Massa dropped to 11th after gearbox penalty

Ferrari have confirmed they have broken the seal on Felipe Massa’s gearbox due to an “unspecified problem”, therefore he will take a five-place grid penalty for the United States Grand Prix.

A team spokesperson earlier confirmed they were “evaluating the situation,” but it has now been confirmed the team has broken the seal on the unit, therefore the Brazilian will start 11th.

Whilst this is bad news for Massa, it’s great news for team-mate and title protagonist Fernando Alonso who has not only gained a place from his current eighth place starting position, but has been promoted to the cleaner side of the grid which some drivers have described as a major advantage.

The move has therefore been labelled as a purely strategic one by fans in order to give Alonso a better chance at remaining in the title hunt.