Formula 1
FIA would be 'wise' to go easy on Ferrari - Hill
The FIA would not be "wise" to severely punish Ferrari at Wednesday's disciplinary hearing. That is the opinion of 1996 world champion Damon Hill, who at Spa in 1998 won the Belgian Grand Prix after then team boss Eddie Jordan ordered teammate ...
GMM
Edited: Sep 9, 2010, 1:16 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
The FIA would not be "wise" to severely punish Ferrari at Wednesday's disciplinary hearing.
That is the opinion of 1996 world champion Damon Hill, who at Spa in 1998 won the Belgian Grand Prix after then team boss Eddie Jordan ordered teammate Ralf Schumacher to hold station.
But that was before F1's governing body banned team orders in 2002, after Ferrari so crudely ordered Rubens Barrichello to give up a deserved win to Michael Schumacher in Austria.
The Italian team imposed a similar order at Hockenheim in July, in the form of Rob Smedley's radio message to Felipe Massa that "Fernando is faster than you".
According to Britain's Daily Express, Ferrari has "spent a lot of time" since Hockenheim quietly explaining that its behaviour was not unusual.
The newspaper said McLaren sent a coded message to Lewis Hamilton in one race, informing the British driver that the "cat was out of the house" before he drove past compliant former teammate Heikki Kovalainen.
"Every team in the pitlane gives team orders," David Coulthard is quoted by the Wall Street Journal. "Anyone who says they don't is lying."
It's for that reason that Hill, speaking to the Telegraph, thinks the World Motor Sport Council should go easy on Ferrari.
"(The FIA) flexing their muscles because they can is not necessarily wise," he said, when considering a severe sporting sanction as the potential outcome of the hearing.
"I don't think a punishment that big would fit this particular crime," added Hill.
Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is hoping not only that Ferrari escapes Wednesday intact, but that the team order regulation is looked at in order to spare teams from having to sidestep it.
"Perhaps there can be a clarification which overcomes this hypocrisy, so that team orders are allowed as long as they don't harm other competitors," said the sports daily.
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Italian GP: Felipe Massa diary
Next article Webber almost quit F1 during Williams days
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
GMM
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Formula 1
Formula 1
The season is still very long - Rosberg
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Formula 1
Formula 1
Jules Bianchi's father speaks of family's continued hopes
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
Formula 1
Formula 1
Chinese GP
Sauber under no illusions about constructors' position
More from
Felipe Massa
On this day: Michael Schumacher wins… and stuns tifosi with F1 retirement
Formula 1
Formula 1
Italian GP
On this day: Michael Schumacher wins… and stuns tifosi with F1 retirement
Defendant ordered to pay £250,000 legal fees in Felipe Massa F1 title case
Formula 1
Formula 1
Defendant ordered to pay £250,000 legal fees in Felipe Massa F1 title case
Felipe Massa’s F1 2008 lawsuit will proceed to trial
Formula 1
Formula 1
Las Vegas GP
Felipe Massa’s F1 2008 lawsuit will proceed to trial
More from
Ferrari
Charles Leclerc blames Mexico GP clash on track layout - Fred Vasseur disagrees
Formula 1
Formula 1
Mexican GP
Charles Leclerc blames Mexico GP clash on track layout - Fred Vasseur disagrees
Latest news
Liam Lawson’s remarkable form is giving Red Bull a headache for 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
3 h
Liam Lawson’s remarkable form is giving Red Bull a headache for 2027
Hanley Motorsports announces multi-class IMSA arrival with BMW support and DXDT deal
IMSA
IMSA IMSA 3 h
Hanley Motorsports announces multi-class IMSA arrival with BMW support and DXDT deal
Ryan Preece will switch to No. 6 for 2027 NASCAR Cup season
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Martinsville II
5 h
Ryan Preece will switch to No. 6 for 2027 NASCAR Cup season
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1960s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe