29/09/2009
NEWS STORY
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The response to my recent article on the FIA and my call for a clean sweep at the Place de la Concorde has been overwhelming. Furthermore, it comes as little surprise that of the many e-mails received not one was in disagreement, far from it. I mentioned a number of scandals that have blighted the sport on Max Mosley's watch, however, as our readers were only too eager to point out, there have been many more.
In the wake of numerous e-mails issued at the weekend in which various F1 'names' gave their full support to Jean Todt's campaign for the FIA presidency, I believe the YouTube clip of Ari Vatanen attempting to shake hands with his presidential rival on the grid in Singapore encapsulates all that is wrong with the FIA, indeed, Formula One, at present.
Vatanen, in his attempt to be seen shaking the hand of his rival, as most politicians would do, is fully aware that 'the powers that be' do not want any such photo opportunity. Therefore the Finn is forced to barge his way in, much to the obvious disgust of Bernie Ecclestone. In this brief eleven second clip you can see all that is wrong with the running of F1 today, it is a very, very, very small club and outsiders are not welcome.
Sadly, fans are not allowed any input into the running of the sport, but then again, nor are the teams, the drivers or the sponsors, instead it is a small group of men determined to maintain the status-quo and run the sport their way, same as it ever was.
You won't get a vote at next month's election, instead the future of your sport will be decided by the heads of numerous motoring clubs and associations around the world, most of whom have little or no interest in F1. Much as it is in political life in the real world, deals will be done, backs scratched and favours granted, and as a result F1 will face five, maybe ten, years of Jean Todt carrying on where Max Mosley left off, not that he will completely let go.
You won't get a vote, but you do at least have an opportunity to vent your frustration and, echoing Howard Beale (Peter Finch) in Network shout aloud; "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it any more".
Voice your anger and frustration at what has happened to the sport, what continues to happen, and refuse to be brushed aside like Ari Vatanen in the YouTube clip.
We understand that even at this time plans are in place for another scandal to break just ahead of next month's election. The story, which will go public with perfect timing, goes back to the Italian Grand Prix and might well see one more head on the railings outside the Place de la Concorde.
No more scandals, no more vendettas, no more bullying, instead we want honesty, transparency and integrity, a sport to be proud of.
Ahead of this vital election, as the future of the F1 hangs in the balance, we want your views on its current governance and where the sport should be heading from here. You don't have a vote but you do have a voice. Some of those who do have a vote might well listen.
Let's hear what you think.
Chris Balfe
Editor
To send your thoughts, click here
Note: Please include your full name - without a full valid name we will not publish your entry.
John De Quincey
The clip on Youtube (I can hear BE on the phone to his lawyers "Get that clip removed") shows all that is wrong with F1. Todt has been groomed to replace Mosley, so we will have the same old. We as fans do not get a say, worse still we are not listened to. We are subjected to things like the Singapore GP, which was rubbish, but it nets BE a few more pounds.
We (the fans) want circuits (not streets, and that includes Monaco) that cars can RACE on, we want cars built to the same rules, we want rules applied fairly to all drivers and teams (no political adjustments).
The rot set in when Benetton cheated, and Schumacher punted off Hill and they got away with it. They enjoyed the accolade and left all teams with the view 'cheating succeeds'. Let Vatanen become FIA President, bring in new ideas not politically motivated, but motivated by wanting to make F1 a great racing series where the best engineers and drivers shine and cheats are banned.
I could go on about celebrities, the British GP, the overtaking group, Kers, new team manipulation, outing anyone in F1 or the press that dares to speak out (well done Pitpass on that score), pit stops, unfair penalties but would the FIA listen?
Paul Gladwell
Let there be no doubt; in the real world Mosley would have resigned/been sacked after the revelations about his private life regardless of how his indiscretions were brought to the public's attention. Not only did he not resign his position actually strengthened! Completely beyond belief but proof of how strong the old pals act must be. Had justice been served then we would not be facing this sham of a free election now; it all would have been sorted out long ago and anyone in the slightest associated with Mosley would have been unelectable.
The form of current governance can be summed up very simply in one word: dictatorship.
This probably explains why the incumbents wish to see Todt takeover the reins since there would be absolutely no change in style; just ask anyone who was involved with either Peugeot or Ferrari about his style of leadership in those two teams! And how is it that we continually see pictures off Todt and his wife glad handing their way around the World at the expense of the FIA but really carrying on an election campaign for free? Because the old pals want them to succeed! Well I do not. Perhaps some newshound should go searching for some skeletons in Todt's cupboard; I bet there are quite a few.
Yet change, and major change overall, is what is so desperately needed by the governing body if any credibility is to be regained with the fans. I, for one, am completely fed up with the interfering, irrational workings of the FIA not to mention it's undisguised witch-hunts; I would certainly not describe myself as a supporter of either McLaren or Ron Dennis but their treatment was completely beyond belief. The World may well be in the grip of economic recession but is there any other sport where the governing body tells its members how much they can spend? Just imagine the reaction if the FA told Manchester City how much they would allow them to spend on players and, to make sure the abided by the limits, independent auditors would be sent in with or without their permission! All the FIA knows about is levying fines and they don't even carry out that function in a consistent and fair manner; it knows nothing about running big business and even less about rule making. Just keep their nose out of what does not concern them and stick to what does but then if they did that they would be unable to put their snouts into the money trough wouldn't they.
Ari Vatanen is a breath of fresh air. He is completely untainted by what has preceded him and as such should get the job automatically. Once in power he could then clear out all the old hangers on and get the FIA back to doing what it was set up to do; making sure the rules are followed by all, including themselves, not trying to change the rules.
No chance for him then is there? Sad, so sad. R.I.P. FIA
Nick Bee - Johannesburg
It is with disgust that I read Todt's feeling toward South Africa.
Motorsport SA's (MSA) MD makes a very valid point or two in her reply to Todt, who clearly may have upset a few other presidents in Africa who will vote next month. I sincerely hope this is the case.
