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Felipe Massa reckons Formula 1 rival Fernando Alonso faces a difficult choice when it comes to deciding what to do next after leaving Ferrari.

Alonso is set to leave the Scuderia with a year remaining on his current contract, after his relationship with the Maranello F1 team broke down amid the Spaniard's attempts to instigate a seat swap with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton for next season.

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel all but confirmed Alonso's exit from Ferrari when it was announced during the recent Japanese Grand Prix that he would be leaving Red Bull.



And although Alonso claimed at Suzuka that Vettel's move does not affect his own situation, the Spaniard's current 2015 options appear limited to joining McLaren or taking a sabbatical until 2016.

Massa, who raced as team-mate to Alonso at Ferrari from 2010 until the end of last year, thinks uncertainty over the likely competitiveness of the new McLaren-Honda package will make Alonso's next move difficult.

"The change is not easy for him," Massa said.

"Fernando wanted to go to Mercedes - definitely - he will try everything he can to go there, but I don't think he will get the opportunity next year, so the only place is McLaren.

"But honestly McLaren is not in the best moment, and this car is so complicated so I don't believe Honda will arrive having the best engine straightaway.

"It won't be easy for them and Fernando has no idea how it's going to be.

"He's thinking about the possibility to win the championship."

Massa said the idea of Alonso taking a year out to evaluate his options for 2016 is a serious proposition, but would be bad for Formula 1 given the double world champion's standing within the sport.

"To stay out one year is not nice, and not nice for Formula 1 as well to lose him for one year," Massa added.

"He's a top driver, very famous, very important for Formula 1.

"Having him one year out can happen - I know Fernando very well and it can happen - [but] I don't know if it will be positive for him [either]."