The race director said after yesterday’s Grand Prix of Canada from Montreal in no penalty against Michael Schumacher, even though his friend Felipe Massa had just pushed very hard. But the duel of the two ex-teammates remained interpersonal consequences.

On the part Ferrari, there was certainly no allegation in the direction of seven times world champion: ‘I think Michael was perhaps a bit slow earlier because his tires not so great were. He braked much earlier than Felipe had expected it, and therefore, Felipe went back purely in it, “said race engineer Rob Smedley, Massa, the only angry about the potentially lost championship points.
Massa was in the final stages of the race to Schumacher minded and wanted to overtake the Mercedes chicane before the finish but Schumacher blocked until the inside line and then moved back to his racing line. He urged from Massa, who was at that time still on the road at full speed. The race stewards at Emerson Fittipaldi said, but made no speech.

Rightly, as Schumacher’s team boss Ross Brawn thinks: “Felipe was there perhaps a bit too ambitious, because Michael had no grip anyway,” said the Briton. “I see no sin upon him. It may be true that he has slowed down earlier, but that was just at the time and the place with his tires, brakes where he had to. I do not think there malicious intent behind it.”

(totalmotorsports)

Force India on Wednesday confirmed it has instigated legal action in the UK against rival F1 team Lotus.

In a media statement, the Silverstone based team said the Malaysian-backed team’s technical boss Mike Gascoyne and Italian wind tunnel Aerolab are also being sued.

It has been reported that Force India claims a wind tunnel model of its 2009 car left in the Aerolab facility was used as the basis for Lotus’ current T127 racer.

Before working with Lotus, Briton Gascoyne also worked alongside Aerolab with Force India.

A Lotus spokesman on Tuesday said Aerolab “vigorously denies any wrongdoing and has provided Lotus Racing with a full indemnity in relation to the claim”.

Force India said on Wednesday: “(The team) states these are very serious claims and therefore it would not be taking such action if it could not provide supportive evidence.”

The team said a complaint has also been filed with Italian authorities.

It has been speculated that the dispute is actually about money, after Aerolab said late last year that it is pursuing Force India for “serious and persistent breaches of contract”.

Force India added that “it is now for the competent courts to decide whether, indeed, this outstanding amount should be paid to Aerolab given the seriousness of these current allegations”.

(GMM)

The Court de Grande Instance ordered the lifetime ban imposed by the FIA against Briatore to be overturned.

Motor sport’s world governing body are currently looking into their options and considering whether to launch an appeal, a course of action Briatore has advised them against doing.

“I wouldn’t do it after such a verdict,” remarked the former Renault team principal in Gazzetta dello Sport.

Briatore, however, may now go gunning for the Piquets as it was they who blew the whistle on the ‘crashgate’ scandal.

Piquet Jnr deliberately crashed his car at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix in order to help team-mate Fernando Alonso take the win.

Briatore, along with former Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds, were then implicated in the conspiracy by the Piquets.

The 59-year-old Italian did initially threaten legal action once the story emerged.

That was soon forgotten after he vacated his position at Renault, who had opted not to contest the allegation made against them by the FIA that they fixed the result of the aforementioned race.

Asked if he would now take action against the Piquets, Briatore replied: “That’s very likely. The bad that has been done to me won’t be forgotten in one day.”

Briatore’s problem, however, is the Tribunal merely stated the FIA sanction was “irregular” as it did not comply with their statutes.

At no stage has the TGI reversed the FIA’s finding that both Briatore and Symonds conspired to cause an intentional crash.

Clearly in a feisty mood, however, Briatore may also take action against those drivers who opted to break away from his management company, notably Heikki Kovalainen and Lucas di Grassi.

“Except for Kovalainen and di Grassi, my relationship with the other drivers has never changed,” added Briatore, who also oversees the likes of Mark Webber.

“In fact, now we’ll analyse the situation with the lawyers to see whether we should take legal action against anyone who has broken the contracts with us.”

Briatore’s main source of anger, though, remains directed at former FIA president Max Mosley who he once described as “complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge” in the case against him.

“It was a case of vengeance from Mosley, who has always managed the FIA and the World Council as if it was private property,” remarked Briatore.

“He had reassured me, telling me they understood I didn’t have anything to do with that story. Then came that verdict. It was an ignoble thing after 18 years of F1.”

Source: PlanetF1