The thought of another scandal breaking, and as you put it, (conveniently timed) might be one specifically aimed to sabotage Ari Vatanen's campaign and capsize his hopes as president is my guess.
We can only hope that our local Automobile Association sees the light and sides with MSA to vote for Ari Vatanen.
Peter Ward
The crux is to weed out the rubbish at the top. Its the leadership that sets the "tone", and quite frankly at present it's nasty and discordant!. There is little I can meaningfully add to your excellent summary of what's wrong, and what should be done to rectify things.
"No more scandals, no more vendettas, no more bullying, instead we want honesty, transparency and integrity, a sport to be proud of..."
It's an awful buzz word, but "transparency" really is the key. An FIA run as an "open" organisation whose inner-workings were made visible, if not acessible to all would almost automatically meet these requirements. The scandals etc. can only flourish because they are allowed to hatch and grow in dark corners. Max and his cronies really don't like any light to be shone on what they do, because despite all the bluster, they are themselves ashamed of what they have made the sport under their stewardship.
The other key word is "integrity". The Oxford English Dictionary defines this as:
"1 the quality of being honest and morally upright. 2 the state of being whole or unified. 3 soundness of construction. - ORIGIN Latin integritas, from integer 'intact, whole'. "
I don't think it's necessary to labour the point of the relevance of this to F1 and it's management.
I'm fed up to the back teeth with all those justifications of Schumacher (and Senna's) cheating as being "ruthless" or "driven". They may well have been, but they were cheats. Once you allow such behaviour it becomes almost obligatory. Drivers and teams who don't cheat "don't want it enough" and so on. Stirling Moss, Bruce McLaren, Jim Clark, Fangio, Mike Hawtorn, and countless others managed to be pretty motivated and "ruthless" without cheating. Even notorious 'wide boys' like Colin Chapman may have pushed the limits, but they at least acknowledged that there were limits....
Penalties for "cheating" etc need not be like the ludicrous $100M fine on McLaren. They need to be consistent and applied even-handedly. If (say) 10 points were docked for every offence, then it would stop soon enough. Winning counts, just not at any cost.
Make the role of the teams integral to the definition and application of the rules and Technical Regulations of F1. Introduce some form of independent arbiter into the process to sort out disputes that cannot otherwise be resolved. Make the processes of FIA and all its representatives clear, open and FAST.
Give the teams a bigger stake in the financial success of F1.
I could probably go on forever, but in truth would merely be reiterating issues that derive from the lack of Transparency and integrity in the running of F1.
Iain Paterson - Aberdeen
Professional journalists and other commentators on F1 need to use the power of the press and the Internet. This has been particularly effective in the recent MPs expenses scandal and the release of the Lockerbie terrorist in Britain, not only in bringing the matter to the public's attention, but also in keeping it there and exploring the hidden agendas. These are serious stories, but they reflect in part the public's refusal to be fobbed off by interest groups of one view or another now that they have constantly streaming information. And it lets you see exactly what our politicians are like.
As another correspondent has stated, Pitpass has used its website before to air views that the powers that be don't want to be placed in the public eye and it is in the interests of the sport that other journalists do so as well.
This and other websites have documented the jelly-like behaviour of certain publications - online and hard-copy - whenever something unpleasant leaks into the public domain via the FIA's lapdogs. So what if your pitpasses and access to the corporate troughs are stoppped. Surely there are upright hacks who can supply some real insight without resorting to the FIA's gutter tactics? Your readers deserve more respect.
Ari Vatanen also deserves the opportunity to bring some sanity to the FIA, so let's have a little journalistic back-stiffening and put the self-serving on the back foot for a change. We all saw what Jake Humphrey did to Bernie Ecclestone at Singapore! Come on guys - what can the FIA do if you all stick together for the good of the sport.
Matthew Smith - USA
Give me more, please. More scandal. More uncivilized behavior. More favoratism. More bullying and scare tactics. More biased campaigns. More secrecy and closed-door machinations. More vendettas. More capriciousness. More rule changes. And more parades, definitely more parades like Singapore.
And give me less, please. Less passing. Less skill. Less innovation. Less sportsmanship. Less integrity and transparency. Less passion.
In short, keep doing what you are doing, but with more dedication, please.
Because the sooner you do, the sooner it all blows up in your face and the rest of us can once again enjoy the pinnacle of motorsport without feeling like we've just participated in a burlesque show.
Rupert Culwick
Ari Vatanen would certainly bring with him a fresh approach, but I fear that the incumbents will find a way to derail his efforts.
Briatore, Symonds and Renault have all been punished for the ''crash-gate'' fiasco, but if you believe Piquet Snr, the FIA knew all about this nearly a year ago. Why was it covered up then and why have the person/s responsible for the cover up not been brought before the WMSC? To cover up a crime is as bad as committing the crime itself.
It certainly appears to me, as a motor sport enthusiast, that the FIA is ruled by people who only have their own interests in mind, not that of the sport. Was the cover up kept in place because Renault would almost certainly have withdrawn at the end of 2008 had they been punished or maybe the more sinister one of MM collecting dirt on his adversaries?
Let us hope that enough clubs see that the time has come for the FIA to be cleaned out.
George Daszkowski - Canada
My opinion as a fan may carry little weight but when an august institution such as the New York Times which normally carries F1 news on the sports page is moved to write an editorial on the state of morality in F1 and asks uncomfortable questions about the leadership of the sport, clearly it is time for a change.
Jean Todt, with his close ties to the existing power structure, is clearly not evidence of change. Ari Vatanen for preisdent.
Keith Watson - South Africa
After being a total F1 enthusiast for the last fifty years I despair and I am sickened at the state of the sport.
What can be done ?
Well we as the "punter" can do sweet b.a. which begs the question how do we or how can we as a small percentage true enthusiasts amongst the of the millions who watch and enjoy F1 make a noise and have our views heard ?
