Ferrari Won with US$100k
Author: mrniceguy
At the 2010 German GP, Ferrari had won another 1-2 victory of the season since the Bahrain GP. The race is won by Fernando Alonso followed by his team mate Felipe Massa. However, this victory also comes together with a controversy. It is reported that Alonso’s victory is actually handed by Felipe Massa because of the “team order”. Nearing to Lap 48, Massa received a radio message from race engineer Rob Smedley indicating that Alonso, who was running in second, is faster than him. Subsequently at Turn 6 on Lap 48, Massa let Alonso through.
This move do not escape from FIA and the motorsport governing body eye. The Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali, team manager Massimo Rivola and both the drivers and eventually slapped the Scuderia was summoned with a hefty US$100,000 fine. This case also sent to World Motor Sport Council and Ferrari might lose it’s 1-2 victory.
This is not the first case of team order. Example, Rubens Barrichello allowed Michael Schumacher through for victory in a race before. Besides, during Malaysian GP in 1999, Michael Schumacher also let Eddie Irvine trough to take the checkered flag because of team order. The body concluded that Ferrari breached Article 39.1 (the ban on team orders) and Article 151c (bringing the sport into disrepute).