Felipe Massa has called for stricter penalties in Formula E

The Brazilian has called for a more heavy-handed approach from the FIA in order to improve the on-track behaviour of drivers in Formula E. Reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne has been highly critical of some of his rivals in recent weeks after a host of incidents in the opening four races of the season, and Massa thinks his complaints are justified. “We have a lot of penalties on the technical side, maybe not enough on the sporting side,” said Massa. “I think maybe they [the FIA] need to work a little bit on the sporting side because sometimes you see drivers pushing another one out or maybe cutting a chicane and gaining an advantage and not being penalised.

“If you have the rules, you need to follow the rules [...] It happens this year, many incidents in the race that drivers were not penalised. “I believe, on the technical side, they [the FIA] are doing a lot [of penalties] – everything that you are doing, they penalise. I’m not saying it’s wrong, but on the sporting side they [the FIA] are a lot more free and they need to analyse it in a better way.” Massa’s comments come on the back of his first points in Formula E, having brought his Venturi home eighth in the Mexico ePrix. The former Ferrari F1 ace has already been involved in a number of incidents during his short career in the electric series, including angering Oliver Rowland and being labelled a ‘f****** ridiculous amateur’ by Nelson Piquet Jnr at the Marrakesh ePrix.

The Brazilian wants the FIA to clamp down on poor driving standards

Meanwhile, Vergne has been caught up in clashes at both of the previous two races with the Frenchman lucky to avoid injury after Piquet flew over the top of his DS Techeetah car in Mexico. He was then tapped into a spin by Mitch Evans after the restart, leading him to say: "There is a massive frustration. "I got hit, I spun, the guy [Evans] has no penalty, I got overtaken by three cars under full-course yellow and none of them has a penalty. "A guy that overtook cut the chicane and hit me and doesn't have any penalty.

Reigning champion Jean-Eric Vergne has been critical of his rivals in recent weeks

"So I want to understand what the rule is - maybe it's a new rule and next race everybody will hit each other. It's already the case. "I'm not playing that game but to me this is not motorsport. "I don't like this kind of racing - you don't see this in Formula 1, like drivers crashing into each other non-stop. "I hope it will change because I'm not enjoying this at all."

Massa picked up the first points of his Formula E career in Mexico last time out