To this, one wonders if any of the folk who control F1 actually care what we the ultimate "end user" thinks.
If I owned a slice of the action ( I should be so lucky ) and as a businessman I would be extremely concerned about my investment in F1 at this stage.
Please forgive me if I sound like an old fart but I feel the whole of F1 is beyond the pale and suspect.
It's all rather sad.
Martin Feldwick
Sadly many people who do not follow the sport consider F1 as a bunch of wide boys on the make . They are almost certainly correct up to a point. The mother of one of my daughter's rather posh friends told me that she went out with a well known racing driver in the 60's. " They are all on the make" she told me, "all crooks and wideboys". No change there then.
The only body that can alter this sad perception is the FIA. At present it just adds to the overall "twighlight of the gods " feel to F1 these days, casting bent judgments like confetti and pontificating on everything except how to do its job with justice and even handedness. Even its elections seem rigged and some of the heads of the various affiliated motoring clubs in less well off countries with few actual cars hardly inspire confidence to vote with impartiality, assuming they actually know what it means. I am sure Max or Jean wont tell them.
In 2012 the Concorde Agreement is up for grabs again. Lets not sign it. Lets get rid of all the old blaggers, cheats, liars and crooks and have an actual sport for a change, not a private cockfight.
Fred Rodermond
I don't see why we even need the FIA!
Races would not be sanctioned by some international body. The promoter of the event would negotiate directly with FOTA and FOM for an event, and all the terms (safety, date, $$) would be negotiated between those parties.
Just like in the music business, where rock-band tours are not sanctioned by an international body...
Graham Bell
I notice one of Todt's ideas, if he gets elected, is to appoint a commissioner to oversee F1. I wonder if that man could be Max Mosley.
David Jones
What supporters do not realize is the depth and complexity, (now strengthened with the failure of FOTA to stand its strong position), of the designed legal participation, (Sidley Austin LLP) enhanced by current FIA officers.
"Following The Money", would serve well to expose the ills of the sport; but doing that will expose more (situations and people) than the FIA.
Media and reporters should canvass the Automobile Clubs questioning why they support, (and what they receive) from supporting current sitting FIA officers and FIA sponsored candidates.
And how does the FIA hold onto it's "Non-Profit" status? Making a few "Public Service Safety Announcments" seems to be the ticket to a "Five Star" lifestyle. And exactly what and how much compensation do FIA officers receive?
Why does a "For Profit" corporation like CVC still employ Ecclestone? Could it be because of FIA, with Ecclestones', as well as favored teams historical political views are the same?
Questions needing answers. Until that happens, fans and any sponsors should turn them out and off. "Follow the Supporters Money" out the door will do more for change than anything else.
Paul Anderson - A Kiwi in Houston
You know, I'm a big F1 fan, have been for years. I'm also a big Sci-Fi fan, have been for years. One of my favourite shows is the Stargate franchise. You know, the show where people are forced to obey false GODs. Hmmm, starting to sound familiar for some reason…
Andreas Davour
It's simple. Todt will win, and F1 is dead as a doornail. The last hope went away when FOTA chickened out. Max will rule by proxy. Sadly.
Mike Southern
Main messages from me in addition to those of your good selves;
Simple, enforceable rules, consistently applied;
Enough of the rulebook that limits innovation, leads to inequality and ultimately increases costs. Enough of rules that can be interpreted in different ways;
limit the quantity of fuel the teams can run to a mass that can be simply measured, not one kg more, and then let the teams design an engine that uses that fuel in the most efficient way.. THEN we'll see the engineers earning their money and more than likely we'll also see some technology that could be applied to real life too.
Enforce green competition by reducing the amount of fuel permitted per race on an annual basis, say 10% per year reduction.
Get rid of the two compound tyre rule… it's messed up so many races this season. Let the teams use the compound that best suits their car and strategy - it's senseless to force a team to use a tyre that just doesn't work!
Allow rookies to spend time acclimatising to the cars… it's embarrassing and dangerous having mobile chicanes on the circuit.
Consistency in application of the rulebook; appoint a stewards panel to review incidents and reach a decision which is commensurate with the incident and consistent in it's application. This weekend we saw Nico Rosberg penalised from a podium position to back of the grid due to a small error (which did not result in any danger to another driver and gained him no advantage), that was unjust and a direct consequence of the safety car period just prior to the penalty which was no fault of Nico's. We also saw Webber being told to let drivers past when two weeks previously the same moves went unremarked…
How can Renault escape punishment completely for cheating, yet McLaren get a $100M fine…? it's ludicrous, and only serves to feed speculation that the punishment doesn't fit the crime, but fits the preferences of the FIA.
Lift the lifetime ban on Flav… OK, he's a wrong'un, but even Stepney and Coughlan were able to come back… (although for the life of me I can't understand who'd employ them!)
And why no ban for the slimy Piquet Jr? (Only following orders? Haven't I heard that before somewhere?)
And Lewis would be well advised to keep his thoughts about Crashgate to himself - he seems to have forgotten that earlier this season he lied to the FIA about a certain overtaking incident.
Nigel Kirkpatrick
I've followed F1 for 20 years, fell in love with Mansell in his blood red Ferrari, a madman in a howling V12 dragon, snorting flames on the over run and belching great clouds of sparks. Murray in the background ( aaaand Mansells.. on.. a.. CHARGE!). I fell in love immediately, a passing interest immediately transformed into an obsession.
2 Months ago I sat in front of the computer praying for FOTA to kill F1, praying for my beautiful Formula One to die.
How the hell did it end up like this.
Michal Binkiewicz - Poland
Don't expect any change in FIA coz Bernie won't allow it. F1 has never been a sport. It's circus ruled by Bernie and Max.
The outcome of every championship is under influance by ppl from FIA and Bernie. Why they should give up and let Vatanen control their bussines?
I miss Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansel and other drivers commited to racing. Nowadays we have to watch boring races without overtaking. Drivers with No. 1 status wants to win before race goes underway.
