Planet-F1

Stewart has his say on the Massa debate

Wednesday 27th August 2008

Just as speculation about a conspiracy against McLaren was about to die down, Sir Jackie Stewart has decided to reopen the can of worms.

The issue of alleged favouritism in Formula One is back in the spotlight after Felipe Massa got away with a reprimand and 10,000 Euro fine for narrowly avoiding a crash with Force India's Adrian Sutil in the pit lane following an early release during his second pit stop at the European Grand Prix.

It is not the first time that claims of an anti-McLaren conspiracy have hit the headlines. Earlier this year Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were both hit by grid penalties for minor infringements during the French GP.

Former World Champion Stewart believes if Hamilton had been the guilty party in Valencia he would've been hit with a more severe penalty, and claims insiders suspect Ferrari are being favoured.

"I would say it was a controversial decision, and there are some who would say that Ferrari are looked upon more favourably than other teams by the governing body," he told the Daily Mail.

"There is no doubt that Massa drove brilliantly, but there was much talk in the paddock that, had it been Lewis rather than Felipe involved, the decision might have been different. A lot of people were raising their eyebrows. I don't think it should have been a financial penalty."

Stewart also believes it would be better to replace the "part-time amateurs" with retired grand prix drivers.

"They are part-time amateurs. There's a heap of retired grand prix drivers who would have considerably more experience of a situation of that kind and, if they were properly rewarded, then they would not likely be tempted by privileges being offered in any particular avenue."

However, the FIA's Alan Donnelly hit back saying: "We watched the incident from every angle. I'm perfectly happy with the decision. Remember that Massa did not gain any sporting advantage."