Brazilian warns that "big accident" could occur after sudden change and jokes that Bernie Ecclestone consulted drivers from the 1980s
Thursday 18 September 2014 16:10, UK
Felipe Massa says he’s opposed to the clampdown on radio messages being enforced at this weekend’s Singapore GP and even warned of a “big accident” if a driver isn’t warned that his car is overheating.
Speaking on Thursday, the Brazilian said the complex nature of F1’s new hybrid cars makes it imperative that certain information – specifically concerning the temperature of the ERS battery and brake-by-wire systems – must be relayed to the driver.
In general, messages relating to the performance of the car and driver will no longer allowed, with the FIA also banning the use of coded messages.
“In some areas it’s fine. The team tells you not to use the tyres so much in corner five because you’re using them too much compared to your team-mate. This is okay, this is not a problem,” Massa said.
“But you have so many things in the car that we’re doing – because if you don’t do [them] maybe you put too much temperature in the rear brakes because the battery gets too high and you just put fire in the car. Maybe you can have a big accident.
“We don’t know what the temperature is for the battery, we cannot see. We don’t know that.
“There’s a very complicated power unit in the car which is not related to the driver. If you’re not using the right settings, forget it. You’ll not do two laps.
“So many things are fine to change, it’s not a problem. I’m complaining that you have some other things that they want to take away and they cannot.2
The Williams driver added: “We saw situations where Lewis [Hamilton] had a fire in his car. Maybe you can have that many times if you’re not having the right setting.”
From this weekend onwards, teams won’t be able to relay information about the state of charge on the car’s ERS battery, plus its brake balance and brake-by-wire settings.
However, a clarification issued by the FIA states that “information concerning damage to the car” is still allowed.
Any potential grey areas will be discussed further among teams and drivers this weekend, with Massa saying he’ll raise his own concerns with FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting on Friday.
“If it really stays like this, it will be a big fight tomorrow in the drivers’ briefing,” he said.
Massa also reckons coded messages will slip through the net. “You have a lot of codes that you guys will not know. Whatever things you invent and the driver understands, they’ll change that and nobody will know.”
The 33-year-old, who claimed his first podium finish of the season in Italy a fortnight ago, also scoffed at Bernie Ecclestone’s suggestion that all drivers are in favour of the clampdown.
“Which drivers? Maybe he spoke to the drivers from the 80s,” Massa joked.
The 2014 Singapore GP is live only on Sky Sports F1 this weekend, with our coverage beginning with Practice from 10.45am on Friday.