The only way to change F1 is the inupt of fans. We should boycot it. Now it's the best moment to do it coz Brawn's have championship already in the bag. No TV audienc during races on new tracks is a massage to responsible ppl for the show.
John Stovall - Sherman, TX USA
After 36 years watching F1 (and living in the US, 36yrs is quite an achievement) I've completely tossed aside the idea that F1 is actually a sport. We were warned by Jacques Villeneuve that F1 was full of posers, but no one listened. The problem was the messenger not the message. I could possibly be convinced it was a sport for 2 hours every other weekend, but with the latest "crashgate" scandal I just can't see it as a true "sport" any longer. Sure there were others, but there was always the hope that wasn't premeditated like the latest and greatest scandal to come down the road.
I'm sorry, but it's not just a clean sweep of the FIA that's needed it's a clean sweep of F1. The fans are a complete afterthought. If I could tell everyone involved with F1 one thing (not that anyone would hear it, as they are too busy admiring themselves) it would be that the FAN is not an interruption of their day, but the reason for it.
Kris Campanale - Portland, USA
As someone who was at the 2005 US Grand Prix, I, like many witnessed the incompetence of the FIA and F1's top brass first hand. In the real world, a blunder of this scale or even a fraction of the level of Indianapolis 2005 would be met with a serious change in management - if nothing more to assure the public/shareholders/etc that nothing similar would never happen again. Instead the whole thing got pawned off on Michelin, and while Michelin should share some of the blame (they did make the faulty tires after all) it's the FIA that has the responsibility to oversee everything leading up to the event and it was their mis-managemnet that caused the farce in the first place.
As I watched the Singapore GP this weekend I was commenting to my fiancee that I felt bad for anyone who spent their own money on seeing the Singapore GP in person. And then it hit me, the race-itself (from when the lights went out to flying of the checkered flag) was almost identical to the 2005 USGP. I mean there were obviously more cars in Singapore, but in terms of a parade around the course with minimal on track action, the two races were almost identical. The difference between the two really only boils down to this. In 2005, the FIA/F1 took away what could have been a great race and gave a crap race. At Singapore they just gave us a crap race full stop.
As long as the F1 managment and FIA are simply out to use motorsport to line the pockets of a select few at the cost of the fans, this downward spiral will continue. This is why we need fresh blood in the FIA, preferably someone involved with the labor rather than the management side of motorsport. Someone who has a hands-on experience with motorsport rather than trying to exploit it. With this in mind, Ari Vatanen may just be the guy that we racing fans are looking for.
Dave Kane - Scottsdale, AZ
That clip shows all that is wrong with Dictatorships.
Neal Weingart
The real subject for this "Talking Point" should be the transformation of the once motorsport of "Formula One" into a global business. This business has concentrated it's power and influence (as the editor so accurately described in his last article) within a small group which have very successfully marketed the "show" to television and linked with that media to sponsorship at the team level. The commercial arm of this group has duped track owners into accepting such restrictive contracts that they are all struggling to survive year by year.
As a result the monies that keep this group in power do not come from the fan base, hence they have no voice in the governance of the business.
The great weakness of formula one fans is that they go to the races, watch the races on tv and read about F1 in magazines and books and on the internet no matter what cheating, lying, bullying or fraudulent behavior is involved in the business.
Until race venues walk away from F1's outrageous contracts, until the fans stop going to F1 races and no longer support the print/web media of F1, the currect oligarchs of F1 will continue to conduct business as they see fit and woe to anyone who tries to inhibit their rule.
Paul Jamieson
To my mind, two things are needed to save Formula 1.
Ari Vatenen to be elected and immediately undertake a clean sweep in Paris.
A change of commercial rights holder (or abolition of the post altogether, at least in its present form)
Wishful thinking and naive? Probably.
But I have watched Formula 1 in dismay for the past few years, probably starting with the US 2005 "race", and it shows no signs that the two men mostly responsible for the mess are in any way willing to accept their culpability, let alone show any sense of repentence and "OK, we've messed it up, we're off"
The farce over the British Grand Prix, culminating in a calendar which proposes it takes place (no-one knows where) on the same day as the World Cup final, says it all to me. And the unspeakable arrogance behind it. (I am not a soccer fan, so personally I would be little affected, but the dear leaders tried something similar before at Silverstone in 2006, didn't they?)
I'm sure the new circuits are wonderful, surrounded by 5 star hotels and that there will be wonderful hospitality in the VIP areas, but I have, for the last 8 years, camped in a Silverstone field with bare facilities and been at the circuit for 6am on the Sunday before it gets too full. To get rid of that for empty, wind and sand swept grandstands covered in tarpaulin may make good business sense for those pocketing the brass, but the sport.... Ahhhh
In my opinion, Max and Bernie have sat there too long for all the good they have been doing, and I extend that opinion to any of their chosen sucessors.
Begone. In God's name, go!
David Breslau - USA
When "Spankgate" became public, I contacted the national offices of the American Automobile Association (AAA), which is an US member of the FIA. I explained to the officer I spoke with that as an AAA member, I was horrified by the behavior of the head of the FIA, and requested that the US affiliate vote to oust Mosley.
No surprise, power protects power, and Mosley survived. Now there's a new chance to reject continued corruption, and that's by all members of international international auto clubs contacting their head offices and making themselves heard. One voice is nothing, thousands create a noise that can't be ignored.
Don't moan, don't gripe - just write, call, fax, email - whatever you can do, get in touch with the club leaders and make your voice heard! Make it clear that they must vote for a clean house!
Glenn de Moor
I started out writing my thoughts on the topic. Then I lost interest, much as I have been losing interest in F1 for quite some time now
"What's the point ?", nothing I'll say or do, will make the slightest bit of difference.
F1 does not care .....but... what F1 does not realize, is that the world lost interest too. It always strikes me how quickly an F1 event is forgotten. It barely makes the news on Sunday-evening, let alone next Monday.
