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Ferrari Team Avoids Further Punishment for German Grand Prix Controversy
Ferrari’s Formula One team won’t face further sanctions for its controversial victory at July’s German Grand Prix.
Series ruling body Federation Internationale de l’Automobile said its world motor sport council voted against any additional punishment of the team’s order for Felipe Massa to let teammate Fernando Alonso pass to win the race, the ruling body said today on its website.
Ferrari was at the time fined $100,000 by race stewards at the circuit in Hockenheim, Germany. Massa could have been stripped of the victory, while Ferrari could have had points deducted or received an additional fine.
Such team orders have been banned since 2002, when Rubens Barrichello slowed to allow Ferrari teammate Michael Schumacher win a race and improve his championship lead. Ferrari was fined $1 million on that occasion.
The judging panel suggested today that the ruling body review the rule banning “team orders interfering with race results,” according to the statement.
In Germany, Massa was leading when his race radio, heard on television, told him “Fernando is faster than you” and asked if he understood the message. Soon after, Alonso moved past the Brazilian. Then came another radio message to Massa: “Good lad, just stick with it now. Sorry.”
Alonso’s win lifted him to within 34 points of championship leader Lewis Hamilton. He’s now 41 points behind, while Brazil’s Massa is 32 points further back.
Drivers get 25 points for first place and 18 for second.
In the biggest Formula One fine, McLaren was fined $100 million in 2007 after its chief designer received 780 pages of confidential data about Ferrari’s car.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Duff in Madrid at aduff4@bloomberg.net.
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