Massa's Blog: “Safety is the most important factor”

Posted by Felipe Massa

The positive and negative aspects of last weekend in Valencia are all based on the same incident, which was the Webber – Kovalainen crash. I am very glad that Mark was practically unhurt in what was a huge crash, which shows once again just how important is the constant push to improve safety in motor sport. Thanks to the efforts of the FIA, the cars are now extremely strongly built, as was seen again on this occasion, with the Red Bull chassis standing up to a significant impact. The tracks are also ever safer: where Mark had his accident there was a large run-off area and he had a lot of space to fly and land without hitting anything – apart from an advertising hoarding – before ending up in the barrier. Of course, you always need an element of luck in these situations, but above all, work on this front must never let up.

Unfortunately, this incident affected, in a negative fashion, our race. By the time the track was completely under the Yellow Flags, we were already at the last corner of the lap and by the time I saw the “SC” board, I was out of the final corner and going onto the main straight. At the same time, looking in my mirrors, I saw most of the field going into the pits as they had seen the board before the last corner. It was a matter of moments and we were very unlucky in that we had to spend a very long time behind the Safety Car, whereas Vettel was already ahead of the Safety Car before it came on track and Hamilton chose to pass it, thus breaking the rules. I don’t particularly want to go over what happened after that, because it changes nothing in that our race was ruined. However, what happened needs to be looked into because it is not normal than someone commits a serious infraction like overtaking the safety car, when there is a dangerous situation on track and is not really penalised in practical terms. We must talk about this together and do something to ensure a situation like this does not happen again. The team has told me that, next week there will be a meeting of the Sporting Working Group: that’s good and it’s an obvious indication that the FIA is paying close attention to the matter.

After a lap behind the Safety Car, Fernando and I pitted together for a double pit stop, which cost me a bit more time. I dropped to eighteenth place and spent the whole race in traffic, all the way to the chequered flag. Looking at the actual performance of the car over the weekend, I have to say the updates to the aero package and revised exhaust system resulted in the F10 making a good step forward, allowing us to fight for the front places. Now it is important to keep pushing on the development front all the way to the end of the season. Last night, I enjoyed watching the Brazil win over Chile in the World Cup. The team played very well, but I think we shouldn’t really talk about them being favourites to win the competition. From this point onwards it is hard to talk about favourites and every match is important, every game is like a final.

Source: Massa's Blog - Ferrari.com

Alonso's Blog: “Anger transformed into a desire to fight back"

Posted by Fernando Alonso

It wasn’t the Sunday we were expecting, that’s for sure. The Safety Car appeared at the worst possible moment for us and completely ruined our race. On Sunday evening, I was very angry about everything that happened, but now that anger has been transformed into positive energy driving a desire to fight back. Right from yesterday morning, my mind was already focussed on the next Grand Prix at Silverstone, where we will try and channel all that accumulated energy into the car to try and make up for what escaped us, for one reason or another, in Valencia, even if we know that, in theory, Silverstone is not a track that suits the characteristics of our car.

We were particularly unlucky in terms of the timing of when the safety car appeared on track. It would have only needed a few seconds more or less to totally change our race. It does not achieve much going over the events that followed on. Obviously, in the clear light of day, I am much calmer than I was in the moments immediately following the race. At the time, I reacted emotionally and in that situation, it is all too easy to adopt a tone and say things that can be interpreted wrongly, giving rise to suspicions, something which I had no intention of doing. Sure, I understand that the stewards have a difficult job to do and they have to take decisions that are not easy. What I meant was that those drivers who, like us, respected the regulations, unfortunately, in this situation, suffered much more than those who broke them, even though they were given a penalty. And I am not referring to any of the drivers in particular: it’s a general matter and I think we should talk about it together in a calm way, to ensure that things like this do not happen again. I was pleased to hear that the FIA has reacted promptly, calling an extraordinary meeting of the Sporting Working Group and I am confident, certain even, that all the points up for discussion will be cleared up in a comprehensive fashion.

Even if the Valencia result was not what we wanted, it has not done irreparable damage. It’s true that the gap to the leader has now jumped to 29 points, but we have not even reached the halfway point of the season. We trail by just over one win, so the situation is still very open. The updates we brought to Spain saw us make a step forward and get closer to the front runners. I am satisfied with that, but also aware that we must continue to push on with the development of the F10, because we need to have a car capable of fighting for pole and to give us the edge over our rivals as soon as possible. If we are now 29 points off the championship leader, it means that in the next ten races, we have to score at least 30 more than whoever is in the lead at any one time.

One of the most important aspects of everything that happened on Sunday is the fact that Mark Webber emerged almost completely unhurt from an accident that was as spectacular as it was frightening. It proves once again that the work led by the FIA in terms of safety is absolutely vital and it is clear that one should never get complacent about this element of the sport.

This evening, I will be in front of the television to watch my home team, Spain playing for a place in the quarter finals of the World Cup, against Portugal. It’s a very tough fixture: I reckon there will not be many goals and I just hope the decisive one will be scored by a Spaniard! As for Cristiano Ronaldo, I really hope he saves his goal scoring for next season with Real Madrid.

Source: Alonso's Blog - Ferrari.com

Hamilton should have been disqualified, says Briatore

Former Renault F1 Managing Director Flavio Briatore believes that Lewis Hamilton should have been removed from the results of the European Grand Prix after the Englishman overtook the Safety Car in Valencia.

With the Safety Car having been deployed on Sunday for Mark Webber’s accident, both television and amateur video footage do confirm that Hamilton narrowly passed the Safety Car as it made its way on to track – something for which he was handed a drive-through penalty later in the race.