Honda showed how little impact its F1 exit had on the brand. BMW will soon find out its decision to leave the sport will not register in the showroom. Ask any Renault car-buyer this week, if they know or care about Crashgate.
Its global importance exists only in the mind of F1 itself. It's important to F1 to have manufacturers, it's no longer important to manufacturers to have F1.
That's the reason for the lenient Renault sentence despite of the "Worst Race Fixing Scandal of Forever". Renault could very well have closed shop and left (something McLaren couldn't) That's the reason of recent F1-politics. Whether Todt or Vatanen is inscribed on the next FIA copper plate, that will not change.
For now, I'll keep watching F1 races, although increasingly so on recordings with lots of fast-forwarding. A far cry from way back when I rose in the middle of the night to watch the race, for missing it was unthinkable.
Terry Sweeney - Florida USA
Starting with my attendance at the 1950 GP at Silverstone in 1950 I have followed F1 since, watching races at the Glen, Toronto, Montreal, Adelaide and Melbourne, so I go back a long way. I still get a buzz when I hear and see the cars circulating round the tracks, although the Tilke ones don't turn me on like many of the older ones.
I can't help but feel sorry for the all those who comprise the teams when I see what passes for leadership from the FIA. The Youtube clip showing Todt's minders muscling Vatanen out of the way was so typical of the the Mosley era. The blatant disregard for fairness, openess and the opinions of fans sums up the policies of Max and his gang. How could Mosley justify his demand to cut costs when the teams were forced to switch from V-10's to V-8's, narrow the cars (to make passing easier - yeah, right!), two different tyre compounds (why?), and the huge expense of KERS. It's frightening to think that one man can have so much influence over supposedly intelligent people.
Todt is so obviously Mosley's creature I shudder to think what the future hold for my beloved Formula 1. I don't believe in miracles but if Vatanen wins then I'll believe my prayers have been answered
Everyone out there - keep up the good fight!.
Mike Gladwin - Washington DC
The FIA needs to lead the way in cleaning up a sport that has become too rich, the profits too great and that has been letting down the fans.
The history of motor-sport is laced with shady characters. While often flamboyant and charismatic they nevertheless bring the sport into disrepute.
The phrase "bringing the sport into disrepute" is used selectively by the FIA in a transparent attempt to punish those who are out of favor. When insiders such as Moseley define the term by their actions all is quiet at FIA HQ. (*This may be the only thing in the FIA that is transparent).
Ecclestone is wise-boy who has grown old and rich on Motor Sport. He is an embarrassment (and not an embarrassment of riches).
Todt is more of the same. Lets have a clean wind blow through the FIA - from the north
As an expat Brit I am personally offended by the number of Englishmen (OK Brits) who have been involved in shady dealings within F1. OK,
Spain/Italy/France have offended, but the English always claimed that its the game, not winning, that counts.
Tim Carter - UK
Think on this: there is one major difference between the people who run F1 - Max, Bernie and the Klingons - and the people who run other international sports. We get to see our ugly administration up front and personal on a regular basis, at events and answering (or unanswering) questions. We get to see them behaving like the spoilt, paranoid, freakish 7 year-olds they seem to want us to believe they are (my apologies to any 7 year-olds reading this).
Whereas the equivalent mighty brains and incorruptible leaders at FIFA, UEFA, the FA, the IOC, the ICC, the ITF choose for some reason to machinate behind closed doors. Are these bodies any less fetid? Do they apply their rules impartially and consistently? Are they transparent? Are they fair? Do they put fans' interests and those of participants ahead of rightsholders and sponsors? Perhaps, perhaps not, but one thing is certainly different: their leaders choose not to parade on a bi-weekly basis in front of the press, like publicity-addicted ego maniacs, with the result that fans of those sports (poor dears) do not get to see at first hand how thin the veneer of accountability is and how overt the corruption and control is. If it exists at all ...
F1 is very definitely not "our sport". It never has been. If we want it to change then we have to change - which means being as organised with our disgust as BerniMax is with other people's money. I doubt "we the fans" will ever be capable of that. Remember, MaxBern has no shame; no pride; no concern. EccleMos gives not one toot in the direction of openness, good citizenship, leading by example. LeyStone has no need, it IS their sport - fans will come back for more every time, no matter how distasteful the behaviour of a tiny self-interested set of hubristic plutocrats; irrespective of the swelling nausea of watching old men prejudice every outcome they can in an attempt to achieve nothing more than control for no reason beyond their need to control, because fast cars, pretty women and just the tiniest number of genuinely gifted and noble participants is simply enough to give us our fill. We will swallow mountains of dirt for that speck of gold. And while most of us continue to get it for free at the point of consumption most of the time, this will not change. We are hooked on it like smack.
So, where do we go from here? The toilet, just long enough to make room for the next truck load of grit and worms, or to tighten the belt around our arms. Pass the salt. And the needle.
Robert Maguine
Fans do have a vote. We can stop following F1. You can make a difference right away: TV broadcast licensing is a major source of revenue for Bernie and company. Write to your local TV station that carries the races and tell them that if FIA doesn't make drastic changes, you will stop watching F1 and they'd be better off investing their money in other programming. If you can, send a copy to your local FIA representative. If enough people do this, they will take notice.
Keith Crossley - Webster, NY USA
So... we all seem to agree. And there seems to be a common sentiment that we don't have a voice and that the national representatives don't care about F1.
Well, if no-one here talks to them, what should we expect?
Doesn't Pitpass have a listing of the people we should be contacting? I don't have a clue who to email or call about this, but if we all had the information, and acted on it, we'd stand a chance of being heard!
Roderick Stewart - St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
MotoGP seems to be run in the way I would want F1 to be run.
The commercial rights to MotoGP are owned by Dorna Sports S.L.. The rights were formerly owned by CVC, who were required to sell them as a condition of purchasing the F1 rights. Dorna were bought out by their own management (from CVC) with investment from a private equity firm, Bridgepoint Capital.
