Tension has emerged between Fernando Alonso and his Ferrari team after comments reportedly made in the press by the Spanish driver.
After a fifth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, Alonso was asked by reporters what he wanted for his birthday to which he reportedly replied: 'Someone else's car.'
Ferrari responded with a statement saying that Alonso had been reminded by president Luca Di Montezemolo that 'all the great champions who have driven for Ferrari have always been asked to put the interests of the team above their own'.
In a team meeting on Monday, Di Montezmolo took another veiled swipe at the 2005 and 2006 Formula One champion.
"There is a need to close ranks, without giving in to rash outbursts that, while understandable in the immediate aftermath of a bad result, are no use to anyone," Di Montezmolo said.
Alonso is currently third in the drivers' championship, 39 points behind leader Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.
Adding to the intrigue, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner refused to rule out Alonso as a potential replacement for the retiring Mark Webber next season.
"Is (Alonso) available? You ask him", Horner said.
"We are going to take a bit of time to make the right decision and we have some great options and we don't need to be in a rush.
"It would be interesting (pairing Alonso with Vettel) but at the end of the day we have to do what is right for the team and the pairing that we want to put together next year has to be right for the team."