Smedley told Massa to “destroy Hamilton’s race”

[Scott Webber]

Oh this Massa vs Hamilton is just getting stupidly silly now a, i hope Massa isn't in Ferrari next year and i hope smedley loses his job, should that even be allowed to be said in such a high class sport? talk about dangerous.

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In the round-up: Felipe Massa was told to “destroy” Lewis Hamilton’s race before they collided.


Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
http://www.formula1.com/video/race_edits/Check out the Singapore Race edit with the Instructions to massa by Smedley

Check out the singapore Race edit with the instructions to massa by smedley - HERE


The Singapore Grand Prix race edit video from FOM reveals some interesting comments at Ferrari.
It appears that before the collision between Lewis Hamilton and Felipe Massa, Rob Smedley was goading his driver to “hold Hamilton as much as we can. Destroy his race as much as we can.”
After the contact Hamilton lamented to his team “of course I have a drive-through”. Watch the video via the link above. What a shame none of this was broadcast during the race.

Source

 

[Ivo Simons]

He doesnt mean "destroy" in that way lol.
Just destroy his tactical plan not drive him off the track destroy.

 

[Omer Said]

Sometimes, engineers even say 'kill him' or such things, so i don't think this was the cause of that collision.

 

[TheHemps]

If 'destroying' another drivers race is more important than his own race then he has no place at Ferrari or any other top 10 team. Same goes for Smedley, he should be encouraging his driver to do the best for himself. As far as I'm concerned, Massa's finished. Not even a 'has been'. More like a washed up 'nearly was'.

 

[Chris Butcher]

These comments are getting silly. It's daft how anti-Ferrari and pro-McLaren people are here.

Tactically using a driver to slow another has been done for ages, and I'm sure it will continue. That's all this is. There is no way whatsoever that Massa caused that collision, if that's what you are trying to say.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

He meant "hold him up", not "collide with him", and I'm sure Massa didn't misunderstand that as well as he did no moves to collide with Hamilton, the one turning into the other was Hamilton.

 

[TheHemps]

It's not about Ferrari, It's about Massa. Did you see how slow Massa was going? He was cutting off his nose to spite his face. What a loser. I don't care that he drives for Ferrari, I'd say the same if he drove at HRT where he belongs.

And all that whining from him afterwards about the shunt he got from Lewis, complaining it was all his fault when it turns out he's trying to hold him up and got a knock in the gearbox. What does he think is gonna happen on a tight track with Hamilton behind him? He knew Lewis was gonna have a go. I think he knew it when he took 4 hours to get around the turn as the incident happened.

And your right Chris, holding up a car tactically has been done for decades. But when the cars werent as fragile, the guy getting held up would just knock them out the way, which I think Hamilton would have got away with at Monza with Schumacher.

 

[My993C2]

"Destroy his race as much as you can" does not mean crash into him and destroy his car.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

He was slower in the corner because he entered from the inside line... he wasn't slower than what's normal in a situation like this.

It was an accident, it didn't happen because Massa slowed down or Hamilton wanted to hit Massa, it happened because Hamilton didn't see his front wing and misjudged the place between the 2 cars, that's all!

 

[Chris Preston]

LMFAO @ all you McLaren/Hamilton fanboys on these forums. If you recall a few races ago races ago (believe it was Hungary not 100% sure on that) Ferrari told Massa he HAD to pass the car in front of him or it "would ruin our race". This is what they told Massa to do, hold off Hamilton so that their race plan would be scraped. As Chris Butcher said it's been done for ages and doesn't mean crash his car.

 

[David O'Reilly]

It is perfectly acceptable to try to ruin someones strategy by for instance staying in front of them on your primes stint and ruining their options stint.
I am beginning to think Massa has been used tactically against Hamilton by Ferarri for much of the season incl Monaco Quali.
They know that Redbull is uncatchable. Consistently hurt one Mclaren and Ferrari do/look better.
BTW I am not a Mclaren or Hamilton fan, I respect Massa but he is being used as a pawn in my view.

 

[Edward Raprager]

I have to agree with just about everyones view here. Im a huge Hamilton fan and I was very upset to see this incident happen. But it was his fault! It wouldn't have happened had Massa not been blatantly holding him up and just because its been done for decades now doesn't make it acceptable either! I agree with team orders, but using a driver to slow down another's race isnt right.

For me the singapore race was one of the most entertaining all round, all season! And thats saying something ith the season weve had!
Im not a big Vettel fan, in fact I hated him till I saw what a nice guy (and a bit of a dork) he was on top gear. Hes made winning much more rewarding, its a big deal when a driver other than Vettel gets a win!

I do think Massa needs to be gone and my thought was actually Kobayashi as a replacement! But that wont happen because Massa is a good boy who does as hes told! And as we all know Alonso is faster than him! F1 doesnt need drivers like massa, who are out there to manage guys behind the main driver...... but Ferrari do!

rant over

 

[ufunacaoenn]

He says "hold him up, destroy his race as much as you can". I belive with that said he means 100% hold him up and not destroy his race as it take him out.

 

[Péter Bártfai]

Seriously, they told him to hold up Hamilton, but that doesn't mean "take him out", or "slow down", it just means:

"don't let him overtake you!"

He was slower anyways, and I'm not talking about he's slower in general, but he had the slower tires on his car!

 

[Xosé Estrada]

If you are in a part of the stint where you have old tyres is always good to hold a guy with new tyres, as you will "destroy his race".

Of course part of the British media can say now that "Ferrari are mafiosi" and title "Is Alonso behind all this?"

 

[Chris Butcher]

If you are in a part of the stint where you have old tyres is always good to hold a guy with new tyres, as you will "destroy his race".

Of course part of the British media can say now that "Ferrari are mafiosi" and title "Is Alonso behind all this?"

Maybe, although it annoys me when they do, and I'm British

 

[Myles Thomas]

of course Massa is being used in this way, hes Number2. The job of Mr number 2 is to protect number 1. thats all Massa has now, putting his body on the line for ferrari, if he doesnt he my find himself out of a drive.

IMO Felipe slowed down alot before turn in, catching Lewis out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Yes a mistake by lewis but dirty blocking by Felipe.

 

[Chris Jenkins]

IMO Felipe slowed down alot before turn in, catching Lewis out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Yes a mistake by lewis but dirty blocking by Felipe.

Nothing dirty about it.
The only down side is that had Massa not got a puncture, it would have been a 50/50 racing incident.

 

[Myles Thomas]

Nothing dirty about it.
The only down side is that had Massa not got a puncture, it would have been a 50/50 racing incident.

Your right Chris, the reason i called it dirty is because Felipe had to do it in the first place. IMO these guys should not have bloody radios and should be out there for one reason, to race and to race at as fast as they can.
Ferrari have spoilt F1 with there team tactics.

 

[Prithvi R Shankar]

Once Rubens Barrichello was told on the radio "go for the kill", did he murder someone? people get very angry when somebody talks about McLaren or Hamilton. Especially the Hamilton fanboys!