It appears (from Wikipedia) that the day-to-day administration and the rule-making for MotoGP is in the hands of Dorna and the teams and not the governing body, the FIM.
The FIM seems to be set up and run along similar lines to the FIA. One notable difference is that the FIM is officially recognised by the IOC (International Olympic Committee). Maybe the FIM can govern F1 if they consider it as a series for highly modified quad bikes.
I'm sure there is dirty linen hidden away somewhere but the management and politics of MotoGP never seems to get in the way of the sport. Plus the riders and team members seem to be much more open when talking to the press than in F1.
The F1 manufacturers should form their breakaway series, and run it like MotoGP.
Graham C. Dugas III - Hilton Head, S.C.
Did crashgate influence the 2008 WDC title? Did Renault cheat the outcome? Well I ask... who cares? The FIA has been at it for years doing the same thing.
How could we forget the bogus 2003 front tire ruling at Monza after certain red cars were lapped at Hungary? That was a blatant stealing of the WDC from either JPM or Kimi. And just to make sure JPM (the bigger threat) didn't destroy their plans to deliver the title to Ferrari... the FIA "stewards" black flagged JPM for a nothing offense involving Rubens.
A completely open change of tire measurement stole the title from the Michelin teams. This to me is way bigger than anything except the failed attempt to deliver another title to the red car team in 2006 with the absurd Mass Damper ruling that it was a moveable aero device. That attempt failed because Renault and Alonso just had too big of a lead to overcome. It took Ferrari too long to conclude that they couldn't get their TMD to work effectively so when they went to plan B... I mean plan FIA, it was already too late because Renault had built up a big enough lead. If they only went to the FIA earlier, all titles would have been dutifully delivered into their hands.
Stolen titles in 2003.... race fixing like Spa '08... yeah I would say there is a bit of rot.
How could one not mention the front tire thing though? Is there so much rot that we just forget?
Great article though. Keep up the fully independent reporting.
Andrew Macpherson - Los Angeles
I am so saddened by the hideous mess that F1 has become. The FIA with it's ridiculously inconsistent and vindictive justice and caravan club membership would just be a bad joke if it wasn't for the very serious amount of money they are scamming from the sponsors and motor manufacturers for their scandalous BS.
I'm so sad FOTA didn't get the breakaway going when they had the wind in their sails, it might have saved F1, but I do not believe Jean Todt will.
I'd be happy to see Bernie and Max thrown out of the sport for ever, and to see people we the fans, and more importamanufacturersntly the motor manufacturers could actually trust to build a fair, honest and open sport without ridiculous rule changes, rev limits, lack of development, and idiotic flights of a dictators fancy like KERS.
I wonder if it might be worth reminding both Max & Bernie that Hitler had the good grace to take his own life, his only really worthwhile act in a long and equally repellent dictatorship.
Tony Geran - Sydney
In democracies the voting public elect representatives to the repsective parliaments to enact laws by which the entire population abides to hopefully achieve a fair and balanced society which protects the innocent from those who would do harm against them. This is the manner in which society governs itself and to ensure anarchy does not break out. The people elect representatives to Parliament to enact those laws demanded by the people to build and protect a just and stable society. In other words the electors elect people to maintain the social structure to which most countries abide by. If the government does not do the peoples' bidding then they get chucked out at the next election.
Now the FIA is no democracy as we all know and its "legislators" do not enact laws by which all the electing members need to abide by. Motor clubs from countries as disparate as the UK, Burundi, Rwanda, Eritrea, USA, Peru, Australia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Pakistan to name but a few elect the "Parliament" of the FIA which then enacts rules by which participants in the activities which have conceded to come under the purview of the FIA. In theory therefore, the wishes of the Rwandan Automobile Club are reflected by the FIA to conduct the F1 World Championship. These clubs have the same power as those of the UK, Germany, Austria, France, and Japan which collectively make up the ownership and capital of all the teams currently participating in F1.
This is madness. There is no logical reason for the FIA to exist and to have the power it has assumed. It has evolved historically from the competing teams' voluntary submission to the FIA's authority so there could be a stable and consistent structure to resolve disputes. If the FIA maintains its current inconsistency of rulings then it has forfeited the right to conduct its championships.
I believe that the only way for the FIA to survive and maintain credibility is to have each championship administered by a commission. Therefore you could still have the President elected in the same manner but his authority over each championship would be diminished to that of a functionary to be used as final arbiter if the commission could not agree. The commission would be elected by the entrants of the sports participating in each championship who would each elect a commissioner to administer the sport but not have the power currently held by the incumbent President of the FIA.
Therefore this structure appears to be a logical way out of the current morass of difficulties that F1 and the FIA has found itself in. Ari Vatanen has suggested something along these lines while his opponent appears to be a representative of the status quo.
Willem Greifenstein
Although my vision of a F1 Supporters movement, as previously put forward to you, Mike Lawrence and Paul Stoddart might be too late to materialise in 2009, I am still convinced that it is the only logical route to take. I have likewise mailed Mr Vatanen, whom I have CC'd here as well. After which he had gratiously responded that his team will investigate the feasibility of the idea.
Supporters of motorsport should be mobilised to become part of their local FiA affiliated club in order to influence the election of officials at national level.
It is here that the Ferrari, McLaren etc fansites can play a huge role.
This will in turn affect the electorate of the FiA, maybe not in time for the October 23 elections but in time for a general and planned resistence to Mosley Mob that is running the sport for the benefit of a few extremely powerful individuals.
I am not a Ferrari fan- but all the Ferrari fans over the world share a common passion with me and that is F1.
It is indeed time to harness that passion and democratise the FiA- in order to ensure that F1 are properly governed.
If need be the European Commision should be lobbied to investigate the dealing of the FiA of the past 20 years.
Ignacio Dal-Re Compaire
Where do we go from here?
I sincerely think it's going to be difficult to go to a worse place, keeping in mind from where we come.
