Ferrari returned to the top in the German Grand Prix on a weekend when many had hoped for such a case in order to add to the excitement of the championship battle. They recorded their second 1-2 finish of the season although their actions along the way have left a sour taste in the mouths of fans, the media and Felipe Massa…
THE OVERALL SITUATION
Go back exactly one year from Hockenheim race day and you’ll find Saturday 25 July 2009 – the terrifying day on which Massa crashed and so nearly lost his life in Hungary. After being behind Alonso for much of this season, Germany looked good for the Brazilian, who also had much to prove after Lewis Hamilton dispatched him for the victory so easily at Hockenheim two years ago.
Sadly, a relative of Felipe had passed away earlier in the week and so, with all this in mind, how nice would it have been to mark the anniversary of his accident with a first race victory since the legendary Brazilian Grand Prix of 2008, in which he sensationally lost out on the world title after thinking he’d won it?
PRIOR TO HOCKENHEIM
An undertone in the paddock at recent races has suggested that Ferrari was in some teams’ bad books, having broken a gentlemen’s agreement by testing new components with Alonso at a so-called ‘filming day’ at Fiorano in the middle of June – the issue has since been outlawed by all teams.
THE START
It was clear from the outset that Alonso was hungry, some would say desperate to win this weekend; the Spaniard had certainly been enjoying a newfound energy in the cockpit of his Ferrari by first topping Friday’s second practice session and then missing pole position to the previously untouchable Sebastian Vettel by just two thousandths of a second.
As the lights went out, a poor getaway by Vettel saw him put the squeeze on the Spaniard although, too occupied with each other, it was Massa who swamped the pair of them from third on the grid, gloriously sweeping around the outside of the first corner to lead a race for the first time in 2010.
THE CALL
“I have waited for the phone call,” former Ferrari driver Eddie Irvine once said famously. For Massa, a similar, indirect call came and was broadcast to television viewers around the world on Lap 48 of 67, delivered by a clearly apprehensive Race Engineer (and very close friend to Massa) Rob Smedley:
“Okay…so…Fernando…is faster…than…you…can you confirm you understood that message?”
Following the race, both the media at the circuit and fans on forums across the internet argued that Smedley, as a close working partner of Massa, should not have been asked to deliver the message but rather Team Manager Massimo Rivola or perhaps Team Principal Stefano Domenicali, who incidentally could be seen on the phone to Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo immediately after the race.
THE MOVE
Upon exiting the hairpin on Lap 49, Massa duly lifted off the throttle before regaining his pace once Alonso had gone through. Coming from a neutral Formula 1 follower and fan, surely – had such a situation been planned beforehand – the place swap would have come whilst amongst back-markers or even between pit-stops, if necessary, rather than a blatant move which was not dissimilar to the A1-Ring in 2002.
Also, if one reviews the footage, Alonso can be seen to immediately retake the racing line into the following corner – the flat-out Turn 7. Some would argue that, had he not expected his team-mate to slow (as stated by the Oviedo man after the man), Fernando would have at least held the inside line until knowing he was fully ahead of his team-mate, in order to risk a collision.
Afterwards, Alonso submitted a string of fastest laps towards the end of the race. Ferrari would argue that this only emphasised his more rapid pace whereas those against the moment would claim that this was highly necessary, being the Scuderia’s foundation for the place change.
The facts are that Alonso’s best effort personal effort – 1:15.880, 2nd to Vettel and set on the penultimate lap – was 0.217 seconds quicker than Massa’s – 1:16.097, 3rd to Vettel and recorded on exactly the same lap of the race.
THE AFFECTS
Alonso wins his second race of the season, having first done so in Bahrain, as Massa comes home 4.1 seconds behind and second in what is, also since Bahrain, the squad’s second 1-2 finish of 2010, with Vettel now just a second behind him and setting the fastest lap for Red Bull on the final quick tour of the afternoon.
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THE IMMEDIATE POST-RACE OPINIONS
Fernando Alonso (1st, 25 points):
“I don’t what happened at the exit of Turn 6. I saw Felipe was a little bit slow and had to overtake with the only opportunity I had. It’s a very difficult circuit to overtake on and I took the chance I had – at that point I overtook the other car.
I think sometimes you are quick, sometimes slow, depending on what the tyres are. At some parts I was maybe quicker than him and sometimes he was quicker and pulling away from Sebastian.”
Felipe Massa (2nd, 18 points):
“Well, I don’t think I need to say anything about that….he passed me. The only thing I feel is that we won for the team - we did a great job for the team and that’s the most important thing. We were pushing hard, this was a very, very good track for us but, anyway, we did a good job with work inside the car and it’s getting faster race by race.”
Stefano Domenicali, Team Principal:
“We discussed before the start of the race, so it was good to finish this race in these conditions and I’m very pleased for that. To be honest, we felt Felipe was a little bit slower and Vettel was catching up. Honestly, I don’t think there’s much point in (talking about) that…team orders are not a problem.”
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THE RULES
As explained in Article 39.1 of the International FIA Sporting Code, team orders are not permitted in Formula 1 (since the start of 2003, following on from the previous season’s debacle in Austria). Also, Article 151c states that no action from a competitor must ‘bring the sport into disrepute’.
