Ferrari mechanic taken for checks in Singapore Grand Prix
A Ferrari mechanic has been taken to the Singapore Grand Prix medical centre for checks after being to the floor during a chaotic pit stop for Felipe Massa.Brazilian was in 1st place and had led the race comfortably from Lewis Hamilton in the early laps, but lost his advantage when the safety car was deployed on lap 15 following a crash for Renault’s Nelson Piquet Jr.
After few laps under caution, the pit lane was opened and Massa led the majority of cars into their respective pit boxes.
But despite receiving a green light to signify he was clear to leave his stall from the team’s mechanic-controlled ‘traffic light’ system, his fuel hose hadn't disengaged and he drove away with it still attached, throwing a mechanic to the floor.
Ferrari spokesman Luca Colajanni agreed to ITV Sport that the man wasn't seriously injured, but had still been taken to the circuit’s medical centre for checks.
“As you have seen with the car, the nozzle remained stuck in to the car," he told Louise Goodman.
"Then when Felipe started it broke the nozzle with itself and then our mechanic was hit and injured.
“The most important thing is the guy is okay, he is being brought to the medical centre and will see if he has any injuries or not.”
Massa, who was also released from his stall straight into the path of Adrian Sutil's Force India car, was forced to drive down the pit lane with the hose still attached, before pulling to the side where he waited for his mechanics to run down and disengage a nozzle which was still reluctant to release.
Ferrari's traffic light system was criticised in Valencia last month after Massa was also released into the path of Sutil and then team-mate Kimi Raikkonen knocked another mechanic over when he drove away before receiving the green light you can read about it here .
But despite replays suggesting fault for the latest incident lay with one of the mechanics controlling the system rather than Massa, Colajanni insisted it wasn't the right time to aportion blame.
“I have not seen the replay, so I can't tell you anything,” he told.
“I can't tell you exactly what happened, I am sorry.
“I wasn't watching anymore when I saw the guy on the floor – the most important thing was taking care of the guy not who has done the mistake or what was the problem.
"When there are human beings in danger it doesn't matter if it's a human mistake of the driver or the mechanic."
The incident dropped Massa right to the back of the field and any hopes of a fightback were quickly diminished when he was given a drive-through penalty after stewards judged he had been released unsafely into the path of Sutil.
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