Editors thoughts

To the outsider, the casual fan, it must seem as though Formula One is based upon politics rather than racing. It would be entirely understandable for one to think so, for the endless round of inquiries, re-enquiries and accusations came as quickly as the revelatory performances of Brawn GP.

Diffuser protests aside, the big story has been the ‘Hamilton lies!’ splash that the tabloids have revelled in; build them up and knock them down has never seemed so apt as a description of their antics. The sad fact is that the specialist press have handled the affair in what is becoming an expected one-sided manner. It is almost as if saying anything in support of McLaren is akin to hanging oneself.

I have no paddock passes to lose, so here goes: I don’t believe what Hamilton and Dave Ryan did in Australia and Malaysia was anything more than a minor transgression. Pilloried I may be by some, but the obvious point to make is that had the stewards done their job in the first place, we would never have known about any lying, for there would have been no need. Even Jarno Trulli, disgracefully penalised initially, states that Toyota attempted to present further evidence to the stewards, and that they were not interested.

So we have McLaren and Hamilton under the cosh at the end of the month, in front of the WMSC for ‘bringing the sport into disrepute’. This morning came what I consider to be the key element in the whole saga, the retirement of Ron Dennis – entirely – from Formula One.

Of course, the baton had already been passed to Martin Whitmarsh, but it seems to me too coincidental, too timely, that Dennis chooses now, a point where his team is in turmoil, to leave the sport.

The conspiracy theories will undoubtedly fester, but this one carries some weight. It goes like this: McLaren are told they could face further sanctions (indeed, they are expected by most to do so) at the hearing on the 29th of this month.

It is communicated, behind closed doors, that if Dennis were to walk away – something that many believe Max Mosley, President of the FIA, very much desires – then those sanctions would be lightweight. Dennis, already on the sidelines, agrees.

Far fetched? No, I contend not; some believe a similar ‘deal’ was offered to Dennis in the wake of the ‘spygate’ scandal, and that he turned it down. Some believe that this is why McLaren appear – sometimes too obviously – to be singled out for punishment. This time, of course, Dennis has less to lose: he was, after all, set to concentrate on the fledgling McLaren Automotive, hence his handing the day to day running of the race team to Whitmarsh.

I don’t care much for the way the political elements of the sport have been brought into the public eye: what is the point of charging Hamilton, and McLaren, further when they have been penalised by disqualification? What is the purpose of the very public washing of dirty linen that the FIA are forcing the team to endure?

Jean Marie Balestre was not the most popular man in his day, but I would question whether this problem would have been handled as it is by Mosley, or whether it would have been dealt with – in his day – behind closed doors, out of public view.

F1 is going through an exciting time, a time of change and renaissance; innovation is at a height, new teams are winning, new faces are starring. What it does not need is a governing body who see the limelight as being there for them – the President in particular – to stand under and flex their muscles; what it does need is for that body to work with, not against, the promise that FOTA – the teams association – are apt to show.

This will never happen, for Mosley must, simply must, be seen to have his way: he tried, but failed, to do so very recently with regard to the ‘wins for the title’ proposal, one he ‘believed’ was favoured by the teams (this despite them having forwarded him an alternative idea!)

He may well, however, have got exactly what he wanted with the retirement from the sport of Ron Dennis who, in his announcement, admitted that both Mosley and Ecclestone would not be upset to see him go.

They won’t, but I – for one – will; Ron Dennis is a racer, at heart, and has been the driving force behind some of the greatest team efforts ever seen in this sport. If he has been pushed, than it is a sad moment for the sport.



Written by 3 on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 11:42:26