David Coulthard believes Ferrari may yet to decide to drop the underperforming Felipe Massa for the 2012 season…

David Coulthard believes Ferrari may yet to decide to drop the underperforming Felipe Massa for the 2012 season.

Although the team are adamant that Massa and Fernando Alonso will be their driver line-up next year, rumours persist that they could replace the Brazilian before his contract expires at the end of the 2012 season. While Alonso has won one race and made eight podium visits this year, Massa’s best results have been four fifth-place finishes.

Coulthard feels Massa’s poor performances this year could prompt Ferrari to look at another driver for the new campaign.

“In Formula One, anything’s possible – I’ve learned that in my 17 years (in F1),” he told Austrian television Servus TV.

“He’s a very nice, likeable guy who drives with his heart, but he no longer shows the sort of performance he did before his accident in Hungary (2009). Ferrari probably has no choice but to look for another driver.”

He added: “In Formula One you’re always under pressure. Even Sebastian Vettel is under pressure, just a different sort. Massa may know that his Formula One career is slowly coming to an end. With these results, he will not be at Ferrari for many more years. Ferrari will be looking seriously at the two drivers it has and deciding what is the strongest possible package they can have for 2012.”