Lewis Hamilton on Friday was told he was lucky to escape penalty in Bahrain.

Nico Rosberg’s defensive driving got the lion’s share of the media attention three weeks ago, but in fact it was Hamilton’s pass on the Mercedes that was a more contentious topic during Friday’s drivers’ briefing in Barcelona.

Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport reported that the topic was discussed between the drivers and the FIA’s Charlie Whiting for no less than fifty minutes.

“In the end, it was resolved that Rosberg did nothing wrong. Lewis Hamilton was (unofficially) reprimanded.

“Charlie Whiting said the McLaren driver was lucky not to have been punished.”

The report said Whiting warned the drivers that similar cases, in which passes are made with four wheels off the circuit, will be penalised.

Romain Grosjean has admitted he didn’t try to keep his teammate Kimi Raikkonen behind him at the recent Bahrain grand prix.

In the wake of Lotus’ podium breakthrough, it was suggested Frenchman Grosjean was the victim of team orders.

Team figures, including boss Eric Boullier and 2007 world champion Raikkonen who finished the race second ahead of rookie Grosjean, denied the charge, even though team orders are fully legal.

But it emerged this week that, just before Grosjean was passed by Raikkonen, the French driver was told on the radio: “Kimi is faster than you.

“Do not hold him up,” the radio message, broadcasted for the first time by F1′s official website this week, ended.

Onboard footage of the move also showed Raikkonen briefly waving to his teammate as he completed the easy pass, ostensibly to thank him.

“I think that if I had closed the door on Kimi, or if we had fought, then I could have lost a wing,” Grosjean said this week.

“We knew that we could have a podium as a result and I didn’t want to make a mistake. I didn’t race at my best level,” he admitted to RMC.

 Pat Fry, Ferrari’s technical director, thinks Red Bull remains clearly ahead of the F1 field.
There is lots of talk that the reigning champion team is now closely matched by McLaren, with a big chasing group nipping at the heels headed by Mercedes.

But Briton Fry told the Guardian newspaper: “I think Red Bull are ahead of the rest at the moment. Maybe half a second.

“We’re guessing about fuel levels used in testing but I would say Red Bull are between five and seven tenths ahead of everyone else.”

Fry recently wrote off Ferrari’s chances of a podium this weekend in Melbourne, but – at least in the most recent hours – drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso are sounding more positive.

“At the moment we don’t know who is fast and who is not,” insisted Alonso, according to Marca. “Don’t pay much attention to what is said.

“We are not even going to know anything until Malaysia — a normal circuit.”

HRT’s Pedro de la Rosa, at least, is daring a prediction.

“Maybe (Sebastian) Vettel will win again, but if he does, he will have more sweat on his shirt,” the Spaniard is quoted by EFE agency.

As for Ferrari’s apparent problems, de la Rosa commented: “All I know is what I read, but think about how much time has passed since the last test.

“Two or three weeks in formula one is a world.”

Vitaly Petrov will move five places down the inaugural Korean GP grid in two weeks.

FIA stewards decided to penalise the Russian rookie for crashing into Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg before the first corner of Sunday’s Japanese race at Suzuka.

Hulkenberg had a bad start and was passed by the Renault, who hit the German’s front wheel by turning back onto the racing line too soon.

Petrov argued that he moved too soon to avoid Nick Heidfeld, but the stewards announced that he had “caused a collision”.

Also investigated by the stewards at Suzuka was Felipe Massa’s first corner crash, when he lost control on the inside grass and took out the Force India of Vitantonio Liuzzi.

“He seemed to come into my side like a bullet,” said Liuzzi.

The FIA officials, however, took no action.

Ferrari has denied Charlie Whiting’s claim that the FIA official “immediately” advised Fernando Alonso to let Robert Kubica re-pass at the recent British grand prix.

The Italian team was critical of the timing of Spaniard Alonso’s drive-through penalty, describing it as a “fact” that “decisions are taken slowly” by the authorities.

FIA race director Whiting this week hit back, revealing that – before the penalty was imposed – he advised Ferrari “three times” that Kubica should be allowed to re-pass Alonso, including “immediately” after the illegal overtake.

But Ferrari’s team manager Massimo Rivola has now moved to clarify Whiting’s contradiction, revealing that the Briton at one point said the matter would be investigated by the stewards after the race.

“We just want to explain the facts so it is understood that we are not crazy,” he is quoted by La Stampa newspaper.

