After failing to find a suitable buyer for the F1 team it acquired just four years ago, BMW has sold the team back to its founder, Peter Sauber.  As much as we love to drive a 3-series, BMW’s departure from F1 has left a sour taste in our mouth.  Very un-Munich, to say the least.

Earlier in this decade, BMW partnered with Williams and came up with one of the strongest engines in F1.  Suffice to say, the chassis from Grove just wasn’t quick enough.  Despite having a top-flight lump, BMW did not win a championship and had to settle for race victories and a pair of second-place finishes in the constructor’s standings.

Frank Williams refused to cede control of the team to BMW, and the couple divorced in 2005.  BMW promptly acquired Sauber, at the time a very good second-tier F1 team run (uniquely) from Switzerland.  Peter Sauber is a sober, cigar-chomping Swiss with a racer’s heart.  This is the guy who put a very young Michael Schumacher in a Mercedes sports car for Le Mans.  But, being Swiss and therefore efficient, Sauber read the writing on the wall.  A sale to BMW gave Sauber a nice retirement, full of raclette and Cuban stogies.

Even though BMW started with small expectations, the team never experienced the kind of success it hoped for.  A three-year plan was developed, from newbie to world champion. In the event, things did not go as planned.  Driver selection was spotty–Nick Heidfeld is a capable driver but he will never be a world champion.  The choice of Robert Kubica was inspired.  Kubica is one of the grittiest drivers on the grid and is unafraid of anything (witness his huge shunt at the Canadian Grand Prix in 2007).  The cars were immaculate, the presentation complete.  But, in light of its resources, the team underperformed.

Wins finally came, but the board grew impatient. In 2008, development was halted in order to begin work on the 2009 challenger.  This irritated Kubica who felt (rightly) that BMW was giving up on his shot at the championship.  Perhaps BMW grew frustrated with the endless political wars between the FIA (read: Max Mosley) and FOTA (read: manufacturers).  Mosley’s personal sex scandal did not help matters.  BMW also felt the FIA was “dumbing down” F1 in the interests of cost-saving.  This was inconsistent with BMW’s reason for entering the sport in the first place.

Suddenly, in July 2009, BMW announced its departure.  The stated rationale seemed paper thin: the company was to focus on its “green” credentials and F1 did not aid in that effort.  Many in the paddock thought this smacked of bullshit, and BMW was called out.

We viewed BMW’s departure as the actions of a company smarting over its lack of instant success. Perhaps team principal Dr. Mario Thiessen had misled the board into thinking that race wins would be more frequent by this point.  Perhaps the economy, politics, and various F1 scandals led BMS to conclude that F1 no longer delivered the necessary return on investment.

Whatever the reason, after great fanfare in 2005, BMW quit F1 in 2009.  Peter Sauber tried to buy back his team, but the terms were onerous and he backed away.  A reported sale to the Qadbak investment group was touted, yet it quickly evaporated.  When allegations of past chicanery emerged about Qadbak’s managment, many wondered how BMW had missed the mark so badly.  The sale of the team seemed bungled and chaotic, compared with Honda’s more orderly depature from the sport.

Peter Sauber taking control of his old team is a win-win for F1 and the team.  Sauber is a gentlemen and F1 could use more of those.  He is the anti-Flavio.  The factory and race team will continue on, albeit slightly smaller.  Racing will still continue in Switzerland, which (for some odd reason) we like.  BMW’s investment in infrastructure is certain to aid the team down the road.  Peter Sauber could not have done this on his own.

The irony is that BMW, like Honda, could find itself having withdrawn from F1 just as its investment begins to bear fruit.

Was bisher geschah: Das hatten wir nicht gewollt … Auf dem Höhepunkt der Wirtschaftskrise waren Ingvar und ich in das Schloss von Sebastian Fitzek eingebrochen – auf der Suche nach ein wenig Kleingeld. Das hatten wir nicht gefunden, dafür einen gutgefüllten Kühlschrank und Nacktfotos von Daniel Kehlmann. Das war ganz lustig, bis uns klar wurde, dass die Nacktfotos Teil eines ausgeklügelten Systems waren, erdacht von einem uralten Geheimbund von Schriftstellern, dessen Ziel es war, der Welt das perfekte Buch zu erschaffen. Um jeden Preis. Wir hatten in ein Wespennest gestochen und Ingvar war es, den man sich als erstes schnappte. Nach einem missglückten Befreiungsversuch war Fitzek höchstpersönlich mit dem Heli aus Berlin eingeschwebt und wir wussten, was uns nun blühte. Goethe selbst soll es gewesen sein, der für Eindringlinge in die Geheimnisse von “Opus Maximum” die Todesstrafe ins Statut gekritzelt hatte.

Wir liegen gefesselt auf der Ladefläche eines VW-Transporters. Ingvar, Haberer und ich.

