F1 takes steps to prevent use of flares at Dutch Grand Prix
Organisers of the Dutch Grand Prix are clamping down on the use of flares ahead of this weekend’s race at Zandvoort. Last year’s event, which saw Max Verstappen win his home race for the second time, was impacted by an orange flare thrown onto the racetrack during qualifying. A fan was ejected after throwing the flare onto the circuit, causing a red flag and a delay of the session. While their use have been popular at Zandvoort since its return to the F1 calendar in 2021, organisers have now made it known in no uncertain terms that flares are not allowed this year. “Because of the popularity of the sport and Max, fans brought in these flares in Austria a few years ago,” Dutch Grand Prix director Imre Van Leeuwen told Motorsport.com. “The image looked great on TV and they shot footage with the flares. So a normal fan, not a hooligan but a normal fan, thinks he is a good fan if he brings a flare. “And now you see that there are so many that it’s dangerous and it’s not good for your health. We have to inform people now that you’re not a good fan if you have a flare, you’re a good fan if you don’t have a flare. “And if you see a flare you say ‘Come on guy, that is dangerous for my health.’ It’s also dangerous for the drivers because I think two years ago during the formation lap in Austria, the drivers had poor visions. And that was something a normal fan didn’t know.” Van Leeuwen also announced a specific “information point” at the circuit to report fan abuse, following incidents last year in Austria. “I would be really disappointed in our fans if, as a Ferrari or Lewis Hamilton fan, you wouldn’t feel safe,” he added. “It’s good to celebrate and have a party but it’s not good to intimidate people or behave in a disrespectful way. Of course, we will punish people. We now have an information point so if something happens to you, you can tell your story there.” F1 returns this weekend at Zandvoort with Verstappen cruising to third-straight world championship. The Dutchman has a 125-point lead in the standings with 10 races to go. Read More Felipe Massa starts legal action over 2008 F1 title loss to Lewis Hamilton Fernando Alonso reveals title regret from 20-year F1 career Ferrari boss labels Red Bull’s cost cap penalty a ‘big joke’ F1 2023 race schedule: When is the Dutch Grand Prix? Fernando Alonso reveals title regret from 20-year F1 career Why have Massa’s lawyers started legal action over 2008 ‘crashgate’ with Hamilton?
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Fernando Alonso reveals title regret from 20-year F1 career
Fernando Alonso has revealed that not winning a Formula 1 title with Ferrari is one of his biggest regrets from his 20-year career. The Spaniard, racing in his 20th season in F1 this year with Aston Martin, burst onto the world stage after winning two titles in a row with Renault in 2005 and 2006, ending the championship win-streak of Michael Schumacher. After a famously fractured solo season with McLaren alongside then-rookie Lewis Hamilton in 2007, Alonso returned to Renault before moving to Ferrari in 2010. While at the Scuderia for five years, he finished runner-up in the championship three times and missed out in the final race of the 2010 and 2012 season to Sebastian Vettel – two moments he wishes he could have back. “Winning a championship with Ferrari – that would probably be the first thing I’d choose,” Alonso told the High Performance Podcast. “If I can go back in time to 2010, 2012, we were within a few laps to winning a championship and that could have changed a little bit the outcome of many things and the history behind a few things.” The 42-year-old added that he would enjoy the moment of his championship triumphs more, too, if he had his time again. “What I regret for sure and we touched [on this] before, was not enjoying more my time and my career,” he said. “You know that I’m at the end of it. There is a new life, you know in a few years’ time for me without driving and when I look back to my career, I will see a lot of good things and friendships and incredible experiences but, yeah, I should have enjoyed more. “I won the championship in Brazil, 2005 and 2006, and I hardly remember anything from those afternoons and nights, which is sad.” After a dire spell back with McLaren, Alonso took a two-year hiatus from F1 in 2019 before returning with Alpine in 2021. He shocked the paddock when he joined Aston Martin for 2023 but the move has paid off. With 10 races left, he is the best of the rest behind the Red Bull pairing of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, lying third in the standings and is one point ahead of rival Lewis Hamilton. Read More Felipe Massa starts legal action over 2008 F1 title loss to Lewis Hamilton F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise Ferrari boss labels Red Bull’s cost cap penalty a ‘big joke’ Why have Massa’s lawyers started legal action to strip Hamilton of 2008 F1 title? Felipe Massa starts legal action over 2008 F1 title loss to Lewis Hamilton ‘Big joke’: Ferrari boss slams Red Bull’s cost cap penalty
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Felipe Massa starts legal action over 2008 F1 title loss to Lewis Hamilton
