Motor Racing: Massa confronts Hamilton over collision

dragg SG

SINGAPRORE: A furious Felipe Massa confronted Lewis Hamilton after the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, as the drivers followed up their clash on the track with an angry exchange.

Brazilian Massa accused the 2008 champion Hamilton of not using his mind following a collision as they scrapped for fifth place in the early stages.

The Ferrari driver, who suffered a puncture that spoiled his race, said Hamilton, of McLaren, had almost caused a very dangerous accident and demanded that the sport's ruling body, the FIA, penalise him.

Massa confronted his rival in the mixed zone, where drivers talk to the media, slapping Hamilton on the shoulder before spinning him round to offer a sarcastic thumbs-up, and telling him he had done a "good job, very good job".

Hamilton responded by shouting: "Don't touch me man. Don't touch me."

Asked to explain the incident, Hamilton said: "Well, there you go." He then left without commenting further.

Massa said: "How many races this year he did this? He went in the wrong direction and he paid and he never learned. The FIA is looking for sure for that, because he is doing that so many times.

"I think he is not learning. I tried to speak to him after we waited, but he didn't listen to me.

"I called to him two times, but he didn't listen to me, he went past me. He didn't even look to me... I called him to speak, but when I saw him go, I said, 'Very good job, well done. Like that you will win many championships.'"

McLaren team chief Martin Whitmarsh moved swiftly to defend his driver and said he, like most observers, viewed their collision as a pure racing accident.

He said: "Lewis is still a young guy, he is learning and he will learn from all of this. He will win races and I am sure he is going to win more championships.

"He is an aggressive and assertive driver, but he will win many more races than you or I and I am sure he will win many championships."

Hamilton's incident packed race saw him start fourth, slide to eighth, recover, collide with Massa - breaking his front wing - and make five pit-stops, including a drive-through penalty.

He finished in fifth place, after at one time running 18th, while Massa finished ninth.

Hamilton has suffered a spate of controversial incidents this year and has been accused of being over-aggressive and dangerous.

Whitmarsh said: "When you are told you are back in 18th or 19th place in a race like this on a circuit like that, it is deeply, deeply frustrating.

"So, to deal with that and perform as well as he did was extraordinary - so he should have some credit for that.

"But none of us are perfect, the team has made some mistakes and we will make more mistakes.

"We don't want to, but that is life."

- AFP/de

dragg SG

why is massa complaining?

hamilton had a drive thru penalty and yet finished in front of him.

its hamilton's aggressiveness that makes f1 interesting. its also what makes him a real racing driver.

i like kobayashi too.

Gedanken SG

its hamilton's aggressiveness that makes f1 interesting. its also what makes him a real racing driver.

Nope - it's F1, not the World Bumper Car Championship.

hisoka SG

why is massa complaining?

hamilton had a drive thru penalty and yet finished in front of him.

its hamilton's aggressiveness that makes f1 interesting. its also what makes him a real racing driver.

i like kobayashi too.

He is complaining because Hamilton's excessively dangerous driving caused an accident and caused him the points for the race.

F1 is not about this type of dangerous driving. Aggressiveness should not be confused with reckless.

dragg SG

he had a drive thru and yet finished ahead of massa.

if massa is any good he should be in front.

hisoka SG

he had a drive thru and yet finished ahead of massa.

if massa is any good he should be in front.

I don't know the details so not able to comment, but I noticed the article said Massa had a tire punctured because of the accident. I don't know how bad Hamilton's car was after the collision, but a punctured tire could have made a significant impact till he was able to get to the pits.

This is a race where 1/10 of a second is crucial and I understand that the Singapore track doesn't have much chances for over taking.

I'm not saying whether Massa is any good as a F1 driver, but your basis to say that he is not good is not valid.

Besides, the issue here is not whether Massa is any good as a F1 driver. The reckless actions of Hamilton is the problem.

dragg SG

This is a race where 1/10 of a second is crucial and I understand that the Singapore track doesn't have much chances for over taking.

I'm not saying whether Massa is any good as a F1 driver, but your basis to say that he is not good is not valid.

Besides, the issue here is not whether Massa is any good as a F1 driver. The reckless actions of Hamilton is the problem.

no denying hamilton is reckless. but he is a damn good racer. we need more drivers who are willing to overtake and take risk. frankly a formula race is boring without incidents.

i dont understand why ferrari is keeping massa. it isnt he is not good, just not good enough for the front runners.

Gedanken SG

That's got nothing to do with whether or not Shamilton should be at the wheel. The fact is that he's been involved in a bucketload of incidents this year. That's not racing - that's just crashing.

dragg SG

Motor Racing: Hamilton doesn't learn, says Massa

SUZUKA, Japan: Brazilian Felipe Massa reacted angrily after clashing with Briton Lewis Hamilton during Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix - the second on-track altercation between the pair in as many races.

Massa and Hamilton were fighting over fourth place on lap 21 of Sunday's 53-lap race when they clashed under braking at the final chicane, with Hamilton's McLaren snapping part of the front wing endplate off Massa's Ferrari.

The resultant debris caused the safety car to come out for a three-lap period, and Massa was furious with Hamilton after the race.

The incident came just one race after Hamilton crashed into the back of Massa in Singapore, a move which punctured the Brazilian's left rear tyre and saw the Briton hit with a drive-through penalty.

Massa confronted Hamilton after that race, leading to a brief physical and verbal altercation.

Hamilton finished fifth at Suzuka while Massa came home seventh, with the two drivers separated by just four seconds at the end of the race.

Massa said he didn't care to hear Hamilton's explanation for the incident, which was the third time this season that the pair have come together in a race.

"I don't care to be honest about what he said, the only thing I care about is what he did," Massa said.

"I was much quicker, so I went to the left-hand side and I braked there. I stayed on my line (and) he moved his car and touched my car. There's nothing more to say."

Massa called for the FIA, the sport's governing body, to be tougher on Hamilton in future races. Race stewards investigated Sunday's clash but elected to take no further action.

"They have penalised people for much less this year and this time they didn't do it," Massa said.

"For what he says, I don't care. He doesn't learn. I race against him, against whatever driver in the same way. He has already passed the time to speak, which I tried and he didn't."

Hamilton downplayed the incident, blaming the incident on the lack of visibility afforded by the wing mirrors on his car.

"I don't really know what happened with Felipe - I had no idea he was there. I have no problems with him," Hamilton said.

"The only thing I have to say is that I can't see anything out of my mirrors and they vibrate down the straight so much. Maybe it's something we can fix.

"I want to apologise for our cars touching, but fortunately nothing happened to either of us.

"There was no bad intention towards Felipe."

- AFP/fa

Rock^Star SG

I saw that. It was dangerous......people can die at such supersonic speeds.