Thomas Rosenlöcher steuert das Fahrzeug. Fitzek hat sich auf dem Beifahrersitz in einen Stadtplan von Dresden vertieft. “Lass es uns hier erledigen”, sagt er dann zu Rosenlöcher.

Der beugt ich kurz zu Fitzek hinüber und nickt: “Die Felder vor Pesterwitz. Gute Wahl. Sehr Caspar David Friedrich. Sehr … äh … romantisch. Entspricht den Regeln. Sehr gut. Entschädigt für das Fehlen der Kutsche.”

Rosenlöcher scheint sich trotz der nächtlichen Stunde und ausgeschalteter Ampeln auf der Schandauer Straße an die vorgeschriebene Geschwindigkeit halten zu wollen. Fitzek ist offensichtlich genervt: “Gib Gas!” Rosenlöcher schüttelt sein lockiges Haupt: “Sebastian, überleg mal. Wenn sie uns jetzt anhalten. Wie erklären wir die Anwesenheit der drei Idioten da hinten?”

Fitzek stöhnt:”Nur ein kleines bisschen schneller. Ich erinnere dich: irgendwann wird´s hell!”

Man hat uns die Münder mit Paketklebeband verkleistert und unsere Kommunikation ist auf Blickkontakt beschränkt – oder was in dieser Finsternis davon möglich ist. In Haberers Augen ist Panik zu lesen, während Ingvar mir ein kleines Zwinkern zukommen lässt. Keine Ahnung, was er damit meint. Wenn es Hoffnung sein soll, hat er offensichtlich den Verstand verloren.

Als man uns aus dem Wagen zerrt, hat es zu schneien begonnen. Wir befinden uns mitten auf einem Feld. Rosenlöcher kramt ein einer Kiste. Dann schmeißt er jedem von uns einen Spaten hin. “Grabt!”

Sie lösen uns die Fesseln. Fitzek hält uns mit einer Pistole in Schach.

Der Boden ist noch nicht gefroren und wir kommen mit dem Graben schneller voran als uns lieb sein kann. Als über dem Elbtal langsam die Sonne aufgeht, sind die Ergebnisse unserer Arbeit nicht unbedingt imposant, aber immerhin ausreichend, uns später einigermaßen vollständig verscharren zu können.

Ich hatte immer erwartet, man käme vor seiner Hinrichtung ganz automatisch in eine – gelinde ausgedrückt – philosophische Stimmung und würde dies und das noch einmal reflektieren. Überlegen, von wem man sich gern verabschiedet hätte, wem man noch etwas schuldet, wo das “Ich” in einer halben Stunde sein wird … diese Dinge. Doch ich bemerke nur eine vollständige Leere. Und eine Aufmerksamkeit für die überflüssigsten Details. Zum Beispiel, dass Fitzek (der sich gerade niederkniet, um die Tiefe der Gräber zu prüfen) am linken Fuß einen braunen, am rechten einen schwarzen Strumpf trägt. Das ist verzeihlich. Es wird stockfinster gewesen sein, als ihn Rosenlöcher und Tellkamp in Berlin aus seinem Bett geklingelt haben.

Mit einer schnellen Bewegung, die gewöhnlich einem unerwarteten und spontanen Einfall folgt, dreht sich Fitzek um, springt auf und stellt sich vor Rosenlöcher hin: “Jetzt wird´s ernst, Thomas. Hast du so was schon mal gemacht?”

Ganz offensichtlich nicht. Rosenlöchers Hände zittern. Fitzek fasst ihm beruhigend auf die Schulter: “Es ist alles okay, Thomas. Ich mach das schon. Du musst es Dir nicht mit ansehen.”

“Darf ich mich umdrehen?”

“Ich habe einen noch besseren Vorschlag. Fahr uns schnell mal einen Kaffee holen. Irgendein Bäcker wird doch wohl schon geöffnet haben.”

Das lässt sich Rosenlöcher nicht zweimal sagen. Die Rücklichter des VW-Transporters verschwinden in nordöstlicher Richtung.

“Rein mit Euch!” Fitzeks Stimme ist in einer erschreckenden Weise sachlich. Keine Hoffnung, man könne mit ihm verhandeln. Haberer versucht es trotzdem: “Herr Fitzek, Herr Fitzek. Verschonen Sie wenigstens mich! Ich bin Professor Haberer. Vielleicht haben Sie von mir schon gehört. Ich habe Kontakte. Auch in Amerika. Ich kann Ihnen Türen öffnen, Wege ebnen. Bedenken Sie – der amerikanische Markt!”

Fitzek entsichert seine Pistole: “Ich kenne Sie durchaus, Professor Haberer. Nichtsdestotrotz … auch für Sie gilt: Rein da!”

