Massa speaks about Hamilton

[Greig]

Felipe Massa spoke around 90 minutes after the Indian Grand Prix in which he was penalised with a drive through for colliding with Lewis Hamilton.

It was the sixth occasion the pair have collided in a bitter season.

Speaking after the race Massa said, “I don’t have anything against him. Zero. If I saw him I would tell him what I’m telling you now.

“I don’t understand why I have the penalty. I braked later than him, I was in front and on the grippier part of the circuit and I didn’t see him on the left. So he was behind and he touched my rear wheel. If it was Lewis or not I would do the same.

Asked how he did not know Hamilton was there when he turned in, given that he appeared to look several times in his mirrors as the McLaren closed up he said, “I knew he was on my side, but when I brake this is the important place and he was not on my side. I braked later than him. So am I supposed to back off and let him through? He was on the dirty side, I turned, he touched me at the back. If we were wheel to wheel I would not have turned.”

Asked if it had become a feud with the Englishman, Massa said, “Maybe for him. All the incidents are him touching my car. So I didn’t do anything wrong.

Hamilton said that he had stood next to the Brazilian on the grid at the minute’s silence and put his arm around him. Massa said he simply put his hand on his shoulder and said “Have a good race”.

Said Massa, “This is trying to do what? ‘Have a good race is not part of talking.’ ”

The pair have not spoken since Singapore where Massa challenged Hamilton in the pits and again in front of TV cameras.

The feud is real and neither driver seems to want to back down. F1 is in need of some eye catching story lines at the moment with the title settled and Sebastian Vettel continuing to win at will.

This spat will carry over, but it’s not enough to encourage many journalists to go to Abu Dhabi in two weeks. There was a decent media presence here in India, boosted by many Indian media. But with no storyline and no championship, the media turn out in Abu Dhabi is expected to be very small.

Meanwhile Hamilton fell further behind team mate Button in the drivers’ championship. He now trails Button by 38 points with a maximum 50 left to gain. Given the form of Sebastian Vettel, he will need to win at least one race to overhaul his team mate with Button not scoring in either race.

Hamilton has never been beaten in a championship season by a team mate before.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/1...inst-hamilton/

[Greig]

Maybe Herbert should be asked to explain why he gave Felipe a penalty.

[F1NAC]

Maybe Herbert should be asked to explain why he gave Felipe a penalty.

Great Britain wins !

[Hermann]

Hamilton is that kind of personality who starts the problem but then perfectly manages to turn it around and make himself look like the victim. He did that with Fernando in 2007 and is now doing it with Felipe. I've met this kind of people enough in my personal life, i'm sure everyone has. You meet them in every job you take, there is always one of them.

[Greig]

Great Britain wins !

McNish gave him 2 penalties in Monaco

[redsteph]

Felipe definitely didn't deserve a penalty. If I had been a steward I would of put it down to a racing incident but insisted that both drivers have a meeting to clear the air between them. God knows I'd love to see Felipe deck Lewis but it's not good for the sport.

[Tifosi]

Maybe Herbert should be asked to explain why he gave Felipe a penalty.

If you take it purely at face value (i.e. without the Massa/Hami history) it was either a racing incident or an over ambitious move. Either way that decision goes against the rules really so it makes F1 look stupid.

Inconsistancy isn't good in stewards decisions and I thought that was exactly the reason why an F1 driver is now present. Sounds like an overrule to me but I too would love to hear JH's "statement" on it.

[racingbradley]

Inconsistancy isn't good in stewards decisions and I thought that was exactly the reason why an F1 driver is now present. Sounds like an overrule to me but I too would love to hear JH's "statement" on it.

So would I, is there any hope that he might explain his reason? Mr Herbert has been steward this season maybe once too often! Bring back McNish

[Ferrari_gal]

Racing Incident is how I saw it and I really was shocked to see one get a drive through for it .

[NanoTheQuickest]

To the people still finding excuses for Lewis: the guy is quick but that is all, he's not a complete package, he does not think things through when racing and you think he would have learned that by now being in one the most prestigious team in F1 which I'm sure have the funds to give the sufficient knowledge to be a complete racer like is team mate. In my opinion (it has always been my opinion) Lewis is not intelligent enough to be in F1, even is attitude out of the car is disconcerting and I'm so glad Martin Whitmarsh emphasised on Jb at the end of his interview

[Ken]

A question that plagues me with regard to Eddie Jordan's constant defense of Ramilton is :-

I will ask it in 2 ways.

1/ When EJ was a team principle investing his money and his sponsors money in drivers, for how long would he have tolerated the performance and the manner of Ramilton and would he have had the will to put an arm around such a driver to offer succor and sympathy ???

