McLaren and Ferrari Engage in War of Words Over On-Track and Testing Incidents
The war of words between long-time Formula 1 rivals McLaren and Ferrari began to boil over on Monday in the aftermath of this weekend’s controversial European Grand Prix through the streets of Valencia, Spain. While the Red Bull car driven by Sebastian Vettel claimed the top spot, the talk of the race was the simmering feud between McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, which has apparently reignited after an on-track issue involving the safety car has left Ferrari claiming that Hamilton benefited from illegal activities.
The incident in question came after Mark Webber’s huge crash on lap 10 required the safety car, which came onto the track just ahead of Hamilton. However, Hamilton accelerated ahead of the car, leaving Alonso fuming just behind as he was forced to wait an additional lap to make a pit stop. Even though Hamilton served a drive-through penalty for the incident, he still gained valuable track position and finished second while Alonso never recovered and ended the race in eighth.
After the race, Hamilton claimed ignorance and said that he felt as though he was line with the safety car and was correct in moving past him. That explanation was far from enough for Alonso, who on Monday continued his verbal assault on his former team-mate, saying that what Hamilton did was “unfair” and “didn’t respect the rules” of the sport. Alonso also was quoted by SpeedTV.com in saying that he felt the incident “destroyed the race” and that the fans who attended the race in his home country deserved an apology.
Meanwhile, Hamilton felt as though he had nothing to apologize for. He says that it was an honest mistake and that he was punished within the rules – nothing more. That certainly runs contrary to the feelings of Ferrari vice president Piero Ferrari, who said on the Ferrari website that he was “incredulous and bitter” about the results of the race and made mention of the event being a “false race” – intimating that he felt that the race was rigged.
However, McLaren was firing back at Ferrari for a different incident which they felt bent the rules of the sport. Bowing to economic pressures within the sport, Formula 1 instituted new rules this year severely limiting the number of on-track testing sessions that teams could have during the season. Teams are now allowed only four days of “straight line” testing once the season begins.
But McLaren claims that Ferrari found a loophole in the system which recently allowed Alonso to get additional track time at the Ferrari test track in Fiorano on July 18. Ostensibly, Alonso was behind the wheel of his Ferrari for “promotional” purposes – i.e. filming a commercial. However, McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh – also the chairman of the Formula One Teams’ Association – will be seeking a clarification about whether Alonso’s drive was against the spirit of the testing ban rules.
Ferrari claims that Alonso only drove a few kilometres during the filming, but a statement on the team’s website also added that “you have to make the most of any opportunity in this era of the testing ban.” The fact that the “filming” took place eight days before the team debuted their new blown diffuser at Valencia raised several eyebrows as Whitmarsh and Red Bull team boss Christian Horner both said that Ferrari’s actions might have violated the spirit of the law but not the actual rules.
At the end of the day, it’s this sort of team bickering that adds drama to the sport. In particular, it appears that Ferrari is acting like the wounded little sibling in the spat. It’s been clear this season that the new top of the pecking order in Formula 1 is Red Bull, then McLaren, then everyone else. Alonso and the Ferrari team’s complaints about the safety car incident at Valencia might simply be sour grapes.
Tags: