The result of stupid regulations....
Disappointed Massa Furious at Panis
Saturday July 10th, 2004
Brazilian Felipe Massa was very angry at Toyota's Olivier Panis after the Frenchman ruined the Sauber driver's qualifying lap ahead of tomorrow's British Grand Prix.
Panis had completed his lap ahead of Massa, but the Frenchman was still on track when the Brazilian was on his flying lap. The Sauber driver found Panis driving very slowly on the racing line and lost time as a consequence.
"It's unbelievable. I have told Panis that I cannot understand what he was doing," said Massa, who qualified 11th. "He must have seen me, and even if he didn't, he had to know at the speed he was going that another car would be coming up behind him soon.
"The team should have been telling him. Fine, if you are going slowly to save fuel, brake on the straight and keep out of the way. He didn't do that. He was in the way, and he braked on my line. Without that I could have been ninth.
"I'm very disappointed because the car was very good today, and the balance was not too bad. It's really not fair."
Massa's teammate Giancarlo Fisichella is hoping for rain tomorrow after not setting a time in today's session.
Fisichella had his engine changed on Friday and would have been penalised with losing ten grid positions in today's qualifying. The Italian, however, decided not to complete his flying lap in order to save fuel and tyres ahead of the race.
"We elected to stay in the pits because of my engine penalty, saving the tyres and the fuel," said Fisichella. "If I had a choice for tomorrow, I'd like it to rain." |
