Formula One: Thursday Notes
Despite the F1 Circus rolling out their tent in the Middle Eastern island nation of Bahrain the biggest F1 stories are coming out of Germany and the U.K.
The Stuttgarter Zeitung newspaper quotes Helmut Lense, a member of the supervisory board of Mercedes-Mclaren parent Daimler, that may raise some doubt whether they will continue in the sport after the current season.
“Daimler has the goal to be prominent with ‘green technology’. Does formula one fit? Would it be the right signal to step out of F1 now and instead concentrate on pollution-free propulsion technologies?” Lense told the paper.
That could just be a verbal nudge to the FIA to get on with their “green initiative,” or coupled with a report from the U.K.’s Telegraph newspaper it could mean much more.
According to the paper a source close to one of McLaren’s key sponsors said: “I can say that if a disproportionately large penalty were given to McLaren on April 29 then the sponsor that I am associated with might leave. But the punishment must fit the crime. If there is an irrefutable case of corporate deception then fair enough.
“I think we all know the subtext here; the FIA wanted to oust Ron Dennis. I believe the governing body have allowed this situation to escalate and it is doing no one any good – not McLaren, not the FIA and certainly not the sport. Apart from anything else, it is dissuading other potential sponsors from entering Formula One.”
I’d disagree the FIA has had a part in any escalation. They did what they had to do as the story unfolded.
Mercedes-Mclaren lost their Australian points but as more details behind FibberGate were reveled they had no choice but to haul the parties involved before the Kangaroo Court WMSC.
Not being privy to details of sponsor contracts I’ll rely on the Telegraph’s account.
They claim if found guilty of violating Article 151c - the second time in three years that they have been found guilty of bringing the sport into disrepute - clauses in the contracts of the team’s major sponsors, such as Vodafone and Diageo would allow them to walk away from McLaren.
That’s unsurprising as most sports related contracts contain some type of “morality” clause. Whether or not the sponsors chose to invoke the clause is an entirely different matter, the number of sports stars caught in various episodes of immorality, for lack of a better term, is endless but damn few contracts are voided.
We’ll have to wait and see how it plays out.
IN OTHER NEWS:
The British GP is under threat of extinction. Again.
It seems Donington Park’s owners are pursuing Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd for £2.47m in rent arrears. They also want the track operator to forfeit their 150-year lease on the circuit, which was granted at the start of 2007.
This is in addition to construction delays that have cast a shadow over 2010’s British GP, a shadow that only gets darker as Bernie “The Gnome” Ecclestone has let it be known in no uncertain terms if Donington Park isn’t ready the event will not be returned to Silverstone.
2010 Canadian GP anyone? You can set aside any USGP dreams of grandeur, the acrimony between “The Gnome” and Tony George is too much to overcome I suspect.
Finally, I’ll pose this question:
Why is it a “frightening prospect” if Ferrari fails to score a point in Bahrain and for the first time in its long F1 history they complete the first 4 events with large goose eggs in the DC and CC tables?
It might be a bit scary to the occasional Tifosi, a couple might even be found on bridges over the Rhine or Elbe wearing cement over shoes, but to the rest of us - not so much.
A final, final thought:
McLaren Electronic Systems, an independent trading company of the McLaren Group, has been awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation. The award was given for “the design, manufacture and deployment of the standard Electronic Control Unit (ECU) for the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Formula One World Championship for the 2008, 2009 and 2010 racing seasons.”
Might I suggest future ECU units be retro fitted with a Lie Detector function.
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I dont blame the FIA for MM appearance at the WMSC at all, MM dug themselves into that hole without any assistance. Nor am I convinced toppling Ron was the motivation (notwithstanding that Ron was moving on anyway).
If anything the FIA seems to be going out of its way to limit the damage to the golden child, they have already stated that he has been punished enough….which may turn out to be a mistake if Ryan is proven to be a patsy.
Who is the sponsor? I always thought Santander wanted out since the Alonso fiasco, they came onboard because of him. That release sounds like somebody who is on side, I’m guessing Vodafone or Johnny Walker.
“Mercedes-Mclaren lost their Australian points but as more details behind FibberGate were reveled they had no choice but to haul the parties involved before the Kangaroo Court WMSC.”
Of course the FIA had a choice. The error caused by Mac’s unwillingness to ‘fess up to their “lie” has been more than amply punished. The FIA’s further pursuit of the matter could have been dropped and been done with after the race penalties were imposed. And of course they have Ryan’s head on a platter as well as Ron’s subsequent seppuku resignation.
As far as Mercedes baling out of the sport it’s EXACTLY what Max wants as vindication for his whacky 30 mil annual budget. Which is why I’ve previously predicted the death penalty getting dropped on Mac come 4/29.
Peter, if you can’t see Max’s hand prints all over this I’m going to recall your foil hat!
I’m still not convinced George, while Max must be laughinging his head off MMM seems to have dug their own grave without any help from the FIA. The matter had to be investigated after it became clear that they had lied. The penalty of being stripped of the Oz points does not address the totality of the team’s involvement in the whole attempt to cheat Trulli & Toyota out of what theirs.
I will meet you in the middle, if WMSC on Wednesday proves to be an inquisition I will return my foil hat.
BTW, SOMEBODY(??) leaked this McLaren apology;& it sure as hell wasn’t MM.
My real gripe in this entire mess is how Hamilton seems to have side-stepped his involvement in the lies.
I hope they sanction Hambone as well as DQing McLaren. I agree that Lewis is just as, if not more culpable, than the team. Can’t punish one without the other.
If they Banned Lewis and McLaren from the tile hunts, would Mac continue to run Kovy and promote one of their test drivers for the balance of the season???
Slam them both I say, the entire thing stinks, and it ain’t a red hot KERS I smell.
Hamilton is not going to cop anymore than he has already in the race exclusion, of that I am sure. I think I read that Whitmarsh alone will face the WMSC.
Merc & the sponsors have fired a few shots at the potential of a draconian penalty. I’m betting on a fine & a one or two race ban. Honda got two races for the dodgy fuel tank a few years back.