Massa / Button: Ferrari defends itself

The first race of the season was the scene of a bitter battle between Felipe Massa and Jenson Button. The Briton was unable to find the opening on the Ferrari, yet much slower. When he finally succeeds, the stewards impose a penalty on him for illegal overtaking.

The decision angered McLaren. Everyone had their own little comment, from the disappointment of the driver, to the anger of the team manager. But Scuderia Ferrari intends to reestablish certain truths. “It was a great battle, wasn’t it? asks Felipe Massa. I protected my position and he was not able to pass me. He tried several times and I was able to resist him several times. Then he passed me in a contentious manner. He should have given me back my position at the risk of exposing himself to a penalty, that's what happened. »

The director of the Scuderia agrees with the racing direction. Last year, Fernando Alonso had been penalized for having short-circuited a chicane while overtaking Robert Kubica. “To be honest, I think the situation was quite simple, sums up the Italian. We already knew it at Silverstone and I think the stewards? approach was right. The new rules are stricter. It?s no longer just the International Sporting Code now, the regulations require you to respect the lines on the track. If Jenson had returned his position to Felipe, their approach would certainly have been different. »

Find 22 special pages, all the analysis, decryption, exclusive interviews, echoes from the paddock of our special correspondents, Patrick Camus and Jean-Michel Desnoues in the issue of AUTOhebdo, on sale next Wednesday on all newsstands.