May 8 (GMM) Niki Lauda has backed Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo's recent claim that the Italian team would be unwise to tinker with its driver lineup for the 2009 season.

Rumours recently have linked former double world champion Fernando Alonso with a Ferrari switch, but Montezemolo said pairing Kimi Raikkonen with the Spaniard "would mean wanting to damage yourself".

"Raikkonen and Alonso together?" former triple world champion Lauda, 58, is quoted as saying by the German news agency DPA.

"Last year Raikkonen was champion and now he is number one. Why must we now discuss whether Alonso is going to go there?" the great Austrian wondered.

"They already have the perfect team with Massa, so why should they bang their heads together?" Lauda, who won two (1975, 1977) of his drivers' world titles with the Maranello based team, added.