Ferrari Stand By Massa Leaving Alonso at Renault

Fernando Alonso's hopes of driving for Ferrari should Renault fail to give him a winning car have been dashed by the Italian team's president, Luca di Montezemolo, who has made it clear there is no place for the Spaniard alongside the world champion, Kimi Raikkonen.

It had been supposed that the former McLaren driver moved to Renault as a stepping stone to Ferrari and that Felipe Massa would be dropped to free up a seat. But Montezemolo said: "To line up a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself. I want two equal drivers that work together." Ferrari have clearly not lost faith in Massa, who won the Bahrain grand prix after failing to finish in Australia and Malaysia.

After an acrimonious split with McLaren at the end of last season with two years of his contract remaining, Alonso returned to Renault in the hope of rekindling the competitive form that carried him to the world championship in 2005 and 2006, but as he prepares for his home race in Barcelona on Sunday it is difficult to see how he can expect to finish better than seventh if Ferrari, McLaren and BMW Sauber get their cars to the checkered flag.

The Circuit de Catalunya today sees the launch of the FIA's anti-racism campaign, motor racing's response to the taunting of Lewis Hamilton during winter testing. Although the beleaguered FIA president Max Mosley will not be present at the track for the launch, the FIA says the campaign, Racing Against Racism, will send a strong message that racism of any kind will not be tolerated.

The acid test will come tomorrow when Hamilton and his fellow competitors accelerate out on to the track at the start of the first free-practice session. Only then will the sport's governing body be certain that such behavior has been stamped out in the spectator enclosures.