Formula 1 News

Ferrari: confusion over FIA wet tire notification 

Ferrari have confirmed they only received the FIA notification about a new tyre rule after the Japanese Grand Prix had already started. The race direction informed teams that they were forced to start the race with extreme weather tyres given the poor conditions at Fuji.

Ferrari, however, decided to start the race with the standard wet tyres and both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa were forced to pit with the safety car on track if they didn’t want to be excluded. The pitstops sent both drivers to the back of the field, effectively ruining all their chances of fighting for victory.

The Italian squad said after the race that they had not been informed about the tyre rule until after the event had started. “We did not receive email notification of the stewards decision until after the race had started. We have checked and on Stefano Domenicali’s laptop it shows that he only received the message at 1.37pm,” a Ferrari spokesperson said after the race. We then were told over the radio that we had to change the tyres, and that if we did not we would be black-flagged. There is nothing we can do now. There was a lack of communication, and that is why we took the decision to go with the standard wet tyre.”

Raikkonen went on to finish in third place, while Massa finished down in sixth, meaning he is now mathematically out of contention for the title.

source: autosport