Budapest, Hungary, Statement
The process of managing two such exceptional talents as Fernando
and Lewis is made more challenging by having a race winning
car.
Every effort was made yesterday by the team to maintain our
policy of equality; however in the heat of the battle there
are occasions when the competitive nature of drivers sees
them deviate from the agreed procedures.
During this intense and frenetic period of qualifying, decisions
are necessarily made in seconds to enable the drivers and
the team to position their cars on the track at the optimal
moment.
We agree with the stewards, that when the team decided to
hold Fernando for 20 seconds there were four cars on the circuit.
However, we do not understand the relevance of this observation
as the team needed to estimate where all the remaining cars
would be in the final minutes of the session. Similarly the
team does not agree with the statement of the stewards that
the 20 second hold caused Lewis to be impeded. Tensions were
undeniably high and the problem at Fernando’s first
stop; the desire to enter a clear track and concerns expressed
following the fitting of used tyres undoubtedly contributed
to the delay in Fernando’s ultimate departure.
We do not believe that the findings of the stewards and the
severe penalty imposed on the team are appropriate, and that
our strenuous efforts to maintain the spirit of fair play
and equality within the team have been misunderstood.
We are, however, now only hours away from an important race
and are focusing all our efforts on achieving the best possible
result for the drivers.
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