Whitmarsh disagrees with FIA stance on Ferrari
Martin Whitmarsh of McLaren has expressed his dissatisfaction with what he claims is a vague ruling by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) which has closed the case on Ferrari’s team orders scandal without further reprimand.
The team-manager, who has two title contenders (Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button) on his team, finds the ruling lacking in logic. “We don't have clarity,” a perturbed Whitmarsh explains, according to BBC Sport. “If anything it's more muddy. They [Ferrari] are either guilty and should be given a penalty, or they're not guilty and should be given back the fine they received. Superficially it doesn't seem as logical a ruling as one would have expected but it has no impact on anything I'm going to do this weekend.”
Whitmarsh’s comments are the most recent in a constant stream of criticisms which has been pouring out since the scandal occurred back in July at the German Grand Prix. In a coded order executed over the radio to race leader Felipe Massa, the Italian was commanded to allow team-mate Fernando Alonso to pass which resulted in a higher-scoring one-two victory for the Ferrari team. Robbing Massa of what would have been his first victory in nearly two years, fans and critics alike have condemned Ferrari for what has been dubbed a “sham,” of a race, while others fully acknowledge the presence of team orders and legitimize their use.
FIA’s ruling means that while Ferrari must still pay their penalty fee of $100,000, no further punishments will be pressed, primarily out of their reluctance to interfere with Alonso’s hopes for the title.
Though Whitmarsh is adamant that McLaren will not practice the same strategy as Ferrari, with only six races left in the Formula One season and both Button and Hamilton eligible for the title, the boss may find himself in a similarly delicate situation.
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