European GP – Manipulated Race? The teams disagree

Discordant opinions within the Circus after the Valencia race, Alonso speaks of a race manipulated in the final result while for Red Bull and McLaren everything took place according to the rules.

The controversy surrounding the intervention of the safety car at the European Grand Prix in Valencia is unlikely to subside. In fact, the safety car made a mistake by not coming out in front of the race leader and this meant that the race took on a different aspect.

Alonso and Ferrari complain about the intervention of the satellite car but have absolutely not digested the treatment reserved for Lewis Hamilton. The Englishman overtook the safety car and was penalized for this manoeuvre, but the Maranello team complained about the timeliness of the drive-through communication, which arrived excessively late and was in fact useless.

At the end of the race Alonso was very saddened and said: “It's a shame, a manipulated race. Those who respect the rules finish 9th, those who don't respect them 2nd. I was 3rd, then the safety car comes in and Hamilton overtakes it: never seen something like this... We were a few meters from each other and he is now 2nd, I'm 9th... Everything is going against us, it seems that everything is allowed … It's a shame… It's the first time I've seen a safety car overtake."

Red Bull, involuntarily favored by the fact that the safety car gave an advantage to the leader Vettel, does not speak of a manipulated race but of the need to review the safety rules: "The events in Valencia have highlighted some areas in which the car security could be improved. The entry of the safety car did not cut off the Ferrari while the McLaren did not behave well, but for this reason it suffered a penalty."

Mike Gascoyne of Lotus points the finger at the changes in the safety car rules that have taken place in recent years and which have in fact mixed the cards too much. “Every time the safety car regulations change, we encounter this type of scenario. I think Whiting and the FIA ​​are trying to do a good job but it's always difficult."

Whitmarsh of McLaren had a different opinion as he did not understand Alonso's anger and pointed out that Hamilton still received a penalty for his mistake. “Hamilton was penalized for his mistake after the FIA ​​carried out its normal investigation. The conclusions are always up to the judges and they made that decision. This is a normal thing regarding my experience in car racing, but Fernando may have a different kind of experience."

Robert Ferrari