Ferrari team orders: Alonso has “no problem” with Massa

The first laps of the Japanese Grand Prix were marked, on the Ferrari side, by a radio message from Rob Smedley, race engineer of Felipe Massa, to his driver, whose true meaning wasn’t immediately apparent: « Multi-function strategy A, now please. » However, some saw it as a team order intended to allow Fernando Alonso to take the fifth place then held by the Brazilian.

The instruction apparently did not resonate with the 2008 runner-up’s attitude, who did not go easy on his double world champion teammate. It was ultimately after a battle on the track that the Spaniard managed to find the gap, on the 20th lap, down the main straight. Eventually, F. Alonso finished fourth, keeping his slim chances of being crowned, while F. Massa ended up tenth, after receiving, among other things, a penalty for speeding in the pit lane.

When asked about what seems to be a new instruction, even though he had stated after announcing his departure that he would now exclusively play his personal card at Ferrari, the Paulista did not comment on the start of the race but did not hide a certain annoyance: « You are never happy with instructions, » reports our British colleagues from Autosport. When asked if the race debriefing will address this point, Massa evades: « We are always in discussion, of course. »

The Brazilian, who is still in the running to secure the second seat at Lotus, shares his analysis of the race: But I was happy today. It’s unfortunate for the race, this drive-through and what happened during the Grand Prix. [Alonso] overtook me on the track, it wasn’t by instruction.

On Fernando Alonso’s side, the mood is not one of blame: « We are not going to make a drama out of it. We race, and whatever we do today, we would have finished more or less in the same positions because we cannot do more. I don’t know exactly what happened, but there is no problem. » When asked if he was unhappy, the Asturian replied: « No. Not really. We are trying to do our best, Felipe, myself, and the team, to score as many points as possible. »

In reality, the situation of his team worries him more than Felipe Massa’s potential insubordination: “It’s never easy to start or fight for a 7th or 8th place. It would be nice to go back to the good old days when we were fighting for first and second positions, and then deciding during the race who would win,” he confides, before adding: “Or, like the Red Bull team does, having one car on a two-stop strategy and another on a three-stop, and finishing first and second. It’s a much easier life.”

As a reminder, with 90 points behind Sebastian Vettel with four races left in the season, the German only needs to score ten points, at least, in the next race to be crowned. On the contrary, the Ferrari driver would need to secure at least three wins and one second place to be crowned if the Red Bull driver were to retire in the last four events.