FIA probes undetected Massa grid error
Date published : 03 Sep 2010 - 12:50:22
The FIA has launched an investigation into how Felipe Massa was able to start the Belgian Grand Prix ahead of his designated grid slot without detection.Amateur videos showing the Ferrari driver's approach to the grid, and subsequent overshoot of his sixth-place grid mark, ahead of the start of last Sunday's Spa race appeared on YouTube several days after the event with Massa's car seen clearly stopping at least one metre ahead of the line where his front wheels should have been.Massa's mistake should have resulted in a drive-through penalty for a jump start, but race director Charlie Whiting was unaware of the error after neither track-side marshals nor the electronic automatic jump start system alerted him to the positioning of the Ferrari.The FIA has now confirmed it is looking into how the situation went undetected in order to avoid a repeat.An FIA spokeswoman said: The problem was not brought to the attention of the FIA race director by either the marshals nor the automatic jump start system in time to be able to apply the appropriate penalty for jump starts. The FIA are investigating the causes of the apparent failures in communication with race control in order to ensure a repetition is not possible. Although Massa, who finished the opening lap in fifth place after being one of a host of drivers to move ahead of polesitter Mark Webber following the Australian's poor start, would have lost positions had he served a drive-through for the infringement, the FIA says that as the error wasn't discovered until several days after the race it has no power to impose any retrospective punishment.Therefore the race result, and Massa's fourth-place finish, stands. As no further information or complaints were received before the publication of the official result on Sunday night, the classification of the Belgian Grand Prix will now remain unchanged, the governing body added.It is not the first time the appearance of amateur footage on video-sharing website YouTube has prompted an FIA probe into a situation race stewards had been unaware of.In 2007 Lewis Hamilton's apparant erratic driving behind the safety car while leading the sodden Japanese GP at Fuji was investigated after video evidence came to light and although the Briton escaped punishment, revised safety car rules were later introduced as a result.
