Felipe Massa said he would rather retire than be considered Ferrari's No. 2 driver, despite controversially moving over to let teammate Fernando Alonso win in Germany on Sunday.
The Brazilian also insisted he would be racing for victory at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest, where he suffered a horrific crash last year.
Ferrari was fined $100,000 after the Hockenheim race for breaching F1 rules prohibiting team orders. Although Massa had led the majority of the German Grand Prix, Alonso passed him on lap 49 of 67 after Massa received a coded message from race engineer Rob Smedley.
"The time I say I am a No. 2 driver I will not race any more, and I am not [a No. 2]. I will fight for the victory here, whatever the conditions," Massa said Thursday.
Asked what would happen if he found himself in the same situation, with himself in the lead and Alonso second, he replied: "I will win."
Massa claimed he has assurances from Ferrari, stating: "I've spoken to everybody inside the team. I'm not just here to race, I'm here to win, and that's my point.
"Yes, I am working for the team. We know how important that is. I want the best for the team, but I am professional."
Questioned as to whether the incident had altered his relationship with Ferrari, Massa replied: "It makes me even stronger."
