F1: Ferrari's Felipe Massa makes Manila pit-stop with uncertain future ahead of him

Scuderia Ferrari driver Felipe Massa flew in to Manila for a pit-stop with his fans and supporters at the Mall of Asia Atrium on Tuesday, just a few days away from the Singapore Grand Prix.

"I'm always delighted to meet our fans," said the Brazilian Massa in accented but fluent English. "But it's even more exciting today because this is my first time here in the Philippines."

Massa's main mission, though, was to be a spokesperson together with Pilipinas Shell company officials for Shell V-Power Nitro+ fuel. The event was hosted by GMA's own Drew Arellano.

Shell's fuel scientist and specialist Mae Ascan said motorists can avail of high technology fuel, as promised by their "track to road" philosophy. "Our partnership with Ferrari provides Shell with an environment to test new fuels under extreme conditions," she said.

Massa vouched for the statement using his eight years with Ferrari. "What we have inside the car is the best, so everything we use comes from big developments. I always see the workings between these two companies. I can't ever remember having a race with a problem with the engine," he said.

Massa seemed like a curious choice for Ferrari and Shell to pitch for the company in the Philippines, which they called "an important market." The 32-year old driver announced earlier this month that he would not be re-upping his contract with Ferrari. In his stead, Ferrari indicated that they would be bringing back former Ferrari and current Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen. If plans push through, it'll be the first time Ferrari will have two World Drivers' Champions on its roster since 1953.

Asked if current Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso was a better driver than him, Massa paused before answering, "no," which the crowd reacted to with a roar of approval.

Apart from giving the attendees a laugh, there seems to be a brewing sentiment behind his answer. Massa allegedly told a Brazilian newspaper that he wouldn't support Alonso during the Singapore tilt, a rumor that the Ferrari organization denied. But in the past Ferrari had frequently asked Massa to defer to the feted Alonso.

As of today his future destination is unclear, but Lotus is reportedly one of the teams interested in securing his services. Massa didn't talk about specifics, but remained confident about his chances of finding a job next year.

"It's very important to have an experienced driver," said Massa, who added that a driver like him could help a team "grow up quicker on the track."

Next year promises to be a landmark year for the sport as Formula One will practically overhaul their engine standards. Cars will now move towards a more durable 1.6 liter V6 format with an 8-speed semi-automatic gearbox, coupled with fuel flows restricted to promote fuel efficiency.

At the end of the press conference, Massa thanked the fans anew and promised to return and vacation in the country.

"I'm very happy to be here, and I hope you give me a lot of luck in Singapore," he finished. - AMD, GMA News