•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Hockenheim, Germany. Spaniard Fernando Alonso took full advantage of his Ferrari team’s support for its No.1 driver to win Sunday’s German Grand Prix in controversial circumstances.

Alonso’s win not only revitalized his bid for a third world title, it also crushed his Ferrari teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa’s hopes of victory.

He was told to move over as “Fernando is faster” in a message that signaled he had to let him pass — reviving the old arguments about team orders in Formula One.

Alonso withstood third-placed Sebastian Vettel’s attack at the start before being gifted the lead in the closing stages when Massa was virtually told to concede the leading position.

Massa, told that Alonso was “faster” than him and asked to confirm he understood the message, gave up the fight and finished second ahead of Vettel, in his Red Bull, with the two McLaren drivers, Britons Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, taking fourth and fifth.

Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Australian Mark Webber was sixth, Pole Robert Kubica seventh for Renault ahead of Mercedes drivers and fellow Germans Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher with Russian Vitaly Petrov in the second Renault completing the top ten.

Alonso’s win took him to within 34 points of drivers championship leader Hamilton, who has 157 points.

Button is second with 143 points while Webber and Vettel are third equal with 136 points.

Alonso’s win revived memories of the controversy that followed the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix when Rubens Barrichello was ordered to hand victory to Michael Schumacher — a decision that caused uproar and led to tighter rules on team orders.

Alonso said that he was aware of the obvious team orders.

“I don’t know what happened but I saw Felipe was a little bit slow, and you have to take every opportunity you have,” Alonso said.

“The best thing is the result for the team, top two.”

Massa, clearly distraught at having his first win of the season taken from his grasp, was reluctant to comment.

“I don’t think I need to say anything about it — he passed me. The only thing I feel is that I did a good job for the team, that is the most important thing.

Vettel said he was ‘emotional’ after his first podium finish in front of his home crowd.

“Finishing on the podium is very special for me, it’s very nice and I am very emotional,” he said, adding that he was disappointed with his start but admitted that Ferrari deserved to win.

 
Agence France-Presse.