Facepalm gif needed.
Anyways, I think y'all are reading too much into things. Seems to me that Alonso is just proud of beating a rated driver like Massa in his first season with the team and wants to continue performing to this level. There doesn't have to be hidden intentions behind something like this or anything, after all. Its not the most humble thing to say, but its ok to be a bit proud of yourself every once in a while. I wouldn't classify it as arrogant or anything, especially since you dont often hear Alonso bragging about how much he beat somebody else.
And it could very well be that the reporter asked him a question that would have led directly to an answer like this. I doubt its just Alonso coming out with a press release all on his own about how good he thinks he is.
He's not saying Massa drove like crap, he's saying that he thinks he's on top of his own game. There's a difference.
And how is he setting himself up for a fall? He says very specifically that he HOPES he can perform to the same level next year, not that he DEFINITELY will. What you probably meant to say is that YOU'RE setting him up for a fall next year if Massa is quicker than him.
I copy here what I wrote at the Alonso's thread, because it may clear some things.
This is the quote appearing in Autosport.com
"It's probably the biggest gap that I have ever had to a team-mate and that makes me happy because of the results that I've had over the past years," said Alonso.
"My level of driving is better than ever and I hope I can keep it up next year."
It is taken, as they say, from an interview with Onda Cero radio. Alonso was asked about how Brazil 07 and Abu Dhabi 2010 were different, and he was saying that this year the bonding with the team is fantastic, that everytime he gets a win it is specially rewarding, thinking in the people back at Italy who work night and day, and that he is sure that there will many happy moments in the future.
Then the journalist asks:
But the feeling, at least among Spanish fans, is that the driver has been better than the machine.No, I believe… we are a team, aren’t we? Probably the difference with my teammate this year has been big, maybe the biggest one I have enjoyed so far, and that makes me happy to some extent, because I came from two seasons, 2008 and 2009, in which my personal results had not been noteworthy, and in 2010 I felt great again and at ease with the car, and I think that my driving has been better than ever, and I wish I could remain at the same level next year.
But to put it in another way, it would have been very difficult to understand that Red Bull let the championship slip away... It is the same thing, but from another point of view...Well they have dominated clearly this 2010 championship, there is no point in denying it. We acknowledged it, probably our car has not been as competitive in certain circuits as the Red Bull, but even so, many times, thanks to the effort of the team and to the way of approaching GPs we got good results and many points, and the challenge for next year is having a competitive car, at their level or above their level, because that is what should always be expected from Ferrari, and if we get that, with the team that we have, we will be able to challenge for the championship in an easier way.
IMO, he was trying to stress that, although he had good results through the year, the car and the team were also fantastic and that they were paramount in the results he got. When you hear the interview, you don't get the idea that he is out for Massa at all. As almost always in Spain, journalists try to big him up, constantly saying how good he is, and trying to stirr a little controversy with McLaren and Briatore. It is Alonso the one who downplays a little bit his role and stresses the importance the team has had to get to Abu Dhabi with chances to get the WDC.
IMHO, this is just another storm in a cup of tea.
(although we already knew that when he said that Korea 2010 was his first wet win when he had won Nurburgring 2007)
