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Ferrari plays down Massa's team orders refusal

Ferrari plays down Massa's team orders refusal

  • Published on 14 Oct 2013 12:12
  • comments 0
  • By: Rob Veenstra
Ferrari has played down Felipe Massa's refusal to obey a direct team order in Sunday's Japanese grand prix. While running ahead of teammate Fernando Alonso at Suzuka, Brazilian Massa - who is leaving Ferrari at the end of the season - was told by his engineer Rob Smedley to let the Spaniard past. "Multi-function strategy A. Now, please," Smedley was heard to say on the radio.

Massa refused to either respond or obey, forcing Alonso to pass him in a wheel-to-wheel battle many laps later. "We cannot make a big thing about it," Alonso said afterwards, hinting he understands Massa's frustration. "Sometimes it's difficult, especially when you are fighting for seventh, eighth place. It would be nice to go back to the old days in Ferrari, fighting for first and second and deciding who wins the races, like Red Bull does," he added.

When quizzed about the 'Multi-function strategy A' command, which is eerily similar to Red Bull's infamous 'Multi-21', Massa readily admitted it was a team order that he refused to obey. "It was an instruction," the Brazilian confirmed. "We're never happy with instructions," added Massa. "Whatever happened in the race was not over any instruction; he overtook me on the track. We fought on the track," added reiterated.

He is quoted by Speed Week: "I have said several times now that I do not make presents. And I've said that I am racing for me -- I am doing my races." Team boss Stefano Domenicali played down Massa's defiance. "I can understand his feeling," he said. "The team will totally support him until the end of the season, no problem."

A controversy was also brewing within the dominant Red Bull team on Sunday, amid suspicions pole sitter Mark Webber's race was deliberately compromised when he was switched from a two to a three-stop strategy. "All of a sudden we decided to do a three," the Australian, whose teammate Sebastian Vettel extended his winning streak, revealed. "I was a little bit surprised. I asked was it the right thing to do."

Boss Helmut Marko insisted, however, that the retiring Webber was not 'sacrificed' to help Vettel. "No!" he told Germany's Bild am Sonntag. "We chose during the race to change our strategy because we could not assess whether Grosjean is doing two or three stops. If we had done nothing, we would have been second and third," Marko added. (GMM)
F1 News Fernando Alonso Felipe Massa Sebastian Vettel Ferrari

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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Bahrain
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia
Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China
Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
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Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
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Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco
Monte Carlo
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Gilles Villeneuve
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
28 - Jun 30
Austria
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United Kingdom
Silverstone
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Hungary
Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy
Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan
Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore
Marina Bay Street Circuit
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United States of America
Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico
Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil
Interlagos
22 - Nov 24
United States of America
Las Vegas Street Circuit
29 - Dec 1
Qatar
Losail International Circuit
6 - Dec 8
United Arab Emirates
Yas Marina Circuit
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United Arab Emirates
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2024

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
-
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
29 - Mar 2
Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit
7 - Mar 9
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
22 - Mar 24
Australia Albert Park
5 - Apr 7
Japan Circuit Suzuka
19 - Apr 21
China Shanghai International Circuit
3 - May 5
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
17 - May 19
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
24 - May 26
Monaco Monte Carlo
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Canada Gilles Villeneuve
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Spain Circuit de Catalunya
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Hungary Hungaroring
26 - Jul 28
Belgium Spa-Francorchamps
23 - Aug 25
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
30 - Sep 1
Italy Monza
13 - Sep 15
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
20 - Sep 22
Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit
18 - Oct 20
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
25 - Oct 27
Mexico Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez
1 - Nov 3
Brazil Interlagos
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United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
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Qatar Losail International Circuit
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ES Fernando Alonso 14
  • Team Aston Martin
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  • Grand Prix 168
  • Country ES
  • Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (43)
  • Place of b. Oviedo, ES
  • Weight 68 kg
  • Length 1.71 m
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