Apr.16 (GMM) An Italian journalist has admitted he is more than unimpressed with Felipe Massa's apparent progress in China.

Already before the Chinese grand prix, La Stampa correspondent Stefano Mancini was calling on Ferrari to axe the struggling Brazilian driver.

Massa then qualified twelfth in Shanghai, equalling his Sepang achievement, but dropped to thirteenth by the time the chequered flag waved.

"I think that as far as my race was concerned, this was a step forward compared to the first two races," he insisted.

Mancini, however, is continuing to severely criticise the 30-year-old.

"A Ferrari that would like to introduce a third car is still racing with just one driver," he wrote.

"Massa is a useless presence; not yet scoring a point and only wasting petrol."

Interestingly, however, Mancini is no longer one of those who think Ferrari should immediately drop Massa and replace him with the team's top development driver Sergio Perez.

"He's too young and inexperienced to do anything about it (Ferrari's situation): better to take him from Sauber at the end of the year," he said.

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