seen several points scoring opportunities slip through his fingers because of technical troubles.

"I won three races and I was very close to winning other races, so I am happy with this season," he said. "But I am not happy with the problems we had this season. There were, for sure, too many problems.

"To win the championship you need to have everything perfect. This year our reliability was not perfect but I am satisfied with the season."

But Massa has made it clear that he will not waste any time wondering how different his campaign would have been if his reliability had been better.

"It doesn't change anything to say that now or to start thinking like that now," he said when asked about how the championship could have been his in Brazil.

"I am not the sort of guy who says, if this happens, or that happens it would have been different. If it is not possible this year then we try again next year, so what more can I say?"