Naturally, the second regulation mentioned very much comes down to the opinions of the four stewards at Hockenheim, although in many people’s opinions the first leaves much to be desired.
Formula 1 is a team sport, of that there is no doubt, and one will always find that the Constructors’ Championship – for which sizeable cash prizes are awarded by F1 governing body the FIA – is number one priority, meaning the team which has accumulated most points between its two drivers over the course of a season will be awarded the crown.
Team orders have always been part of the sport and, without a doubt, must be. Can you imagine a team accidently messing up its strategy to then find its quicker driver on the day following its slower driver, and not agreeing that the quicker should be allowed through in order to avoid a full compromising of the team?
Usually, you will see place swaps around the pit-stop windows although this is now harder to do without refuelling; however, a good example was provided by Ferrari in Brazil three years ago, as Massa gave up his lead in order for team-mate Kimi Räikkönen to win the race and therefore the title, which he did.
Cast your minds back to September 1956, now. Legend Juan Manual Fangio and team-mate Peter Collins, Ferrari drivers - although that has no direct connection with Sunday’s race - and both contending the title at the final race in Italy. However, the car of Fangio – the established team leader – broke and Collins almost immediately pitted in order to allow the Argentine to finish the race in his car; as this was allowed back then, Fangio duly went on to pick up his fourth championship win of five.
The argument here is not whether that should have happened or not, but that team orders have always held a place in our sport, whether it be for a favoured driver by the Team Principal or other reasons, which may for example allow the team in question to reap more reward – from a commercial or championship point of view – should one particular driver take the chequered flag under a particular set of circumstances.
STUPID REGULATIONS?
It is no doubt that F1’s image was damaged in 2002, not just because of one team’s dominance – which happens to be the same team we are discussing today, although this is no criticism – but because of the way things were done in Austria. The public was furious, television viewing figures were dropping thereafter and direct team orders of the like were banned for 2003 onwards.
However, had this not been the case, then the situation on Sunday would have been a problem inside Ferrari only, as opposed to a breaking of the regulations (as it was decided by the stewards) and subsequent fine of $100,000.
And, with it being common knowledge that orders of one form or another always will be present in F1, is it now not high time to get rid of Article 39.1? Maybe, maybe not.
LACK OF REGARD?
Following the race and podium procedure, the top three drivers headed to the press conference. Following the usual quizzing from a general questioner, who this time was BBC Radio 5 live commentator David Croft, the conference moved on to ‘Questions from the floor’, in which it can only be said that Ferrari received a hammering from the press.
Some believed Ferrari was treating the world as unadorned unintelligent, with others asking if Alonso’s win was ‘dirty’, to which the Spaniard replied ‘That is your opinion’ before reminding those present of his rapid lap times in Friday’s second practice session plus qualifying. The excruciating atmosphere in fact led to third-placed Vettel jokingly asking ‘Can I leave now?’
Following the stewards’ investigation in Race Control - from where Alonso emerged with a smile on his face and surrounded by a throng of reporters and cameras, whereas a Massa walked alone on his mobile telephone before heading to his debrief, clearly dejected, with Rob Smedley – Team Principal Domenicali faced the media yet again, this time in the Ferrari hospitality area and joined by Luca Colajanni, the team’s Communications Director who in charge of all press releases and team media gatherings.
However - even for those fans who agree with the team’s motives for the position swap - staff at GPUpdate.net and Lotus’ Mike Gascoyne have learned, after discussing with fans on Twitter, that many are feeling a general disrespect for the followers of the sport by the team, as highlighted in the title of this article and – in the views of some – backed up by the fact that Ferrari are not appealing the stewards’ decision.
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MASSA REACTION, POST-PRESS CONFERENCE
“Yeah, sure. I didn’t have good pace on the Hard tyres, which is not the first time it has happened this year – most of the time when we have been using the Hard tyres the same thing has happened, so it was my decision.”
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IRONY AND SADNESS
Ironically, the move happened at the same track where Ferrari instructed replacement driver Mika Salo to yield to championship-contending Eddie Irvine in 1999, although it must be said that this was done under far varying circumstances.
Sadly, though, it has since emerged that a relative of Massa’s died earlier in the week, with this fact only being compounded by the general reaction in home country Brazil, which has involved Felipe being labelled words such as ‘coward’.
THE UPSHOT
Alonso wins the German Grand Prix instead of Massa and closes in on championship leader Lewis Hamilton, with the gap now being 34 points with 25 available for a win and a maximum of 200 still up for grabs from the final eight races. Massa is a further 38 points in arrears of his team-mate and therefore 72 behind Hamilton.
However, had Massa won with Alonso second, Fernando would be 41 points behind the McLaren driver with Massa 31 points behind Alonso and therefore 65 behind Hamilton.
The matter will also be passed on to the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris for further examination.
At the end of the day, the most efficient team/driver package will win the championship but, as seen when Ferrari’s last World Champion collected his crown, assistance from his team-mate – a certain Felipe Massa – proved vital. As professional as he is, there is no doubt that the Brazilian would do the same again although, should he be running ahead of Alonso in a race anytime soon, would Maranello send out another call? Bearing in mind the events of yesterday, it’s highly unlikely.
Anything can happen and it remains to be seen, although at the end of the day it’s what happens on the track that matters and, in Formula 1 as with life in general, actions speak louder than words.
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