Massa wants Kobayashi banned for first-lap crash

2014 Australian Grand Prix

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Felipe Massa says Kamui Kobayashi should receive a race ban for causing a crash on the first lap in Melbourne.

Kobayashi ran into the rear of Massa’s car at the first corner, putting both out. The Caterham driver apologised to his team on the radio after crashing out.

Massa compared the incident to the multi-car crash triggered by Romain Grosjean at Spa in 2012, and said as with that incident the driver involved should receive a race ban.

“I think it is difficult to find a word to say what happened,” Massa told reporters.

“Starting the first race of the season, trying to brake at the 50 metres, you cannot do anything. It’s even dangerous.

“I think what he did in this race is not so different to what Grosjean did in Spa, he took a race ban, you know? So is dangerous and you cannot do that.”

Massa said he would speak to the stewards about the incident. Kobayashi has already been summoned to give his account.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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47 comments on “Massa wants Kobayashi banned for first-lap crash”

  1. Given that by now its pretty much confirmed that Kamui had only his front brakes to work with (because his Brake-by-wire failed), I guess that is now a moot point. But it does seem that Newey might have had a point about cars diving with these low noses.

    1. You beat me to it @bascb!

    2. @bascb that’s a concern if that’s the explanation, I thought the BBW technology had built in redundancy so that even if the electronics failed the rear brakes would function like traditional hydraulic brakes.

        1. Wait, if BBW fails the traditional hydraulic brakes kick in as back up? @vettel1

          1. They are supposed to @jcost – there is still a physical hydraulic link which is supposed to operate the traditional discs in the event of a failure of the fly-by-wire, MGU-K element.

            So it’s pretty worrying (and surely needing close scrutiny by the FIA) if the system has failed.

      1. Alexander (@)
        16th March 2014, 9:13

        @tdog The BBW means that the brake balance is controlled electronically, the brakes are still hydraulic and if either the fronts or rear fails the other still should work…

    3. I still think it was sill also compounded by the fact he did brake late and was “too hot” in to the corner…as they say.

    4. But isn’t such behavior of the cars preferable then them being launched over the rear of the car they are hitting in front? I guess that if you have to choose how will the car respond to being hit from behind what we saw today is preferable to airborne car which poses big danger with exposed cockpits.

  2. Yeah… Kobayashi didn’t have rear brakes, Felipe.

    1. Massa knows that now, of course. Doesn’t mean he knew when interviewed.

      1. Massa should engage brain before mouthing off…

        1. He does tend to get a bit gung ho when having a go at people :S

      2. Well i didn’t know kobay had break faliure at the time and i still thought it was outrageous to compare that to spa. It was simply not.

        Kamui is a good driver who is no more prone to accident than anyone bar possibly alonso and rosberg who are pretty much bullet proof with their racecraft.

        Things happen infact they happened repeatedly to massa a couple years ago when his average race finish position was “inside lewis’ car”

  3. Kobayashi’s told Anthony Davidson on Sky that he lost rear brakes due to a KERS failure.

  4. Kobayashi has already explained that he apparently only had front brakes. The really troubling thing was that this crash confirmed fears that these new low noses can cause submarining under the leading car in this type of incident.

    1. @us_peter Oh, really? I don’t feel so annoyed at him now then!

      Very unfortunate for Felipe though. I can certainly sympathise with him being annoyed.

      1. @magnificent-geoffrey I simpathise with Felipe too. I have a feeling he would’ve made the podium with the pace Williams had.

    2. Also troubling is that a KERS harvesting failure apparently fails in an unsafe way.

  5. I don’t think Kobayashi will be banned, but if he will be banned there is a nice opportunity for robin Frijns.
    We’ll have to see what penalty (if any) he gets, I expect there will be some penalty given.

  6. Yeah Massa, I understand why he is angry but a ban is over the top.

    1. Massa will be Massa. Whenever he is involved in an accident he will rush to ask for punishments for other driver.

      1. Which shows how he anything but the nice guy deserving better people like talking about. Personally i find him to be whiny and annoying individual. He NEVER raises his hands up to say “yeah maybe am to blame too” unless is so obvious he can’t do otherwise. He always blames and whines about others.
        He always like playing the victim and he was obsessed at ruining Hamilton races after 2008, not to mention how he can’t stop whining about Singapore and how he supposedly lost the championship there and then that he was the champion for 30 seconds(ridiculous claim really).

        When i see people saying they like the guy because of how nice he took it at the end of 2008 i really don’t know what the hell they are talking about. Because he went and waived at the people on the podium? So what? He just won a race at his home. Should he be throwing chairs and cursing for them to say he didn’t take it in a nice way?

    2. Steph (@stephanief1990)
      16th March 2014, 11:53

      I don’t think it was over the top- he was right in that the incident looked very similar to RoGro’s in Spa. Of course now we know Kobayashi wasn’t too blame but if it had been driver error it was a very serious one and should have resulted in a race ban or a grid drop (as it was also quite similar to Schumacher on Bruno Senna at Spain in 2012).

