A new transponder system and an wayward marshal are to blame for Felipe Massa’s Spa head-start not being noticed in Belgium two weeks ago.

The Brazilian driver explained at Monza that he did not realise he had overshot his grid box because he sits so low in the cockpit of his Ferrari.

But why the FIA’s technology, and observers at the side of the track, did not notice the error is currently the subject of an investigation.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reports that the automatic jump-start detection system in 2010 is new.

The transponder reacts more sensitively than the old one, meaning that false starts can be detected even when the driver is located too far to the left or the right of the centre of the starting box.

But the glitch in the system is that, because the sensors are so strong, the car and track transponders can locate one another even when – as in Massa’s case – the car is positioned too far forwards.

Previously, the sensors would not locate one another, and Charlie Whiting would receive an alarm on the starter gantry that a driver is out of place.

But the back-up system is a human one, with marshals standing beside the track holding a sign with the driver’s grid number.

“I looked at the marshal next to the grid, he put his sign down which to me is the signal that everything is right,” Massa said.

Countryman Rubens Barrichello said he noticed on the grid that Massa was getting a head-start.

“I knew he had missed his box, but what do I do?” said the veteran.

F1′s governing body is investigating how Felipe Massa escaped penalty despite getting a head-start in last Sunday’s Belgian grand prix.
 
As the cars lined up on the Spa-Francorchamps grid, BBC commentator Martin Brundle noticed that the Brazilian’s Ferrari was about “two metres” ahead of its starting box.
 
And a spectator’s amateur footage, posted on video sharing website Youtube, backs Brundle’s observation, even though the race director, stewards and rival teams and drivers apparently did not notice or report Massa’s head-start.
 
The Telegraph said the FIA has launched an investigation into how Massa escaped without a drive-through penalty.
 
The report said the transponder on the floor of Massa’s F10 did not send a signal to the tarmac sensor because he was too far out of position, while the marshals did not alert the race director manually.
 
“As no further information or complaints were received before the publication of the official result on Sunday night, the classification of the Belgian grand prix will now remain unchanged,” said an FIA spokeswoman.
 
“The FIA are investigating the causes of the apparent failures in communication with race control in order to ensure a repetition is not possible,” she added.

Felipe Massa escaped penalty despite clearly getting a head-start in last Sunday’s Belgian grand prix.

Before the five red lights went out at Spa-Francorchamps, BBC commentator Martin Brundle observed that the Ferrari was about “two metres” ahead of its starting area on the grid.

A spectator’s amateur footage, posted on video sharing website Youtube, now supports Brundle’s observation, but the Brazilian was not penalised by the stewards.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport said Massa, who finished the race in fourth place, was “at least 1 metre” ahead of his grid box.

Ferrari’s post-race press release mentions neither Massa’s grid error or the fact that he made up two early positions once the race had started.

The German report speculated that if FIA officials, or any of his competitors, had noticed the incident, Massa would probably have received a drive-through penalty.

Sensors in the grid boxes are supposed to ensure the cars’ correct positioning as well as whether the competitor made a jump-start.