Felipe Massa’s lawyers have started legal action against Formula 1 and the FIA over the 2008 F1 title loss to Lewis Hamilton, seeking substantial damages following that year’s “Crashgate” scandal and a subsequent alleged “conspiracy.” Brazilian driver Massa, then racing for Ferrari, missed out on the 2008 title by a single point in dramatic circumstances at the final race in Brazil as Hamilton – then driving for McLaren - claimed the point he needed on the final lap in wet conditions. Yet new comments earlier this year, by former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, about the infamous ‘Crashgate’ scandal in Singapore that season has encouraged Massa to assess all his potential options regarding compensation and perhaps overturning the result. While the latter is not currently possible under FIA regulations, a formal eight-page ‘Letter Before Claim’ was sent to F1 boss Stefano Domenicali and FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem on Tuesday from London-based Enyo Law, as reported by Reuters. The firm, acting on Massa’s behalf, alleges that the 42-year-old has been “the victim of a conspiracy committed by individuals at the highest level of F1 together with the FIA and Formula One management.” It adds that Massa has lost out on tens of millions of euros in lost earnings and bonuses as a result of Crashgate and missing out on the 2008 title. Crashgate rocked the sport when the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix saw Renault’s Fernando Alonso win the race before it emerged that his team-mate Nelson Piquet Jr. had deliberately crashed to bring out a safety car that played into Alonso’s hands. That safety car prompted a Massa pit stop that Ferrari mishandled, with Massa eventually finishing the race 13th while Hamilton came home third – a difference of six points, a swing which ultimately impacted the title result. While Renault and team boss Flavio Briatore were punished in 2009, the result of the race stood despite Massa’s protestations, with the FIA’s statues making clear that overturning the classification from each season is impossible once the FIA Awards Ceremony for that year is complete, a rule set in the FIA International Sporting Code. Ecclestone revealed in March that both he and then-FIA president Max Mosley knew of the Crashgate scandal in 2008, but refused to publicise the chain of events to avoid the sport a “huge scandal.” The letter from Massa’s lawyers, sent to F1 and FIA, states: "Simply put, Mr Massa is the rightful 2008 Driver’s Champion, and F1 and FIA deliberately ignored the misconduct that cheated him out of that title. "Mr Massa is unable to fully quantify his losses at this stage but estimates that they are likely to exceed tens of millions of Euros. "This amount does not cover the serious moral and reputational losses suffered by Mr Massa.” F1 did not provide an immediate response to Reuters, while the FIA acknowledged receipt of “correspondence” from Massa’s lawyers and added: “The matter is under review and we will not be providing comment at this stage.” The Independent has contacted Formula 1 for comment. Ecclestone, however, told Reuters he could not remember saying the key lines. "I don’t remember any of this, to be honest,” said the 92-year-old. "I don’t remember giving the interview for sure." Massa, speaking in Miami in May, called the situation an “injustice.” “You fight them to the last corner of the last race, pass the chequered flag as the champion and then everything changed,” he told Sky Sports. “For sure, a fight on the track. “Then you discover what has happened in Singapore. People, important people like Bernie [Ecclestone], like Max Mosley, like Charlie Whiting - they knew in 2008 and they didn’t do anything. “That is really a massive surprise for me. It’s really [an] injustice and I think definitely we need to study everything that happened because it’s not fair what has happened.” The new furore surrounding the 2008 title was triggered after Ecclestone told F1-Insider earlier this year: “We decided not to do anything for now. We wanted to protect the sport and save it from a huge scandal. That’s why I used angelic tongues to persuade my former driver Nelson Piquet to keep calm for the time being. “Back then, there was a rule that a world championship classification after the FIA ​​awards ceremony at the end of the year was untouchable. So Hamilton was presented with the trophy and everything was fine. “We had enough information in time to investigate the matter. According to the statutes, we should have cancelled the race in Singapore under these conditions. “That means it would never have happened for the championship standings. And then Felipe Massa would have become world champion and not Lewis Hamilton.” Massa’s lawyers added that the Brazilian wants “recognition that, but for those unlawful acts, he would have been awarded the 2008 Championship” – adding that they will “commence legal proceedings in the English courts” if a suitable response is not received within 14 days. Despite the start of legal action, Massa is not able to officially overturn the result – with the FIA’s own International Sporting Code stating protests and reviews expire 14 days after a competition and four days prior to that year’s prize giving ceremony. He also cannot use the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which has no jurisdiction over the FIA on issues like this, with the independent International Court of Appeal the highest authority in the sport. CAS may only be involved in F1 matters relating to the FIA’s Anti-Doping Disciplinary Committee. Massa’s best-finish in F1 turned out to be that 2008 season as he retired in 2017 while Hamilton has gone on to win six more titles with Mercedes, holding the joint-record of seven F1 World Championships with Michael Schumacher. Read More F1 2023 mid-season awards: Best driver, worst race and biggest surprise Lewis Hamilton’s 2008 F1 title still under threat as Felipe Massa bemoans ‘injustice’ Is a bright Ferrari future being hampered by the past? Flavio Briatore: The ego who landed... with a crash
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