Two men who revolutionized F1 at the time to a point in which they thought F1 is no longer a sport, just their own business:
Bernie put Max at the head of FISA, Max managed to be at the head of the whole FIA, taking his votes from people not involved in F1. From that moment Max sold to Bernie F1 commercial rights to a fifth part of his value. Bernie sold the rights for his real value (or even more). Both (presumably) became billionaires and nothing happened.
I'm afraid they have strong reasons for thinking F1 is part of its property, and IMHO this is the reason of the Dictatorial management style we've seen from many years.
I'm really impressed by Max character; during the latest scandals (Spygate, Crashgate), it seems me, the most important thing to be punished was the fact of having lied to Max, not the facts itself. "Ron did not say me the truth at the first moment, then punish him with 100M$". "Flavio lied to me and don't want to present his apologies asking for my clemency, so ban him for life".
I'm pretty sure, some Feudal Lords had much more modern way of thinking, (and much less Ego) than Max has.
But on the other hand, Dictatorial management would not be the end of the world if at least they kept some competence.
No way. Every aspect of F1 they want to be changed, always come with this "sense of urgency", everything has to be achieved in few weeks, and because opportunistic business (or personal) reasons.
Shoddy work we see every year in almost all aspects of FIA activities. But what can we expect from a Governing body who's not able to issue just one set of F1 sporting regulations for the following year? One only has to go to FIA's web, and discover a "world in Technicolor" when reading the latest F1 Sporting/Technical regulations with "changes' control".
Well, I don't want to write a novel longer than War & Peace talking about all scandals and improvisations made in the latest years.
So, at this point, where do we go?
I'm afraid it will be difficult for Todt or Vattanen to send F1 to a worst place. Will they act as "yes men" with the shadow of Max behind them? I hope not, but if something I've learnt during this few years I've been following F1, is nothing is how it seems to be, and, as a Sporting brand's slogan said: "Impossible is nothing"
Alan Bushell - Victoria BC
Do you remember what else Howard Beale said? " I've run out of bullshit, you see!" Like Howard, I'm not going through the motions anymore; I'm through genuflecting to the so-called " pinnacle of the sport." I had hoped a breakaway series might bring a end to the deep rot, but I guess Bernie's big pay cheques to the teams were too tempting after all.
Decades of corruption, greed, and mismanagement have reduced this sport to a spectacle, a regrettable public display. GP racing where the engines are equalized by regulation? I'm just not as interested anymore. I hope to hear of a reformed series one day, with racers dealing with promoters, working together to put on a competitive event. (And I won't begrudge either side earning themselves some money.)
A series with no middle men, no overlords, no made-up judicial systems. One without crazy rule changes every year, franchises or Concorde Agreements, or Tilke tracks in strange places. but until that time, I have stepped back . GP racing just isn't that important to me anymore.
Joe Gallo - Toronto
The current state of affairs in Formula One is no surprise to me. At this time I lay the blame solely on the shoulders of the Teams.
How long can the F1 teams let two bullies run their lives? This used to be a sport of gentlemen, men of honor, men of vision, who built this sport, men like Colin, Ken, Frank, Enzo, Bruce, Jack, Guy and so on, building cars in their garages, selling cars solely to support their teams and on the way some created legends not for greed but for passion.
They were not greedy blood suckers looking only to make a buck. They were men who went in to F1 only for the love of the sport.
The drivers were cut from the same cloth, many became team owners of which some still survive.
How many times have the teams had the opportunity to form there own racing league, this dates back to the seventies, which would have been the perfect time to to go on thier own. Who knows what F1 would be like today. I beleave it would still have the essnace of days gone by.Teams of privaters racing for passion.
How many times will the team owners allow there colleges to be run out of the sport.
If you are bullied which is what the FIA and Berine have been able to do for years and don't stand up for your self Whos fault is that.
Todays F1 is full of billion dollar corporations how the hell do these companies put up with this.
Until the teams form their own league this spot will stay the same or worse.
Craig Holmes - Catalina, AZ, USA
It seems that everyone ahead of me has made all the relevant points more eloquently and succinctly than I ever could but I must weigh in as a fan of F1 for more than 50 years and support those before me. We need to get our sport back. Yes, racing is and always has been a "show" but in the days of honorable men being involved it was also a great sport. And to paraphrase Hemingway, there are only 3 sports, boxing, bullfighting and motor racing. All else are merely games. Now our once noble, if I dare use that description, racing is a mere business dictatorship that cares not for it's fans, participants or reputation, only the huge sums of money that can be "made" from it by a few that have too much money already. Yet I cannot bring myself to boycott it as we all really should if we have a shred of dignity for we are all being scammed in a most blatant fashion. Every year recently I have said "This is the last year I will watch F1!" But I go on watching each year anyway. Perhaps I hold out the faintest hope that somehow F1 shall overcome the almost insurmountable odds against it and once again be something of which to be proud. But I won't hold my breath....
Hamish Rees
I'm not even going to begin the dissect the sport and analyse the problems, where does one begin? I think this question sums up how we feel:
How many people were thrilled when the FOTA breakway series was announced this year?
Sasa Pesic - Novi Sad, Serbia
Todt or Vatanen in the same system will be no difference. Its Max system and nothing will change. What I want is that FIA should be only judges (even that is to much), but the rules would be on teams that compete in Formula 1 to decide. This year is perfect example off bad decisions by FIA. Overtaking group made some good changes, than FIA with bad rules let Brawn GP and others to keep double diffuser and now we don't have overtaking anymore. Don't ban Flavio, ban FIA. They are political not sport organization. Why small teams and 40 million $. What is that. For me, Ferrari, McLarren and maybe 2-3 other teams with 3 cars and good rules is enough. And again, please, ban FIA. We don't need them. F1 should be diamond of motor sport. With new rules it will be nothing.
