News from Paris
This are looking bad in Paris.
There are no comments from the teams or the FIA yet but word has it its not good.
Grandprix.com is reporting that BAR are facing a ban and it could mean that BAT and Honda pull out of F1.
How can the FIA let things get this out of hand?
Don’t bet on there being a race this weekend.
More info later (3pm for a FIA statement and 5pm for the teams)
Update:
The Michelin teams have been found guilty on two charges of bringing the sport into disrepute,
A decision on penalties to be handed out will be delayed until September 14th.
Why September? Could it be to ensure we get a summer of racing before the politics return?
June 30th, 2005 at 7:04 pm
Backstage politics will always be part and parcel of Formula 1, I’m afraid. Even if the FIA purposely delayed the punishment to september, I doubt that the politics will stop for the sake of racing. As the US GP fiasco has already proven, everyone in F1 has an agenda and everyone is just looking out for themselves rather than for the good fo the sport. This guilty verdict certainly bodes well for the FIA in that they could use it as a “bargaining chip” to get the other teams to conform to thier regualtions and demands - a sublte way of bullying the other teams to submit to the FIA’s wishes. Lets see how this pans out, I’m praying that everyone will finally come to thier senses and just race for racing’s sake… but that it isn’t going to happen anytime soon I’m afraid.
July 1st, 2005 at 1:48 am
Maybe the FIA think that delaying any punishment will let things cool a little as you suggest. By then either things will have kicked off seriously in which case punishment may be irrelevent, or all will be normal, in which case they can punish or not when the teams have settled down a bit. They don’t want trouble this weekend when everyone is looking at F1, and a harsh punishment may cause that.