Massa: Ferrari’s title win ‘deserved’

FELIPE MASSA believes Ferrari are worthy winners of this season’s Formula One constructors’ title as rivals McLaren were rightly punished for spying.

McLaren were stripped of all constructors’ points this year, as well as fined a record £50million (€71.3m), following the hearing into the case.

With McLaren opting not to appeal, that gave Ferrari their 15th constructors’ crown, one Massa insists is not devalued.

“If we have won the championship because another team has not followed the rules, then we can say that at least we did follow those rules and we won,” remarked Massa.

“As part of the Scuderia, I am pleased with this result, even if it would have been better to win in a different way, but the final outcome is another constructors’ title.

“The team, at the track and in the factory, has done a fantastic job, fighting hard all through the year and so they deserve this success.”

The Brazilian also believes McLaren were right not to launch any appeal, adding: “My personal feeling is that the others probably realised it would not be a good idea.

“Usually, in any sport, if you do something wrong you have to pay the penalty.

“Ask me if it is a fair punishment, if it is enough, then that is difficult to say, but at least they are paying for their mistakes.”

Toyota drivers Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher, meanwhile, are at odds over whether Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso should have escaped sanctions.

Immunity granted by FIA president Max Mosley in return for any information relating to the case ensured the drivers were not thrown out of the championship.

Trulli believes Hamilton and Alonso should have been penalised, saying: “It’s very difficult to judge the spy story.

“You never know the truth if you’re not inside the team, but if you disqualify a team, you should probably disqualify the drivers as well because they’re all involved and work for the same team.

“It’s just a shame Formula One has suffered.”