Felipe Massa has revealed his disappointment at the rise of the ’pay-driver’ in formula one.
The Brazilian will fight for his future at Ferrari in the first half of 2012, and thereafter may join the struggle for an alternative seat in competition with many lucratively-backed rivals.
"Today, there are only four teams that can afford to operate without drivers that bring money," Massa is quoted by the Brazilian Totalrace website.
"It’s an absurd situation," he said, "and I don’t think it’s good for F1 and especially the young drivers.
"Even if you get very good results in the formulas below (F1), you either have to be lucky or have money in order to get a seat.
"That’s not F1," Massa charged.