F1 at Monza - good news for the championship

  • Thread starter Thread starter JRS
  • Start date Start date

JRS

JRS

JRS

Soldato
Joined
6 Jun 2004
Posts
19,788
Location
Burton-on-Trent
Alonso relegated to 10th on grid

Fernando Alonso has been relegated to 10th on the Italian Grand Prix grid for impeding Felipe Massa during qualifying.

Alonso was called to the stewards’ office on Saturday afternoon after Massa complained that the world champion held him up on his final flying lap and cost him three-tenths of a second.

Alonso protested his innocence, maintaining that there was enough distance between his Renault and Massa’s Ferrari.

But after reviewing video evidence and hearing both drivers’ accounts of the incident, the stewards determined that Massa had indeed been disadvantaged – even if the delay was inadvertent.

They therefore deleted Alonso’s three best times, dropping him five places from his original grid position of fifth.

The penalty is a huge boost to Alonso’s title rival (and Massa’s team-mate) Michael Schumacher, who trails the Spaniard by 12 points in the championship table.

The German will start eight places ahead of Alonso in second, giving him a golden opportunity to slash his points deficit.


The full decision of the stewards


A report was received from the race director that stated that the driver of car no. 1, Fernando Alonso, had impeded another driver during qualifying, namely Felipe Massa, car no. 6.

The stewards, after hearing the explanation of both the drivers, their team managers, and having seen video evidence and data supplied by Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, find that:

1. Fernando Alonso was on his out-lap and, having been caught by Felipe Massa, did impede him;

2. To impede another driver during the qualifying practice session is an offence (Article 116b of the 2006 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations);

3. Such actions may not have been deliberate.

The stewards determine that a breach of the regulations has occurred during qualifying practice and by virtue of the provisions of the 2006 Formula 1 Sporting Regulations Article 112 order that the best three laps set by Fernando Alonso in the third period of qualifying be deleted.
Click to expand...

Of course, the Renault supporters (and the F1 conspiracy brigade) will be up in arms over this, claiming that the only reason Alonso is being penalised is because the F1 circus is in Ferrari country. To that, I have one word -


BALLS


Besides, this has the potential to actually make the championship properly close, something we haven't seen since 2003. And that can't be a bad thing. I'll be rather glad when the next big rule change comes in, and they get them back on slick tyres....lets have them able to race each other close on the track huh? Novel concept I realise, especially for modern F1.....
 
Sone said:
could be interesting, just hope kimi doesent wee on shumi's bonfire. He's probably pretty light though
Click to expand...

Maybe, maybe not. Mclaren aren't using their normal conservative strategies this year, so he could be short fuelled. Wouldn't put it past them to have stuck him on a light fuel load to try and scamper away, but Monza really isn't the best place to play that game.
 
Haha its brilliant that Alonso is now 10th and without a doubt Mclaren are playing the short fuelled strategy...or maybe they are on normal fuel but the ferraris slightly longer fuelled, anyone who has seen the test results from last week realises this!
 
Type_R said:
Haha its brilliant that Alonso is now 10th and without a doubt Mclaren are playing the short fuelled strategy...or maybe they are on normal fuel but the ferraris slightly longer fuelled, anyone who has seen the test results from last week realises this!
Click to expand...

ferrari using seamless shift yet?
 
Personally I do think this is rather contrived and I think the gap between Alonso and Massa was enough for it not to have any adverse effect on Massa's time.

That said, I'm still fuming over the previous debacle which saw Schumacher given the same 2 second penalty as Alonso for overtaking under a red flag when Alonso brake tested Doornbos, a far far far more serious offence. The fact that one of the cars Schumacher overtook was Alonso, shortly after he slowed right down only made things more suspicious.

To my mind, Alonso's actions on that day (deliberately making Schumacher overtake him under reds then protesting to the stewards) are no better than Rascasse-gate.

I hope Schumacher makes excellent use of this opportunity and slashes Alonso's lead in the championship.
 
i really want michael to get this next title. no 8 :D Alonso is a little nub and schumi deserves this one.

First renault use a weird moving weight in the nose to help stability (cough* cheats*cough) now alonso is blocking people :rolleyes:

I hate renault but am a michael fan through and through (well used to be, but jenson is rubbish this season :p)
 
Midland F1 has officially been sold to Dutch car manufacturer Spyker, the team confirmed late on Saturday evening.

The deal, valued at $106.6 million, will see Alex Shnaider’s Midland Group transfer all of its shares in MF1 Racing to Spyker by the end of this month.

Michiel Mol, founder of the Dutch internet firm Lost Boys, will be the director of Formula 1 racing and majority shareholder in the team, to be renamed Spyker MF1 Racing.

Shnaider will bow out of the sport but Colin Kolles will stay on as team principal.

Highly rated designer Mike Gascoyne – currently on gardening leave after splitting with Toyota earlier this year – will become chief technology officer of the new outfit from November 1.
Click to expand...

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37294
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=37295
 
Duke said:
snip
Click to expand...

No big shock there, that move has been in the works for a while now.

Now, Dutch team, maybe they'll want a Dutch driver.....anyone think that Jos The Boss may be coming back? :)
 
Would be nice but I think he's keeping to A1? Speaking of which the new season starts 1st Oct :D
 
Will midland still suck balls now that Spyker have them or are they expected to actually be competitive rather then just make up numbers? :confused:
 
I think alonso should have been let off.. He was on a mission to get to the finish line before the timer run out to get his last flying lap in. He made it with 2 seconds to spare!!! IMO Alonso had every right to keep going and not let massa past. I'm sure Michael wouldn't have pulled over to let massa past when he had 2 seconds to spare to get to the start/finish line. especially if he was trying to get back infront of Kimi. Alonso just did what any racing driver would have done in his situation.. well unless it was Massa that was infront and Schumacher that was behind and catching.. guarenteed Ross Brawn would have been on the radio telling Massa to let michael through.
A bit of Ferrari "pot calling the kettle black" going on there i reckon.
 
This is a farce, a disgrace IMO, onboard video shows Massa was nowhere near, and most pundits seem to be in agreement he would have actually got a tow down the straights, hence Massa did infact set a best sector time.

Lets not forget Ferrari's owners also own Juventus FC.
 
SC04 said:
This is a farce, a disgrace IMO, onboard video shows Massa was nowhere near, and most pundits seem to be in agreement he would have actually got a tow down the straights, hence Massa did infact set a best sector time.

Lets not forget Ferrari's owners also own Juventus FC.
Click to expand...
I agree its a farce. Ferrari pulling more strings towards the end of the season, its what ive come to expect from the team though. Massa probably didnt even think himself that he was impeded, the toad probably put him up to complaining and seeing if they can knock Alonso down the grid.

I want Kimi to win, he deserves something, he has to be the unluckiest F1 driver ive ever seen. Jenson coming second would be nice, and i dont know, maybe a BMW third. Schumacher can stall on the grid but get it going to regain 9th place just infront of Alonso ensuing another battle where Alonso once more beats Schumacher. :D
 
Although I am a huge MS fan, it has to be said I think this penalty was unfair towards FA. He had to get out there and continue going and Massa was nowhere near him, however if this was Spain and MS was infront and FA behind, I am sure MS would have been penalised too.

At the end of the day if FA hadnt been asleep at the wheel and needed the escape road this situation would (according to Pat Symonds) never have come about! So its all good :)
 
As I said earlier, whilst this incident may well be unfair to FA (I believe it is), the previous brake-testing/flag overtaking incident was also grossly unfair to MS in my opinion, so it all evens out in the end.

Do those of you saying how unfair this penalty is to FA not agree that the previous incident was unfair to MS?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom