Felipe Massa was encouraged to “destroy” Lewis Hamilton’s Singapore Grand Prix via a radio message from his Ferrari race engineer, new official footage released from the race has revealed.
Massa and Hamilton had several run-ins during the Singapore weekend, clashing on-track in both qualifying and the race and then having a heated exchange in the paddock after the former confronted his McLaren rival in the media interview ‘pen’.
The post-race incident was prompted by Massa’s anger towards what he claimed was Hamilton’s “mindless” driving, the Briton having earlier punctured the Ferrari’s rear tyre when he misjudged his turn-in to the corner after backing out of an overtaking move.
It was not the first time the pair have clashed this year and the subsequent release of Formula One Management’s regular race edit video for Singapore on the sport’s official website – which includes footage and radio messages not made available on the live television world feed – could stoke any lingering ill-feeling further courtesy of a previously unheard radio message from Massa’s race engineer Rob Smedley at an unspecified point of the race.
Smedley is heard to say: “Hold Hamilton as much as we can.
“Destroy his race as much as we can. Come on boy.”
Most observers in Singapore felt that Hamilton had clearly been at fault in the collision that also saw him break his own front wing – a verdict shared by the race stewards’ given he was handed a drive-through penalty – and Smedley’s instruction to Massa could be interpreted as no more than natural partisan encouragement of his driver to keep a faster car behind.
The emergence of the radio message, and particular use of the word "destroy", is nonetheless likely to ensure the fued between Massa and Hamilton continues to be a talking point heading into this weekend’s Japanese GP.
Earlier in the season the 2008 title rivals had a run-in at Monaco, Massa labelling Hamilton "too aggressive" after a clash which caused his retirement.
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