Rene van Bakel - Dutchy in Austria
Given the thoroughness with which the editor points out the "mishaps" (understatement) of the FIA, BE and the likes, it is very difficult to add to that. I will add my frustration too just because we do need to be many to be heard!
There are so many "little" irritations in between the orchestrated (?!) big scandals that these confessing! Dictators come away with because people are so busy looking to the big ones that they simply forget the other ones.
Just one little example: Why is it that we read about the involvement of certain FIA figures in Manor GP, about the blackmail to new teams (Cosworth or your not coming in) but do not hear from these things being at least looked into, where they should be prosecuted?
Of course this is just one little tiny spot on the totally spoiled dress of those F, B, … etc
I really hope the eyes of those who can vote will be opened and that they will give their vote to Ari Vatanen!
However I believe that at least the majority of them are in the pocket of the FIA because they have been "treated nicely" on one of those meetings where JT was allowed into and ARI VATANEN was not!
Michael Knight
The posts on this subject confirm one thing. The FIA's behaviour is, in the minds of many, questionable; I have corresponded with Max on a number of occasions about it these past two or three years and his replies, always polite, relied on the power the office bestows to stone wall. For example, to a suggestion that 'I think there is a case for the President of the FIA to make representations to CVC/FOM, specifically in respect of the BGP' (British Grand Prix) he replied he did not have such authority. So who has it? He told me the European Commission. If such be the case it begs more questions, not least amongst them 'how come?' Of course a new President may be more forthcoming, but if not and the FIA's sometimes contradictory relationship with its sport continues, what then? The law? Presumably the financial imbalance between certain key infrastructure providers and the commercial rights owners cannot be maintained indefinitely; equally a governing body owes it to its adherants to explain how it has found itself with no influence over where and when one of its own championship's events takes place.
Alan J Cook
I have made the point before that F1 is finished until Mosley, Ecclestone and their cronies (inc. Todt) are out of motor sport completely. At least Briatore has now gone in shame, but that is only a team boss, not an FIA boss.
The fans of motorsport worldwide CAN do something positive that will hit the FIA where it hurts. They can STOP buying race tickets and STOP watching races on TV!
I stopped watching F1 after the debacle of Spa in 2008 - I refuse to even watch F1 on TV, let alone attend races or do anything that puts money into the power-mad pockets of the FIA. After about half a century of being a fan of motorsport, this makes me very sad, but it's the only weapon I have. If the millions of motorsport fans around the world did that, the FIA would soon have to clear out the rubbish from within.
Michael Hughes - Berlin, Germany
Like I have been saying all week; Formula 1 racing is a cartel who wants to protect their interests at all times and in all ways. This is why Mosley took over the FIA so that he could steer it to help Ecclestone. Now they want Todt, who is of course a long standing member of that cartel not least because he knows exactly the deal Ferrari has done on the sidelines to keep Ferrari in the sport. Vatanen is not part of the cartel and that is why they do not want him and are endorsing Todt (also Schumacher, who is no angel, as we all well know).
The problem is that until we get a governance in the sport which is independent, any decision or punishment will always be interpreted politically, probably with good reason. There needs to be a clear separation of commerce and governance with a democratic, transparent accountability to its constituent members.
Mario Smith - USA
I would like to see a complete change at the top of the FIA. I am an Formula One fan from 1961, and I am disheartened with the present leadership and the policies and actions of the FIA. I would not like to see a continuation of the policies of the present president, Max Mosley and his cronies, it is time for a complete shift in thinking and leadership. The FIA has acted like the MAFIA in these last few years and has taken the joy of the sport I have followed for so long. It is the cars and drivers we are interested, not the grandstanding of the governing body. The fans need to be listened to now and always, we are very upset with what is going on presently.
Patrick Caselli - San Jose CA
I feel anyone supported by Max should go away. F1 needs new blood and needs to get rid of as many of the "good ol boys" as possible.
I don't really have anything against Jean Todt, but to take one possible "gate", he did fully support Michael parking his car on the track at Monaco so as to ruin Alonso's chances at pole. Not much worse, in my view , as crashgate.
I also feel Piquet Jr should never be allowed anywhere near an F1 car. Any team or sponsor that happens to hire him will never get my support
or $$$.
Remember what Bernie said about Danica Patrick a couple years ago? Again, time for these out of touch and out of date persons to move on.
Dick Baarse
I think the editor has a personel problem with Max and is stirring up things , in every sport there are some problems but in general FIA and Max have always done a good job and i trust as many many do Jean Todt is the right man for the future of the FIA and BTW i think nearly most reactions here will be influenced by the articles on this site so nearly all the reactions will be very biased and more or less the same as the editor.
Bill Willems - Indiana
I'm a frustrated USA FI fan. Lost the Indianapolis race because of Bernie the idiot and his twin Max. Hoping that with Tony the idiot gone from the Indy scene, maybe the 3 sisters and some new FI blood can get together again. I watch every FI race no matter when it is on Speed. Team managers get the boot when things don't go right. It's time for the FI team managers to get the boot and get some fresh scents in there.
Ian Scott
I started following motor sport at Crystal Palace and Brands in the mid fifties, raced a bit myself and even got to work in F1 for a few years. I gave up watching F1 many years ago when it became so boring that I kept falling asleep while watching and only waking up for the result. I continue to keep track of what is happening and time and time again it seems to me that the current F1 with its undemocratic 'justice', pointless regulations and convenient rulings that alter the race results so each year the championship struggles through to the last before a result is declared, is just a great big con trick.
( How come the 'pinnacle of motor sport ' has just legislated for all engine manufacturers to harmonize their power DOWN to the lowest?) The fans are egged on at every opportunity about how the next race will be a titanic struggle and then it turns out to be the usual borefest.
When are the fans going to realize they have been conned and all turn off the TV, stop reading F1 magazines and watch Moto-GP?
The only way it is going to alter is with a clean sweep of the FIA to get rid of all of Max and Bernie's men and their influence and have professional people who will act with transparency, clarity and consistency.