However, Briatore – who was present in Spain but is barred from working in the sport until 2013 for his part in last year’s ‘Crashgate’ race-fixing scandal – believes the Englishman got off lightly.

“The rules are not precise,” the 60-year-old explained to Italy’s Sky Italia.

“They (FIA stewards) shouldn't have penalised Hamilton after 20 laps – it should have been after two or three laps and passing the Safety Car should gain you a black flag.

"Hamilton is lucky - everything he does ends up turning out well.”

Source: GP Update

Ferrari outburst 'angers FIA officials'

Ferrari's may yet find themselves in hot water with the FIA following their extraordinary outburst after the European Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso and the rest of his team are seething after Lewis Hamilton managed to finish second in Valencia despite being receiving a drive-through penalty for passing the Safety Car.
The Italian marque feel the punishment did not fit the crime as it didn't affect the McLaren driver's position.

Alonso claimed it was a "manipulated race" while Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo says the team "paid a price that was too high for respecting the rules"

Initial reports suggested that the FIA was unlikely to punish Alonso or Ferrari for questioning the integrity of race director Charlie Whiting and his stewards.

However, the Guardian says the comments from the Scuderia have not gone down well with motor sport's governing body.

According to the paper, 'Ferrari could face action from the FIA following their claims'.

The report adds: 'A number of officials from the sport's governing body are known to be angered by the Scuderia's intemperate response after the penalty drive-through awarded against Lewis Hamilton for overtaking the safety car did not prevent the British driver from finishing second in Spain and doubling his lead in the title race to six points.'

Source: Planet-F1

Alonso still seething about Hamilton

Fernando Alonso can't get over Lewis Hamilton's antics in the European GP, seething over the McLaren driver's failure to "respect" the rules

Alonso was behind Hamilton on the track when the Safety Car came out in Valencia for Mark Webber's accident. In the following moments Hamilton overtook the Safety Car, thereby breaking the rules, while Alonso and his team-mate Felipe Massa did not.

The result was that when the drivers pitted under the Safety Car, Hamilton emerged in second place while the two Ferraris dropped down the order.

And although Hamilton was handed a drive-through penalty for breaking the rules, the McLaren driver returned to the race still in second place.

"All the kids in the stands know that you cannot pass the Safety Car," Alonso seethed.

"When the Safety Car came out I was one metre behind Hamilton. I finished ninth; he finished second. I respected the rule: he didn't."

Alonso added that in his opinion the bottle that was thrown onto the track later in the grand prix was the Spanish fans' reaction towards "the injustice" of Hamilton's penalty.

"I feel sorry for the public who have come here to watch this race - 70,000 fans came here to see the spectacle of Formula One and they have seen a race decided by the decisions.

"The attitude of the public is understandable - they were disgusted by what they were seeing and the injustices that were happening. There was a bottle on the track which is reaction that is not normal and it should not have happened."

Source: Planet-F1

Schumi insists: We were back to racing

Michael Schumacher has defended his passing move on Fernando Alonso in Sunday's Monaco GP, insisting "we were back to racing conditions."


With the Safety Car coming in on the very last lap of the Monte Carlo race in order to allow Mark Webber to take the chequered flag, the message 'Safety Car in, track clear' was displayed and the green flags were waved. Schumacher took advantage of a somewhat sedate Alonso, passing him at the final corner to take sixth place.

However, the German's move was immediately called into question by the stewards, who after three hours of deliberation ruled that it was illegal based on Article 40.13, which states that "if the race ends whilst the Safety Car is deployed it will enter the pit lane at the end of the last lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking."

Schumacher was handed a 20-second penalty, which saw him drop out of the points and down into 12th place.

Mercedes GP are appealing the decision, a move that Schumacher agrees with as he firmly believes that the message of 'track clear' meant he was allowed to race in the metres between the Safety Car line and the finish line.

"My race would have been pretty normal without the decision of the stewards afterwards," he said.

"The result in the very end, which put me back to twelfth place for now, was obviously disappointing for me and I can fully understand that we are appealing the decision.

"Our understanding was that the 'safety car in, track clear' message meant we were back to racing conditions, so I went for it and overtook Fernando."

Team boss Ross Brawn added that in his opinion racing was allowed because the grand prix was not finishing behind the Safety Car, which meant Article 40.13 was not valid.

"With regard to the penalty given to Michael, we believed that the track had gone green and the race was not finishing under a Safety Car when article 40.13 clearly would have applied.

"The reason for the Safety Car had been removed, the FIA had announced 'Safety Car in this lap' early on lap 78 and the track had been declared clear by race control. This was further endorsed when the marshals showed green flags and lights after safety car line one.."

Meanwhile, Damon Hill, an old time nemesis of Schumacher's who took the role of drivers' representative for the race, insists he made the right call, denying claims that it was a bit of revenge for their 1994 collision.

Hill told BBC Sport: "Believe me my only concern was that the right thing was done, if that was the case consistently things would be better.

"But there was a wry smile from Michael. Slightly ironic you could say."

Source: Planet F1

Fastest ever F1 safety car unveiled

Mercedes-AMG shows off its SLS supercar, ahead of its Grand Prix debut later this month.

Mercedes had a bit of Grand Prix glamour on its Geneva show stand. Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were on hand to deliver the SLS AMG that will feature as the F1 safety car this season.

It is the most powerful safety car ever, and the production version hits showrooms on 27 March. Its 6.3-litre V8 produces 563bhp, powering the gullwing coupe from 0-62mph in only 3.8 seconds.

Despite having to keep a pack of highly tuned F1 cars in check, it features the same seven-speed double-clutch transmission and composite brakes as the standard AMG road car.

Source: Auto Express