Rivola said he asked Whiting after Alonso’s pass “what should we do” and Whiting responded almost two minutes later.

“One minute and fifty five seconds is not immediately.”

By then, he said, Alonso and Kubica had become caught up in battles with Jaime Alguersuari and Rubens Barrichello.

Rivola said he contacted Whiting again, to ask if Alonso now needed to cede position to several opponents, and then shortly afterwards Kubica retired.

La Stampa said Ferrari is concerned with the events that followed, because the broken pieces of Pedro de la Rosa’s rear wing were lying on the track for a couple of minutes with the FIA taking no action.

Then, with Ferrari strategists convinced that Alonso will lose just 3 or 4 positions with his drive-through, the safety car was called onto the circuit, condemning Alonso to the rear of the field.

“This means that for two minutes that race was being held in unsafe conditions,” said Rivola.

In the discussion of the Safetycarphase in Valencia and Lewis Hamilton happy Rennschicksal has now Felipe Massa on. The Ferrari driver also sees a need for action. For he does not understand that it could happen that Hamilton, despite his drive-through penalty he received for overtaking the safety car, was able to keep his second place while he himself kept to the rules and was passed to the rear.

Massa had the date on which the safety car after the accident by Mark Webber and Heikki Kovalainen went on the air, but also very unlucky. “At the time when the track was completely under yellow flags, we were already in the last corner. And when I saw the safety car sign, I was already out of the final corner and went out to the start-finish straight” , he describes in his blog on the Ferrari website. “I looked in the mirror and saw that most turned off behind me in the pit lane, as they had seen the sign before the last corner.”
“It was all about moments and we had the great misfortune that we had to spend a long time behind the safety car, as Sebastian Vettel was before the safety car, as it came onto the track and Lewis Hamilton decided to overtake it, though that a rule was broken, “Massa adds. Hamilton was then second, third and Fernando Alonso Massa fourth.
Hamilton was able to maintain his second place, as he held until his drive through penalty was enough time to get a head start to build up corresponding to the rear. Alonso and Massa were, however, as it should be, behind the safety car and were passed by the rear. They drove a lap behind the safety car and could only turn to the pits.

While the two Ferrari drivers completed a double stop, drove all the others, they were already on the box, past them. And also because Massa had to wait, was cleared to Alonso, he lost more time. “I’ve fallen back to 18th place and had pinned the whole race to the checkered flag in the transport,” quarrels of the Brazilians, who at the end of the 13th was.
“I do not want to talk in detail about what happened, because that makes no difference because our race was ruined,” said Massa, but said: “It must be what happened, but a closer look. For It is not normal that a person has committed a dangerous situation on the track a serious rule violations such as overtaking the safety car and is not punished for it practically. ”
“We need to talk about it together and do something to make it to such situations can not see a repeat,” he says. “The team told me that there will be next week a meeting of the Sport Working Group. This is good and a sign that the FIA takes on the matter.”

If that would have been Rennschicksal gracious to him, Massa would certainly be able to enter a top ranking. For with his F10 he was quite satisfied: “If I look at the performance of the car over the weekend look, I must say that the updates have brought in the aerodynamics and the revised exhaust system on the F10 is a good step forward. So that we can to fight with the front seats. Now it is important to continue to develop until the end of the season. “

In addition to Mark Webber’s spectacular crash, it was for many observers, the issue of the race weekend in Valencia: Lewis Hamilton obsolete in a safety car period, the medical car and it occupies just 13 laps later with a drive-through penalty.

Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso then assumed the race, they have manipulated the Grand Prix of Europe, because Hamilton had in his view, by the late penalty to no disadvantage.

According to former racing driver Martin Brundle, however, these accusations without any basis. “Alonso’s emotions have common sense superimposed,” former McLaren driver writes in his’ BBC’ column. Hamilton was by his maneuvers Ferrari ultimately not harmed. Instead, the Italians might as well be upset with race winner Sebastian Vettel.
“Etc. It was just fate and chance, would come out when the safety car,” said Brund. It was just very difficult, the timing of driving out the safety car always right. Brundle already suspected other reasons for Alonso’s excitement: “It was certainly not conducive to his whim, as was the Ferrari-powered Kamui Kobayashi on fresh tires passed him on the penultimate lap.”

The controversial events surrounding the current safety car period at the European Grand Prix in Valencia at Ferrari make for great excitement. For Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso drove directly behind the other, as Hamilton was violating the safety car rule, but afterwards he gave his improper behavior, the much better result.

