Ferrari considering protest after new footage comes to light

Ferrari want to establish whether there is enough evidence to lodge a protest that, if successful, could overturn the result of the world championship.

Ferrari are "evaluating footage" that appears to show Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel making an illegal overtaking move in Sunday's Brazilian Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso lost the title by three points to Vettel after finishing second for Ferrari and the German seventh.

Governing body the FIA refused to confirm whether it was investigating.

Red Bull could not be reached.

The footage, from Vettel's on-board camera, appears to show the German passing Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne in a yellow 'caution' zone.

If that is the case, and any protest was upheld, it could mean Vettel would have 20 seconds added to his total race time. That would demote him to eighth place and make Alonso world champion by one point.

Alonso has posted a cryptic message on the social networking site Twitter that appears
to be a reference to the situation.

He wrote in Spanish: "I don't believe in miracles. I make my miracles out of the correct rules."

Alonso is believed to be pushing Ferrari to make an official protest to the FIA.

However, the governing body does not need a protest from Ferrari to investigate further. In fact, its own rules appear to oblige it to do so.

Article 179b of the international sporting code says: "If, in events forming part of an FIA championship, a new element is discovered, whether or not the stewards of the meeting have already given a ruling, these stewards of the meeting or, failing this, those designated by the FIA must meet… summoning the party or parties concerned to hear any relevant explanations and to judge in the light of the facts and elements brought before them."

It adds: "The period during which an appeal in review may be brought expires on 30 November of the year during which the decision that is liable to review has been handed down, if that decision is likely to have an effect on the result of a championship."

That appears to give the FIA until Friday to resolve the situation one way or another.

A yellow zone - indicated by yellow flags and flashing trackside yellow lights - indicates that drivers must proceed with caution and overtaking is strictly forbidden.

If a driver is caught overtaking in a yellow-flag zone, the punishment is either to drive through the pits at restricted speed if the race is still under way, or 20 seconds added to a driver's race time if the incident takes place close to the end of the race or is investigated after the race.

The footage in question was not shown on the main global 'world feed' during the race as it was showing repeats of the start at the time.

However, it has since emerged on the video sharing site YouTube after audience members recorded it from extra channels of in-car footage, which was broadcasting from Vettel's on-board camera at the time.

The video - broadcast on the BBC's in-car channel - is embedded at the top of this article.

Drivers are also alerted to caution zones by an indicator on their car's dashboard display as they pass through the relevant area.

If there is any discrepancy between a driver's dashboard and the trackside indicators, the flags and lights take precedence - the display is meant solely as a further driver aid.

The footage clearly shows Vettel passing a flashing yellow light in Turn Two and another at the exit of Turn Three, after which he overtakes Vergne down the straight, completing the move before reaching a flashing green light, indicating the end of the yellow zone, before Turn Four.

The yellow flag indicator in his cockpit is on the whole time.

The rules dictate that the 'yellow' zone ends only when the driver passes the first 'green' indicator.

However, on the footage from Vettel's car it is not possible to see clearly the marshals' post that is situated on the inside of the track at the exit of the pit lane - after the yellow light at Turn Three.

It is possible that the marshal there was waving a green flag. If he was, the pass on Vergne would be legal and the result would stand.

A green flag is waved at that post as Vettel passes the Marussia of Charles Pic on lap three, but it is not clear whether it was still being waved on lap four.

The likelihood of any protest being lodged or of any action being taken depends on whether Ferrari or the FIA can establish whether there was a green flag waving at that marshals' post at that time.

If there was, the case will be closed and no further action will be taken. If there was not a green flag, it is highly likely that the case will go before the FIA Court of Appeal.

Under a strict interpretation of the rules, it would seem to have little option in that scenario to impose a penalty. But it may well feel it has to evaluate how much of an effect on the result of the race a drive-through penalty for Vettel at the time would have had.

BBC Sport asked the FIA:

- If the stewards of the Brazilian Grand Prix had investigated the incident in question during the race.

- If there was a green flag waved on lap four at the marshals' post on the inside of the track after the exit of Turn Three.

- If the FIA was now investigating the incident.

The FIA declined to comment.

Source: BBC Sport

I have to say the footage looks pretty conclusive, he passes the toro rosso before the first flashing green light. Might not be over after all!

Can anyone believe someone would want to win a title based on something that had no effect on the result?

It's be quite funny if it went that way, certainly it'd make the sport a bit of a joke. F1's very own hanging chads eh?

Vettel would of got a drive through if it comes to light that he did go under yellows so that clearly would of effected the race therefore the result no?

