31/07/2011
NEWS STORY
Mat Coch writes:
Mixed conditions for the Hungarian Grand Prix were the catalyst for an event Grand Prix around a circuit most used to hosting processional affairs. Damp conditions caught most drivers out at some point, Ferrari's Felipe Massa one of the high profile casualties.
The Brazilian ran wide at turn two, spinning on the painted run off before backing into a tyre barrier. It emerged however that circuit officials had used the incorrect paint when colouring the run offs, contributing to the high number of spins. Teams were made aware that the usual non-slip paint hadn't been used, though a slightly red faced Felipe Massa refused to use it as an excuse for his error.
"As you have seen I think that he lost the lateral part of the rear wing," explained Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali. "We were worried about safety on that so we had to visually check the parts and also from the telemetry we wanted to be sure nothing serious was broken."
It turned out to be nothing more than cosmetic damage as Massa continued, setting fastest lap later in the race. "If it's like that maybe I'll check it next time to make sure that part of the car is the same way as it was after the crash," Domenicali joked.
To check out our Hungary GP gallery, click here.