For while Alonso bravely behind the safety car was and as accurately as team-mate Felipe Massa was passed back when he had to come in the next round to the pits, could Hamilton up a lead that was enough, even after the pit stop to stay in second. When he came back after his drive-through in second place on the box, you felt at Ferrari naturally treated unfairly.
Ferrari published on the website of the team, a report in which the race was called the “scandal”. Later we rowed back: This was the opinion of Tifosi around the world, not the official line of the racing team. But the anger is great, the fact that has been specially published a statement by Piero Ferrari, who usually logs in Formula 1 matters rarely speak out.

“I am incredulous and bitter, not only for Ferrari, but for the sport as a whole, because this is not something you would expect of professionals,” criticized the son of the legendary company founder Enzo Ferraris. “I have been following now for a long time trials in several U.S. Championships, where the safety car is used very often, but there I have never seen anything like what is now happening on the course in Valencia.”

The fact is that Hamilton, who has violated the rules was punished by the conditions less harsh than Alonso, whose conduct was entirely legal. It comes naturally to discussions on the current Safety Car rules. Ferrari, it also considers it “more than appropriate” to speak about the circumstances that have now led to a “wrong race.” An official complaint with the FIA has already deposited the team.

Michael Schumacher’s Mercedes teammates have sided with the seven time world champion over his controversial last-corner pass on Fernando Alonso.

After deliberating for four hours in Monaco, the stewards on Sunday evening decided to drop the German out of the points, even though team boss Ross Brawn insists the safety car period had officially ended.

Nico Rosberg thought Schumacher’s pass had been a good one.

“From my perspective it was a really cool manoeuvre,” he told German television RTL, “but apparently it’s not allowed.”

Interestingly, Rosberg revealed that he was also told by the Mercedes pitwall that overtaking between the safety car line and the chequered flag was allowed.

And Mercedes reserve driver Nick Heidfeld told Sky television: “The move was very clean.

“The rules are different this year.  In the past you could only overtake from the start/finish line, now it is from the safety car line.  Alonso was a little bit asleep,” added the German.

(GMM)

Mark Webber on Sunday took over the lead of the world championship by winning his second consecutive grand prix in the space of a week.

The Australian, who was unchallenged in the Principality despite the appearance of several safety cars, dominated the entire Barcelona-Monaco double-header and is now level on points with his Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel.

Team boss Christian Horner urged Vettel to “relax” if he wants to get back on terms with the sister RB6.

“Sebastian dominated at the start of the season but Mark has really found his stride,” the Briton told the BBC.

“Seb is trying very hard and sometimes you have to relax a little bit and the times will come,” added Horner.

The biggest loser of the Monaco race is the former title leader Jenson Button, whose Mercedes engine overheated during the first safety car period because McLaren mechanics left a bung in his sidepod.

It was a fairly processional but nonetheless incident-packed race, with both Williams drivers crashing, and backmarker Jarno Trulli mounting Karun Chandhok’s HRT right in front of the leader Webber.

There is also a post-race controversy in the stewards’ room, after Fernando Alonso was passed by Michael Schumacher in the short blast between the safety car pulling in and the waving of the chequered flag.

There is some uncertainty as to whether overtaking is allowed in those circumstances on the last lap, with Mercedes’ Ross Brawn and Ferrari’s Stefano Domenicali both telling TV reporters their opposing views.

“Our understanding of the regulations is pretty clear but let’s just see what the stewards say,” said Domenicali.

(GMM)

Fernando Alonso has psychologically “destroyed” his Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa.

That is the belief of former Super Aguri driver Anthony Davidson, who now attends grands prix as a commentator for British radio BBC.

Ferrari incumbent Massa, 29, has struggled to match team newcomer Alonso so far this season, but the Brazilian has put the situation down to the F10 car and the tyres.

But Davidson has a different theory. “I can sum up Massa’s problem in two words — Fernando Alonso,” said the Briton.

“He has destroyed him mentally. Already. And I think that started at turn one in Bahrain,” said the 31-year-old, referring to the Spaniard’s pass on Massa on the outside of the first corner of the championship.

Alonso’s controversial pit entry pass in China recently was also widely interpreted as another psychological victory for the feisty double world champion.