  7. I’m little bit tired of Massa’s new superstar approach to Formula 1 after coming out of the Alonso’s shadow. In my opinion he has to prove that he can race the way he used to, before allowing himself to make such comments. And even if he prove something (and I’m doubt he’ll be any match to Bottas), there’s no reason to act like this.

  8. Felipe man this stuff happens and like many here before me have said, he did everything the could considering his rear brakes didn’t work. I could have sympathised with you if you said Caterham needed to sort that out before they start the next race, but bashing on Koba while he did everything he could is just plain wrong and I expected more from you if I’m honest.

    Don’t hate the player hate the game

    1. I don’t think that anyone told Massa about KK’s brake issue (assuming that is in fact the reason, still to be confirmed) at the time he said that. He was fresh out of the car.

      I can understand why Massa, or any driver, would be annoyed having flown to the other side of the world, being taken out at the very first corner. And given that Kamui has form for this kind of thing (think Korea 2012, taking out Button) I’m not surprised Massa assumed driver error.

      It’s not hate, it’s the understandable frustration that almost every driver in the same position would probably express.

      1. Agreed but surely he could have waited before ranting in the media. It not hard you know having a chat with the other driver first.

        I like both of them and they really don’t need this kind of silliness already.

        1. Heat of the moment – does funny things to restraint and logic ;-)

  9. I hope Massa retracts his statement now we know Kamui had a rear brake failure. Both are decent blokes, and Massa wouldn’t gave known of the brake failure on the Caterham when he said this. Shame for both drivers ultimately.

  10. Felipe, baby, calm down..

  11. I’d love Robin Frijns to get a race under his belt, but as as been said before, you can’t fault Kamui for mechanical failures.

  12. Felipe, Bottas is faster than you. Do you understand?

  13. I want Kobayashi banned too! He has cost me money today.

  14. Juan Pablo Heidfeld (@juan-pablo-heidfeld-1)
    16th March 2014, 9:16

    Race ban OTT even if driver error. Start line accidents happen.

    Grosjean banned due to multiple incidents and the fact he took out 3/4 other drivers in a much more dangerous fashion

  15. It’s also worth noting, in all seriousness, that had Massa not had such a bad start he would not have been in a position to be hit.

  16. I can understand Felipe baby’s frustration. Just when he thought his days as a servant are over, his new team-mate outscores him. If Bottas manages to extend the points difference in the next 3-4 races, Felipe will be no 2 at Williams too.

    1. @klaas
      Generally, teams that are not in the WDC fight do not have an obvious #1 and #2.

      1. @kingshark undoubtably, Williams are the biggest losers of this race weekend. I think their car is much better than today’s result would reflect. They were very unlucky with the weather conditions in qualy, then Bottas’ grid penaly, Massa’s crash then another mistake from Bottas etc. I’m sure that Valttteri would have made it to the podium today without that puncture. I’m hoping for a dry Malaysia weekend in order to assess their real position. But given the car’s strong pace in the dry today, I wouldn’t discount them as title contenders.
        P.S Australia is known for producing some unusual podiums, and history showed that the situation is all upside down in Malaysia.

    2. GB (@bgp001ruled)
      17th March 2014, 4:14

      although i strongly dislike alonsos carpet (aka massa) i dont think bottas will be that more superior than massa: the car is good, but both have it and neither of them is that much better driver. that being said, i wish bottas sweeps the floor with that carpet…

  17. To be fair I don’t think he actually called for a race ban, just said that it was a similar accent. I’m sure he realised that Grosjean was already under warning at the time. Also this interview was made during the race so I doubt he would have known that it was a failure and not actually Koby’s fault.

    Still a bit whiney though!

  18. “you know”…

  19. Seriously think back to how many times kobyashi has crashed out of a f1 race and taken other drivers with him. Massa has been there and remembers – kobyashi has been a menace for years. Why do teams keep bringing him back?

  20. GB (@bgp001ruled)
    16th March 2014, 20:29

    massa us now so outspoken!?!? why wasnt he so vocal when he was constantly used as a carpet for alonso by ferrarri and alonso?

    1. GB (@bgp001ruled)
      16th March 2014, 20:31

      not “us”, “is”!

  21. Michael (@freelittlebirds)
    17th March 2014, 0:19

    Well, I think Massa is overreacting BUT at the same time he’s now far behind his rookie teammate.

    It’s funny how the unlucky guys have fallen behind BUT the lucky guys are close.

    Massa got screwed. Hamilton got screwed. (Incidentally they somehow managed to screw each other in 2011)

    Nico gets an automatic win anytime Lewis has a misfortune…

    Button is close to Magnussen & Vettel is dead even with Ricciardo (or is he actually ahead since he put in a few laps?) …

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