Mclaren and FibberGate.
I haven’t posted on the results of the Paris FibberGate inquiry by the WMSC because frankly I became very bored of the topic. I will say I was surprised, shocked is too strong a word, they only got a suspended sentence.
The outcome falls in line with the slap on the wrist ass Max “The Littlest Perv” Mosley received, which was basically a waggle of their collective fingers and no banishment to Outer Mongolia or somewhere outside the FIA[sco] hierarchy.
Anyway, what prompted this post was a unique take on FibbeGate’s outcome offered by Oliver Holt of the British tabloid The Mirror.
Holt’s take is Mclaren, between this incident and SpyGate, has sunk lower than whale dung.
Specifically, Mclaren has been “dishonoured and shamed, exposed as liars and cheats,” and “have sunk so low and been so thoroughly discredited that the FIA couldn’t even be bothered to punish them any more.”
They’ve taken pity on the poor boys!
Funny stuff, I don’t necessarily agree with the premise, but concede anything’s possible with the whackjobs that run the place.
The more likely scenario Holt touches on later in the piece:
Fia boss Max Mosley and F1 top dog Bernie Ecclestone are also smart enough to know that if they had banned McLaren for three races, another dose of humiliation might have driven their engine partners and majority shareholders, Mercedes, out of the sport.
BINGO!
Holt wins a brand spanking new & uncuddled Cupie Doll.
And with McLaren supplying engines to F1’s newest darling Brawn GP and Force India (Red Bull is reportedly looking at Woking for 2010) pissing off the boys at Woking just won’t do.
They might stomp their feet and take their toys, and Brawns, Force India’s and possibly Red Bull’s toys and go home.
As a side note: With the current swine flu seemingly spreading unabated, and with the Spanish GP only ten days away, there’s been concern raised over holding the event.
Reports are the Spanish region of Catalunya (location of the GP) is recording the highest incidence of flu infections on the European continent. As a result it’s suggested the event be held before empty grandstands.
The report quotes German health minister Ulla Schmidt as concurring that a potential pandemic, and public gatherings of thousands of people, do not mix.
“Everyone understands that there cannot be a major gathering of 70,000 people, if thousands of them could become infected,” she said.
Interesting development if it occurs, it would be a strange sight to see the pit straight stands devoid of people.
And no Grid Girls!
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In lieu of the public at the Spanish GP, invite all of the current FIA council members, Max and Bernie, along with a contingent of Mexican swine flu carriers.
Something good can always comes out of a pandemic!
Well they have now gotten off with a three race ban……suspended.
While you could be right about the fear that a serious penalty could see Merc withdraw from F1 or damage the image of the sport as a whole I see it another way.
The FIA have put a little kicker in this non penalty.
“(The penalty)….This will only be applied if further facts emerge regarding the case or if, in the next 12 months, there is a further breach by the team of article 151c of the International Sporting Code.”
The conspiracy theorist in me see this as one of Max’s little time bombs. Dont be at all startled if in the coming months facts emerge of McLarens complicity in a bigger deception than has been admitted to. Even the bit about a further breach of article 151c smacks of Max leaving the team hanging in the wind with him waiting for the slightest infraction. I’m serious, Max has McLaren’s balls on the chopping block & is going to make them sweat.
While I wont go as far as Dave Ryan selling his account of the whole episode to News of the World, anything is possible. Wait & see.
Peter, I noted the caveat inserted into the ruling.
Seems to me that was also part of the initial ruling in SpyGate and what ultimately cost Mclaren BIG time.
BTW Peter and George, did you see the BBC has started something they call “Weasel Television?”
Well, actually that’s my tag on it, but you get the idea.
EEYEWWW! I needed to wash my hands after linking to that BBC site. A headline that contains the words honesty & Mosley?
Interesting audio from Eddie Jordan (who has become the most boring, if not redundant, addition to the new BBC coverage) he maintains that Ron’s head was what the FIA was after. He goes on to say that Mercedes HQ gave him a shove.
Who knows? It does seem to have a ring of truth to it.
Peter, if you needed to wash your hands after viewing that link I guess you should be warned not to read my latest post on Le BeBe as George calls him.
NEWSFLASH: Crossing the wires as I write this comment.
Gee, one of F1’s mega-spenders warning the budget cap “may hurt F1.”
Who’d a think such a possibility?! Well, besides the mega-spenders I mean.
Wow, if you read into Max’s response to Luca it is almost saying that his intention is to drive the manufacturers out of the sport, or at the very least bring them to heel. Max seems to be presenting as a foregone conclusion that the autos will withdraw.
If I understand this, Max wants the indie’s to go for the lower budget & have a technical advantage which will dilute the engineering clout of the autos.
Is Max trying to give the autos a shove out the door so that he can return to the good old days of indie teams……that can be bullied around?
Regardless, Ferrari will not leave F1, where the hell would they go? Sportscars? Luca, just shut up & go with the tide. Ferrari will always be the “grandee” team & will never be short of sponsors wanting space on a scarlet car.
For what its worth I see a two tier F1 as a disaster. Saving the manufacturers from themselves is another separate subject.
Well now it would appear Max is happy to go to the mats with Ferrari.
F1 will survive without Ferrari:- http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74995
Max does make sense when he talks about autos pulling out of F1 when the contracts are up to be renewed. In that, Honda was the exception when it dived for the exit.
Hey, what’s up with the V8 drivers tossing unkind verbage at each other at Winton this weekend?