2 If it was Jenson Button driving with the same misadventures how long would he keep his seat in a car ??

Eddie should know when to keep his mouth shut

[Greig]

Lewis was never going to make that corner I don't think, no matter what Felipe did. I am glad to read Felipe has been to see them but it seems they offered no explanation as to why they gave him a penalty.

[Tifosi]

A question that plagues me with regard to Eddie Jordan's constant defense of Ramilton is :-

I will ask it in 2 ways.

1/ When EJ was a team principle investing his money and his sponsors money in drivers, for how long would he have tolerated the performance and the manner of Ramilton and would he have had the will to put an arm around such a driver to offer succor and sympathy ???

2 If it was Jenson Button driving with the same misadventures how long would he keep his seat in a car ??

Eddie should know when to keep his mouth shut

Eddie says absolutely anything he thinks his current paymasters want to hear mixed in with anything else that's currently passing through his mind at the time that doesn't upset his paymasters - even if its illogical or contradictory to anything else he has ever said. They are not opinions, they are just "devil's advocate soundbytes"

[racingbradley]

A question that plagues me with regard to Eddie Jordan's constant defense of Ramilton is :-

I think EJ is trying to secure a job next year and he thinks this will impress either the beeb or sky.
There is, in my opinion, no logical reason for his continued "love affair" with Ramilton.

[F2008]

EJ's comments on Massa/Hamilton after the race were so ridiculous! He is defending Hamilton even more than Hamilton himself.

[schumi1]

I agree.

[shostak]

I dont know if i watched a different race, but in this Massa made an avoidable collision with Hamilton and got a well deserved penalty. In past races Hamilton was guilty but today not.

[Greig]

You would therefore say Alonso should have got a penalty for hitting Button in Canada?

[shostak]

You would therefore say Alonso should have got a penalty for hitting Button in Canada?

I'm speaking about today. 'And you more' is very demagogic Greig.

[Greig]

Same kind of incident was it not?

[Jose Lorca]

I dont know if i watched a different race, but in this Massa made an avoidable collision with Hamilton and got a well deserved penalty. In past races Hamilton was guilty but today not.

He broke later than Hamilton and was therefore ahead - as a result, he was entitled to turn in and stay on the racing line, which he did. The only way Hamilton would have passed is if Massa had yielded.

It was a racing incident imo - very similar to the Webber-Hamilton collision at Singapore last year.

[shostak]

Same kind of incident was it not?

Wet track today? Was Fernando out of race after the collision? Did Button lose his front wing or the car damaged?

Please, stop excuses. Massa's race today was a disaster.

[impactX]

He shut the door when Lewis already placed the car there. Usually I think Lewis is a bonehead... but Massa should have left enough room.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9Ft4QS-jvY

[Greig]

Wet track today? Was Fernando out of race after the collision? Did Button lose his front wing or the car damaged?

Please, stop excuses. Massa's race today was a disaster.

Track conditions do not matter, Alonso turned in on Jenson taking the racing line, same as Massa today, the penalty is for causing a collision nothing about anyone getting damaged.

[shostak]

He shut the door when Lewis already placed the car there. Usually I think Lewis is a bonehead... but Massa should have left enough room.

At last someone watched the same as me, Gené and De la Rosa.

Yesterday Massa broke his front suspension with a kerb, today he made the same mistake. This is unacceptable.

No Ferrari driver since 1981 has completed a year without at least a podium. Massa can break this statistic this year.

[impactX]

At last someone watched the same as me, Gené and De la Rosa.

Yesterday Massa broke his front suspension with a kerb, today he made the same mistake. This is unacceptable.

No Ferrari driver since 1981 has completed a year without at least a podium. Massa can break this statistic this year.

To be fair, the front suspension failure may have something to do with the flexi-wing and the load on the suspension and may not be curb-related.

[shostak]

To be fair, the front suspension failure may have something to do with the flexi-wing and the load on the suspension and may not be curb-related.

Suspension broke when he passed over the orange-yellow part of the kerb, the higher part as it happened yesterday. And yes, the collision with Hamilton could be related with this.

[F2008]

To be fair, the front suspension failure may have something to do with the flexi-wing and the load on the suspension and may not be curb-related.

Or the fact that Hamilton touched his front left in the second part of their collision, but that's difficult to tell.

[Hornet]

Speaking of the flexing wing, Massa wing did started vibrating again at a point after the vibration which is why Ferrari brought him in early, change the front wing and gave him the harder tires.

Something is going on, and the lack of any comments from Ferrari on that matter speaks volumes

[shostak]

I want to say one thing: Hamilton is making a bad year, but Massa too. Their teammates are far ahead of them. Less talk and more driving. They are driving for their teams, not for themselves.