Fernando wrote:Vettel would of got a drive through if it comes to light that he did go under yellows so that clearly would of effected the race therefore the result no?

No, not at all.

In fact I suspect it'll be killed on the basis that Vettel was denied the opportunity to easily recover that position. I've heard nothing other than how easy it is for the RB to come through the field, after all. Lap 4, bear in mind. Anyway, there's probably a guy waving the flag, given the report says he was on lap 3.

F1 know this would wreck a great season and be the ultimate PR disaster, I think they'll handle it. I suspect Ferrari will agree. Alonso will probably not though.

Well done Ferrari.

Cheats like Red Bull have to be made to pay for their cheating ways.

Fernando Alonso deserved to be champion, and the FIA will have make it happen now

Classic Ferrari.

Thank God we have them to keep within the spirit of the sport. And 'crasher' Alonso, of course!


Seriously though, someone here (post #350) seems to think there's nothing to it;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20490565

Ferrari have written to the fia to get the move clarified

The Italian team want the FIA to rule officially on whether the German's overtake of Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne was legitimate.

Reports state that there was a steward waving a green flag before he overtook. And the green flag takes precedence over the lights. Seems like a non story. Worth asking though. No harm in that.

FIA are backing Vettel and Red Bull, game over Ferrari.

Quite right too; and disappointing that Alonso makes his cryptic comments on twitter. They all know that the event had no bearing on the race outcome, even if he'd had a drive-through at the time. He'd just have taken a few more laps to catch the group up. Quite obviously had they gone against Vettel, Red Bull would appeal on the argument that Vettel wasn't given the opportunity to serve a manageable punishment during the race and the whole thing would have descended into high farce.

I do wonder whether these guys think hard enough about the reputational effects of this sort of thing. They understood the circumstances and had they won, and had the championship awarded on such a narrow issue don't they think about the damage that would do to the sport?

Win at any cost to everyone else has sometimes been the Ferrari way. Alonso is a disappointment though, he should distance himself from this, but I fear he's left it too late and with that little comment, said too much.

bogbrush wrote:Quite right too; and disappointing that Alonso makes his cryptic comments on twitter. They all know that the event had no bearing on the race outcome, even if he'd had a drive-through at the time. He'd just have taken a few more laps to catch the group up. Quite obviously had they gone against Vettel, Red Bull would appeal on the argument that Vettel wasn't given the opportunity to serve a manageable punishment during the race and the whole thing would have descended into high farce.

I do wonder whether these guys think hard enough about the reputational effects of this sort of thing. They understood the circumstances and had they won, and had the championship awarded on such a narrow issue don't they think about the damage that would do to the sport?

Win at any cost to everyone else has sometimes been the Ferrari way. Alonso is a disappointment though, he should distance himself from this, but I fear he's left it too late and with that little comment, said too much.

True. I rate Alonso as a driver, but occasionally off the track he lets himself down.

If the FIA had a sense of humour the'd give Vettel a 15 second retrospective penalty - which would drop him below Schumi, but he'd win the title by a point (he finished 19.2 seconds ahead of Vergne) ...

OMG, I didn't realise that if he'd lost 20 seconds it'd drop him 0.8 secs off a winning position, in a race that had two safety cars and almost 70 laps between incident and finish.

Hanging chads indeed!

for once I agree with BB: the incident almost certainly had no influence on the race result (ie even had Vettel had to serve a drive-through it's unlikkely it would have changed much).

Unfortunately the FIA aren't renowned for using common sense in this sort of case, and equally unfortunately there's not much in the rules which allow them to do so, ie had Vettel been guilty of overtaking under yellows he would probably have been penalised for it.

I'm glad he wasn't, titles should be decided on track, not by a bunch of men in suits off it...

Surely this will come to nothing?

Your about 5 hours too late guys

FIA already cleared it apparently there is a guy with a green flag there somewhere

Green Flag Insurance?

But yeah, in any case, if Vettel had to serve a drive through - I don't think it would have changed anything.

Fernando wrote:Your about 5 hours too late guys

FIA already cleared it apparently there is a guy with a green flag there somewhere

Bit harsh, I actually brought this to the attention of the thread last night

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20554883

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/20579360

Montezuma didn't like Bernie mocking their latest pathetic attempt to wins things on technicalities.

As usual Bernie nailed it in the minimum numbers of words.

In fairness, I can see where genuine confusion could creep in, given they have trackside lights, marshals with flags AND indicators on the steering wheel displays.

I think a penalty would have been harsh in this case and I'm glad the FIA cleared it as quickly as they did.