Seems that Felipe Massa’s rather mild penalty following the European GP has attracted the ire of a lot fans around the world. Massa was fined a mere 10,000 Euros and escaped any time penalty for his pitlane incident with Adrian Sutil following Massa’s second pt stop. Many who watched the race wondered why Massa would not have received a stop-and-go or 10-second penalty and suggested if it were Lewis Hamilton and not a Ferrari driver, then the eventual ruling would have been harsher.

I realize I have been excessively critical of McLaren this season, usually siding with the FIA on the handful of controversial rulings against the team from Woking. In this case, McLaren isn’t even directly involved, although they would have benefitted if Massa had been docked a finishing position. However, the final ruling from today’s race makes sense. Crucially, there is not a clear cut definition of a safe release from the pit box. Cars running side-by-side down the pitlane is a common occurence in F1 and in all other forms of motorsports that feature routine refueling or tire changes.

Massa did not impede Sutil. If he did, there would have been a collision. Also, Massa did not benefit from the incident nor did he ruin Sutil’s race. It certainly was a close call, and if a recurring pattern were to develop, then a harsher sentence is warranted.

Furthermore, I seriously doubt that if it were Hamilton, and not Massa, who left the pitlane while Sutil was rolling by, that the penalty would have been harsher. Many refer to Hamilton’s penalty in France for completing a pass by cutting the chicane. The difference is that there is no doubt when a chicane is bypassed. There is not gray area in the definition. When a chicane is cut in the process of completing a pass, then the passing driver needs to give the place back. It is not an excuse to argue that the pass would have been completed regardless. If that were the case, then the passing driver would not have cut the chicane in the first place.

Finally, if anyone deserves a penalty for a pitlane incident today, it is Kimi Raikkonen. Crew members were injured and there was the danger of fire when the Ferrari pulled out of the pit box with the fuel hose still attached. However, there is no indication that the FIA is reviewing this incident.

Grand Prix DB provides each driver’s statistical rating prior to the start of the race. A rating of 1.00 is the highest possible score. Here are the Grand Prix DB Power Ratings for the European GP in Valencia:

1. Felipe Massa, 0.87
2. Heikki Kovalainen, 0.81
3. Lewis Hamilton, 0.79
4. Robert Kubica, 0.78
5. Kimi Raikkonen, 0.75
6. Jarno Trulli, 0.71
7. Nick Heidfeld, 0.70
8. Fernando Alonso, 0.61
9. Mark Webber, 0.56
10. Timo Glock, 0.56
11. Sebastian Vettel, 0.53
12. Nelson Piquet Jr, 0.53
13. Rubens Barrichello, 0.51
14. Kazuki Nakajima, 0.51
15. Nico Rosberg, 0.50
16. David Coulthard, 0.45
17. Sebastien Bourdais, 0.40
18. Jenson Button, 0.39
19. Giancarlo Fisichella, 0.29
20. Adrian Sutil, 0.23

With Massa and Hamilton on the front row, it could all come down to the first turn on the tight street circuit. Meanwhile, with his victory in Hungary, Kovalainen’s season has suddenly come together. And all Kubica can hope for is that his team can finally get on top of tire pressures in a race situation.

Grand Prix DB provides each driver’s statistical rating prior to the start of the race. A rating of 1.00 is the highest possible score. Here are the Grand Prix DB Power Ratings for the Hungarian GP:

1. Felipe Massa, 0.86
2. Lewis Hamilton, 0.82
3. Robert Kubica, 0.80
4. Heikki Kovalainen, 0.75
5. Kimi Raikkonen, 0.73
6. Nick Heidfeld, 0.68
7. Jarno Trulli, 0.68
8. Fernando Alonso, 0.63
9. Mark Webber, 0.62
10. Timo Glock, 0.55
11. Rubens Barrichello, 0.53
12. Sebastian Vettel, 0.52
13. Nico Rosberg, 0.50
14. Nelson Piquet Jr, 0.50
15. David Coulthard, 0.49
16. Kazuki Nakajima, 0.43
17. Jenson Button, 0.42
18. Sebastien Bourdais, 0.36
19. Giancarlo Fisichella, 0.25
20. Adrian Sutil, 0.25

Following an incredible turn of events for McLaren and Ferrari in the last two races, Lewis Hamilton and McLaren look to dominate in Hungary for the second year in a row. Can it get any better for Hamilton?

–