Monday 28 April at 11:17 : Ross Brawn has offered an alternative interpretation of Luca di Montezemolo's recent comments about Fernando Alonso.

Reacting to recent speculation linking the Spanish former double world champion with Ferrari, the Italian team's president said lining up "a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to damage yourself".

Montezemolo's comments were construed as a clear signal of no confidence in Alonso, but Honda team principal Brawn thinks differently.

"The president's comment was interesting," Brawn, who until 2006 was Ferrari's technical director, is quoted as saying by the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

"He didn't say Alonso would never drive for Ferrari; what he said was that it would be illogical to have Fernando and Kimi in the same team," he added.

Reigning world champion and current championship leader Raikkonen's Ferrari contract runs out at the end of 2009, and he is undecided about whether he will sign a new one.

1982 world champion Keke Rosberg said on German television on Sunday that he can imagine the Finn, who is just 28, retiring ahead of the 2010 season.

Brawn continued to El Pais that Montezemolo is right if he thinks managing a team with two superstar drivers would be damaging.

"My experience tells me that is far better to have a very good first driver and a second driver to support him," he explained.

"Just look at F1's history. Senna-Prost: serious problems. Alonso-Hamilton: serious problems. And there is no solution to this sort of thing," the Briton said.

Brawn suggested that, when Honda is able to produce a winning car, he would be happy to recommend Alonso as its lead driver.

"When we reach that level, we will have to have one of the best drivers.

"I am not saying we want Alonso, I am just saying that, currently, there are two or three drivers that are above the level of the rest, and Alonso is one of them."