Bob Fernley, the day-to-day team boss at Force India, has backed Ferrari's decision to deliberately penalise Felipe Massa in Austin. The Italian team was roundly criticised for tampering with Brazilian Massa's long-life gearbox for no other reason than to incur a five-place penalty that switched title-fighting teammate Fernando Alonso to the 'clean' side of the grid.
Ferrari's immediate competitors, Red Bull and McLaren, said they wouldn't have made a similar decision. But Fernley told PA Sport it is nonsense to write of Ferrari's tactic as unsporting. "At the end of the day the regulations are what they are, Ferrari took them to the limit, and that's what we do in formula one," he said. "I would absolutely have done the same. We're not here to try to make friends, we're here to win."
Many commentators in the media also slammed Ferrari's tactic, but former driver Marc Surer said the Maranello team did the right thing. "If you look at the (race) start, it was absolutely right," he told German television Sky. The Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport added: "With a world title at stake, everyone would have done Ferrari's trick." (GMM)
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Paddock figures back Ferrari's gearbox penalty 'trick'
- Published on 21 Nov 2012 12:47
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
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M. Verstappen
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A. Antonelli
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G. Russell
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L. Hamilton
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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Feb 11
L. Norris
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Feb 12
C. Leclerc
- 1:34.273
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Feb 13
A. Antonelli
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Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
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G. Russell
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A. Antonelli
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C. Leclerc
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team Aston Martin
- Points 631
- Podiums 9
- Grand Prix 204
- Country ES
- Date of b. Jul 29 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Oviedo, ES
- Weight 68 kg
- Length 1.71 m
- 188,072 comments on Aston Martin
78 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Fernando Alonso
Team profile
- Team name Force India
- Base Silverstone, India
- Sergio Perez 11
- Sergio Perez 11
- Nico Hülkenberg 12
- Adrian Sutil 14
- Adrian Sutil 15
- Lance Stroll 18
- Adrian Sutil 20
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Nico Hülkenberg 27
- Esteban Ocon 31
- Esteban Ocon 31
- 96,021 comments on Force India
- 8 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Force India
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