<Aren't those the same italians complaining about match-fixing conspiracies at the WC?
LOL...
Well, there is a long-standing "tradition" in auto racing, particularly in Grand Prix events that the drivers must do as the team boss orders. Winning the championships for both, the drivers and the constructors are the ultimate goal.
In Ferrari's case, Rubens is the second driver to Michael who is number one. It is clearly stated in the contract that that # 2 driver will drive for the benefit of driver # 1. This means from driver # 2 "obstructing" any other driver (within reason as to not being disqualified) all the way to actually ceding the leading position if there were the need.
For example...
In 1956, Juan Manuel Fangio had led the World Championship by a single point over his teammate, (Peter Collins -GB), going into the final race, the Italian Grand Prix. Fangio was forced to withdraw from the race as a result of a wheel problem. Fangio's teammate pitted and was informed of Fangio's retirement to which he responded by handing his car over to Fangio, thus allowing Fangio the opportunity for a 4th driver's title. Subsequently the incident was never contested. Stirling Moss won the race. Fangio wins his 4th Championship (out of 5).
Michael Schumacher in all probability, this year will win his 5th Championship and will tie Fangio's long standing record.
So although this is nothing new... In this year's Austrian Grand Prix (about a month and a half ago)... Reubens simply out drove Michael the entire weekend, he led the race from start to... the LAST corner of the last lap... upon which, Rubens (forced by radioed team orders) slowed down and allowed Michael to pass him and win the race...
The problem really was not the actual orders... but the manner in which it was performed. It was, in a few words... a total PR flop by the "suits" of Ferrari.
For the Austrian public, they took it like a "[fart] in your face" type of thing...
In the old days, Enzo, (Il Commendatore) ruled with an iron fist like a small tyrant over his empire, and that is fine, after all it was his company. But he KNEW how to do it well... If Enzo was alive, what he would have done in this instance would have been different... like... use a pit stop, or make the pass a few laps earlier and make it look as though Reubens was losing power or traction or whatever... NOT do it so blatantly in the way it was done.
The problem became even larger because, as a result of the race incident, the Austrian crowd started boohooing like I have never seen done in a Grand Prix race... I mean the place looked and sounded like a dammed soccer match -gg
So... what happens next... Michael Schumacher places Rubens Barrichello in the first place of the podium and himself in second (this while playing the German national anthem)... the crowd? Still boohooing.... and here, Ferrari through this act, stepped (unknowingly) in the boundary of the FIA (Federation Internationale de L'Automobile) AND indirectly, crapped upon the turf of the "unofficial" kingdom of one (absolute-king-and-tyrant of Grand Prix racing Supremo-atlarge-and-for-life) Bernie Ecclestone.
Comparatively speaking is like messing with the IRS and the EPA all in one single act.
Because....
While there is absolutely NO RULE that says Ferrari could not do what they did...
Both FIA and Ecclestone did not take too well Ferrari's orders because of the PR fiasco... and so... they cannot do anything about the events of the race itself.... They are looking for an excuse to punish Ferrari.
So... According to FIA, you cannot alter and mess with the podium ceremony; it pisses them off to no end, and Bernie? Well, he is a very shrewd business man and single handedly (a long --but interesting story), has built what the Grand Prix circuit is throughout the world, in the process he owns certain rights for television contracts and in short he is worth billions hence his interest (indirectly) that the image of Formula One competition is kept clean and worthy, i.e. no scandals and all that jazz...
Bernie Ecclestone is probably the most admired yet hated man (yes, you read correct), in the world of motor sports... Partly because he has literarily gotten away with most everything he has wanted to do in the sport... he converted the world of Formula One from a sport that was very wildly run by a bunch of very independent minded people at the constructor's level running in every direction possible, and by a bunch of old farts at the governing body of the same into a very professional and well run world-wide spectacle that creates a lot of revenue from different sources.
There are a lot of mixed feelings about this because there have been benefits but also a lot of ills bred at the same time. The worst probably has been the astronomical growth in the cost of running a team... a lot of the fun part of motor sports (like many other sports), has been taken away by the money involved, which makes it, very serious business indeed.
Returning to the story of the European (German) Grand Prix and making a long story short... Ferrari will face the FIA committee investigating the Austrian incident next Wednesday and make a ruling as to what to do with Ferrari's infraction of the protocol (will they take points away from Michael? Will they take away points from the constructor's championship? Or, worse, will they disallow the victory? (a 1-2 finish for Ferrari). At this point no one knows... (remember, technically, there is no rule as to what happened during the race, but they do have a say in what happens during the protocol, (to use as an excuse).
Soooo.... Everyone speculated today's Ferrari's victory, whether they would have the nerve to defy FIA and Ecclestone once again (they could have as they finished another brilliant 1 - 2)... Luckily, they did not and although Rubens drove a perfect race, Ferrari could have ordered him to let Michael go by, but they allowed Rubens to win...
The cheering at the Nürburgring were indeed as loud as the booing was in Austria, since Reubens has gained the respect of everyone and he is a very well liked individual he was in absolute ecstasy and was a great moment for him for the sport and for everyone around (imo)...
So there you have it... no conspiracy about Ferrari --only you have to accept who is the boss inside the team, which I suppose is fair enough. It seems however, that the PR aspect of things for Italian sports are indeed in hot water and I would suggest they ought to "cool" it and eat some pride with spaghetti for the next few months -g |
