After the European Grand Prix in Valencia, where Ferrari were hit with a €10,000 fine for an unsafe pit-stop release of Felipe Massa, and Kimi Raikkonen ran over a mechanic after wrongly been given the green light by the team’s semi-automated pit system, Grid Crasher asked you whether it was time to bring back the lollipop man. You answered with a resounding maybe.
So following the Ferrari mechanics’ 100m fuel hose dash at Singapore, we are putting the question to you again. With two mechanics having now been flattened by cars getting the green light to go too soon, should Ferrari now be reviewing their strategy?
Given some of the controversies of the past 12 months it would come as no surprise if accusations were levelled of Formula One sinking to new depths. It still came as a surprise though to hear that the positively Atlantis-sounding Mediterranean Grand Prix will be on the calendar next season. The F1 championship is not going submarine just yet though. Valencia is to undergo a name change from its current guise of the European Grand Prix.
Ferrari’s semi-automated pit-stop routine has come in for some criticism in the wake of the European Grand Prix, and understandably so. The system landed Ferrari a €10,000 fine for the unsafe release of Felipe Massa in Valencia in an incident which could have caused a nasty pit-lane collision with Adrian Sutil. And the same system allowed Kimi Raikkonen to tear off down the pit-lane with mechanic and fuel hose in tow.
Kimi some compensation - Raikkonen takes out mechanic
One of the most dramatic moments in what was, on the whole, a pretty dire grand prix was provided by Kimi Raikkonen and his trigger-happy accelerator foot. The world champion hit a member of the Ferrari pit-team as he attempted to make a quick getaway from the Valencia pit-lane. The unfortunate man with the refuelling hose suffered a fractured toe after being run over by the overeager Finn.
The engine explosion which put him out of the race was not his fault, but the Finn had looked lethargic for most of the race. He completed a thoroughly miserable afternoon by running over a member of the Ferrari pit-stop team holding the refuelling house as he attempted to get a quick getaway from his stop. 4/10
Bridgestone wary of street circuit’s bridge section
According to Spanish newspaper Diario AS, Bridgestone is concerned that a small height gap between the two sides of Valencia’s swing bridge (see photo) may cause punctures.
The FIA’s technical boss, Charlie Whiting, walked around the track to inspect its layout. He is considering making changes to the bridge section prior to the race - although quite what those changes might be is anyone’s guess.
They say the younger you are, the easier it is to learn, and Seb Vettel, 21, proved that by lapping faster than older, more experienced drivers in the first open practice session at Valencia’s new street circuit. The odds on Vettel ending up at a top team in 2010 get shorter and shorter. Vettel’s team-mate, Sebastien Bourdais, also had a fine morning. He finished fourth in the rankings.
It’s perplexing that the Toro Rosso upstarts are suddenly going so well, while Red Bull Racing - supposedly the senior team to STR - are way off the pace: in contrast to the two Sebs, David Coulthard and Mark Webber were slowest this morning, finishing 19th and 20th respectively.
Lewis Hamilton looked like setting a faster time than Vettel, but the Englishman spun while on a quick lap, and so had to settle for third place. Sandwiched between Vettel and Hamilton was Felipe Massa, who again got the better of Ferrari team-mate Kimi Raikkonen.
Lil’ Lewis wasn’t the only driver to find the going tough on the new track; several other drivers spun off, but no one crashed into the concrete walls.
Given that he’s sponsored by TAG Heuer, you’d think Lewis Hamilton would have been able to turn up on time for his Valencia press conference yesterday. But no: the McLaren driver was two whole minutes late, an offence that earned him a slap on the wrists from the FIA, in the form of a €5,000 fine.
That may seem a lot of cash for two minutes, but remember that Lewis can earn that much in a matter of minutes.