Davidson added: “Every time he (Massa) goes out there, Alonso’s gone faster. He is driving hard, but in the back of his mind he will be thinking ‘yeah, but I bet Fernando has gone faster’.

“And you get back to the pits and he has. It does get you down,” he said.

Ross Brawn has revealed that he is “happier” now than when he was solely in charge of a team bearing his own name.

In the wake of Honda’s shock exit at the end of 2008, the Briton and a group of team management took over and won last year’s title.

But for 2010, Brawn GP was bought out to become Mercedes’s new works team, with the 55-year-old staying on board as team principal.

Brawn’s passion and focus has always been on the engineering side, and he told the Financial Times this week: “To perform in the best possible way, I’m happier not being the majority shareholder.”

He said he only ever owned the team “by default”, and while able to run the highly-competitive chassis designed with Honda’s huge resources, was financed only by the Japanese marque’s parting EUR2 million gift.

Brawn explained that F1 teams usually work “to a budget that is guaranteed two to three years ahead.

“But here I was in a situation where there was no budget.  You had to do as well as you could and make the company as viable as possible while spending the minimum amount of money doing it.”

(GMM)

Felipe Massa is not sure he would attempt to overtake his teammate on a pit entry road.

Fernando Alonso caused a stir in China three weeks ago when he passed the sister Ferrari driven by Massa on the way into the pits.

When asked if he would do it again, the Spaniard answered recently: “Absolutely yes.”

But amid rumours of growing tension between the red-clad pair, Massa was asked the same question by the Spanish newspaper Marca.

“Maybe not,” was the Brazilian’s response.

When asked to elaborate, Massa said: “I don’t know, only maybe not.  What I mean is that there could have been an accident, but actually it (Alonso’s pass) was successful because I messed up the previous corner.”

Asked if he would try a pit entry move if Alonso also messed up a preceding corner, the 29-year-old insisted: “Maybe yes or maybe not, who knows.”

(GMM)

May 5 (GMM)  Mark Webber has shifted into reverse gear after slamming F1 host state Victoria as a “bloody nanny state”.

The Australian, irritated at local overregulation such as the prevalence of speeding and parking fines, made the comment in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s famous run-in with Melbourne police in March.

Then, when the formula one circus had moved on to Malaysia, Webber’s father Alan and manager/partner Ann Neal posed with a group of fans wearing T-shirts bearing the words ‘Victoria The Nanny State!’

One newspaper reader wrote at the time: “So this is the message from Mark Webber to the families who have lost loved ones on the roads this Easter.  What a bloody disgrace.”

Another added: “Don’t come back Webbers.  You are not welcome in my state.”

The local Herald Sun newspaper said 33-year-old Webber’s management has now written a letter to the government offering to have the Red Bull driver front a road safety campaign.

“It’s something Mark is passionate about,” Neal said.  “It’s not a knee-jerk reaction to the press he’s had, it’s something he has always done.”

A government spokesman said Webber’s offer was being considered.

Apr.29 (GMM) Jacques Villeneuve says he is happy for his former teammate Jenson Button, as the reigning world champion continues to lead the world of formula one.

The pair had an initially acrimonious relationship as BAR teammates in 2003, but Villeneuve has since declared his admiration for the Briton’s talents.

French Canadian Villeneuve, 39, said he has been particularly impressed this year with Button’s driving in the wet, including wins in Australia and China that have given him the world championship lead.

“Jenson was always quick in the rain but now he’s becoming increasingly recognised as the best in the field,” he told Canada’s Rue Frontenac.

“Michael always had that reputation in the past but I think Jenson has passed him now in the minds of observers,” added Villeneuve.

“But I also don’t forget about Alonso, who did an exceptional race on the wet track of Shanghai,” he said.

Villeneuve said Button’s “really great start” to 2010 with McLaren proves his world championship was well deserved.

“To change teams and stay among the best shows that it was no fluke,” said the winner of 11 grands prix. “I am really happy for him.”

As for his former nemesis Schumacher, Villeneuve thinks the seven time world champion’s comeback so far has been “disappointing”.

“This is his first big disappointment. He did well at first for a guy who has not raced for three years, but then the results were disappointing.”

But he still thinks Mercedes was right to entice the 41-year-old German out of retirement.

“Michael is useful even if he’s not winning, and nobody can take away his seven titles or that he is one of the best in history.

“And when Rosberg beats him with the same equipment, it cements Nico’s reputation much more than if he were beating someone else,” added Villeneuve.