Prosecutor: Massa can be jailed if he helps Alonso

November 5, 2010

A Brazilian prosecutor warned Felipe Massa that he could be arrested and sentenced to up to six years in prison if he takes team orders to help Ferrari teammate Fernando Alonso win the Formula One title.

Massa could be charged with fraud if he allows Alonso to pass him or if he does anything else that would somehow alter the result Sunday at in Interlagos, according to prosecutor Paulo Castilho, known for taking up sports causes in Brazil.

“Massa or any other driver who does anything to fraud the result of the race can be arrested and formally charged,” Castilho told The Associated Press on Thursday. “It doesn’t mean that it will happen, it will be up to the local authority in charge of the event to decide whether the law has been broken.”

The law mentioned by Castilho says that it’s a crime to “fraud by any means, or contribute to fraud, in any way, the result of a sporting event.”

Massa arrived at the Brazilian Grand Prix saying he would give way to his teammate if needed Sunday, just as he did while leading the German GP in July so Alonso could earn more points in the race for the title.

“I would do it again, I’m a professional driver,” Massa said earlier this week.