Ferrari - an F1 disgrace!
(6 posts) (5 voices)-
Sunday's German Grand Prix really left a bitter taste in my mouth. What Ferrari did was unacceptable and clearly against the rules, however much they play dumb and deny team orders were given.
Surely a £100,000 fine doesn't go far enough? Should the whole team have been thrown out of the GP?
Posted 1 year ago # -
Any other team would have. Ferrari whine about any small punishment they receive - like Alonso's drive-through penalty last week - but they always escape any heavy punishment
Team orders are banned. Those are the rules. They influenced the result of the Grand Prix and should be stripped of their points for the weekend. Apparently a $100,000 fine is the maximum they can give. That's a stupid rule. That kind of money won't bother anyone at Maranello.
If you forget the rules, what they did went against the rules of decency. A year ago Massa suffered a nearly-fatal accident. He hasn't won since, and many have questioned his form. He was set for an emotional victory, one which would have pleases 99% of fans, since Felipe seems like such a nice guy. Stripping him of the victory was a sham.
Also, has anyone noticed how Alonso always seems to be at the centre of controversy? Today, Nelson Piquet and 'crash-gate', the McLaren/Ferrari 'spy-gate' saga also allegedly involved him. Yet he has never faced a proper penalty in his life. A year ago Renault were banned from the European Grand Prix, but were reprieved at the last minute (I'm sure the race being in Spain and Alonso's ability to sell tickets had nothing to do with it)
The sport's image has been tarnished and something has to be done.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Craig
MemberIsn't it ironic how Alonso moans about a manipulated race a month ago and now has one gifted to him.
I'm going to have to play devil's advocate here. In any other situation this would've gone unnoticed, but the fact it robbed Massa of a fairytale win, while also having the world listen in to the radio logs, makes it big news. Doesn't anyone remember 2007 and 2008 where Massa and Raikkonen traded 1st and 2nd places to get the other maximum points in their respective title hunts?
Team orders have been used since 2002 and will carry on being used. If the title comes down to the wire between two drivers in different teams then the number two driver will be expected to move, no questions.
On another note, Ferrari know they've been caught, but their consistent use of the phrase "for the good of the team" is sickening. The team would've left with 45 points no matter what the order. The only beneficiary was Alonso and the justification that Ferrari is his team and he should be in the title hunt. That's what makes it all so bitter to taste.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Anthony Hughes
MemberWhat i really don't understand is the 2nd part of this this "Fernando is faster than you" which i understand as Fernado had good pace, but this "Can you confirm you understood that message" is what i don't understand as why would Felipe need to understand that Fernando "the race fixing, FIA accusing, moaning Spanish idiot" Alonso is quicker than him.
First he accuses Ferrari's Internal Authorities of manipulating the European Grand Prix (a tough decsion to make as it was a either way moment in terms of penalties), then he cuts a corner and dosen't give the place back and complains to its death that its unfair and now they fix a race and suprise of all suprises he has shut up.
I think that the $100,00 (£65,000) fine is just to cover thier IA's backsides for the other teams as does anybody expect anything more serious to happen. If Mclaren,Renault, Williams or Red Bull did this the end would never be heard and the they'd get thrown out or suspended or points erased for the season and unable to earn more.
The FIA is a disgrace and should be ashamed of themselves for not being tough enough on penalising Ferrari.
Posted 1 year ago # -
Craig
MemberI think the other teams would've been a bit more subtle about it all. Remember Turkey? I'm sure Button and Hamilton were told not to race and hold position, isn't that a good case for team orders?
If Alonso was good enough he would've caught Massa and passed him, but he didn't. He used the usual tactic of moaning down the radio to get his own way, something he perfected at Renault and pushed him out of McLaren.
And after researching into what I said ealier about Kimi and Massa, Massa moved over in Brazil to make sure Kimi won the world title. And nothing was done about it.
Posted 1 year ago # -
racerbaz
MemberAlonso couldn't beat Hamilton in an equal car so he left. Now at Ferrari he whined on the radio to get the team to let him by Massa as he couldn't do it on his own ! Now everyone including FIA President Jean Todt thinks Ferrari issued a team order,broke the existing rules and were still let off. I think another way of approaching this team orders business might be to punish individual drivers who do not race. Perhaps they would be even less willing to let their team-mate past.Perhaps an automatic race suspension would focus the mind !
Posted 1 year ago #
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