Wir steigen hinab. Ich bin mir sicher, dass zumindest Ingvar einen Moment genau wie ich überlegt haben muss, Fitzek zu überwältigen. Aber die Lähmung, die uns ergriffen hat, ist genauso unbeschreiblich wie vollständig.

Ich lege mich in die feuchte Erde. Aus der rechten Wand kommt ein Regenwurm gekrabbelt und scheint mich interessiert zu begutachten. Es ist unerwartet gemütlich hier.

Als schwarze Silhouette steht Fitzek vor dem Hintergrund des rosaroten Morgenhimmels über uns. Was seine Gesichtszüge ausdrücken, als er seine Pistole hebt, kann keiner von uns erkennen. Ich vermute, da ist nichts als sachliche Konzentriertheit.

Ich schließe meine Augen. In den nächsten Sekunden gehen mir hunderte Dinge durch den Kopf, die nach meinem Tod peinlich für mich werden könnten, die ich noch hätte regeln müssen. Die Tagebücher verschwinden lassen, die Videos von den lustigen Abenden mit Max Mosley, all das … Komischerweise ist mir das nicht egal. Ich hätte mir diesen Moment etwas friedvoller gewünscht.

Dann fallen die Schüsse.

… to be continued

Tomorrow morning Flavio Briatore will begin his fight back against the lifetime ban imposed upon him by the FIA World Motor Sport Council for his part in the 2008 Singapore scandal.

His appeal against the decision will be heard at the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, at the Palais de Justice. Justice has been handed out on this site since medieval times, and the Palais was once the seat of the French parliament.

But will Briatore get the justice he craves and that he believes he deserves?

Little is known about what Flav will argue but his options appear limited. We know, thanks to leaks to the press, that he will seek €1 million in compensation and to have his lifetime ban from FIA competition overturned. We know that he will argue that the case had been decided before it had even been heard and that he was made a scapegoat for the situation due to the personal vendetta of Max Mosley. But, as I said, how he hopes to argue this is, and may remain due to French judicial procedure, a mystery.

One of Flavio’s strongest arguments may well be the simple fact that both Nelson Piquet Jr and Pat Symonds were offered immunity to testify against Briatore. This could quite easily be argued to signal that the FIa was only intent on prosecuting Briatore and could give credence to his claims of a witch hunt. That Symonds ultimately chose not to take that offer, however, led to his own downfall. He will also be arguing his five year ban tomorrow.

Briatore and Symonds will try to argue that the case was heard without them being present, despite both of their testimonies to FIA investigators being used in the hearing at the WMSC. Had they wished to have been present to represent themselves, they could easily have done so. Their choice in not attending may thus stand their claims of a decision in absentia void.

Personally however, I do not believe that Briatore expects to win his case tomorrow. Frankly I don’t even think he wants to.

Had he wanted the decision overturned, he could have appealed in the first instance to the FIA’s International Court of Appeal. A body separate and independent of the WMSC and one filled with legal minds, he could easily have argued his case here and stood a good chance of being reinstated.

He has gone a different route however, taking his appeal through the French court system. But why? And why do I think he will lose?

He will lose because if he wins, the regulation of sport… any sport… could fall into chaos. Sporting bodies have always been and must continue to be free to punish those who break their rules.

We are not, for the most part, talking about legal issues when it comes to sporting penalties. Take the Bloodgate controversy in English rugby. While it is not illegal to bite down on a blood capsule, the fact that a player in a match of rugby did so to initiate a “blood replacement” led to him being suspended and his manager and physio being banned from the game for a period of some years. The Renault Singapore scandal isn’t too dissimilar.

So what happens if Flavio wins tomorrow? It essentially tells anyone who has been handed a penalty by a sport’s governing body that if they want to get it overturned they should appeal the decision through the courts. Can you imagine what that would do to world sport? Every yellow card, every red card, every sending off, every touchline ban, relegations, promotions, points dockings… every sporting penalty in every championship on earth could be appealed through the courts. It could create an enormous mess, and one which effectively strips the world’s sports’ governing bodies of any real power to govern their own sports.

But, as I said, I don’t think Flavio even wants to win this one. For me, tomorrow’s case was always one he was going to lose, and I think he knows that.

Flavio has gone the route he has because he expects to lose the case so that he can appeal to a higher body. And ultimately, when all other appeal courts in France have been expended he will take the case to where he really wants it to be heard… and that is the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.

He will take his case to the highest court in Europe and he will argue that the FIA has stripped him of his basic human rights. In doing so he will seek to further discredit the reign of Max Mosley at the FIA, and to smash any chances Mosley might have had at entering European Politics, if indeed that is where Max had wished to end up after his FIA Presidency, as has been rumoured for many years.

I will not be surprised in the slightest if Flavio loses his appeal tomorrow. Afterall, if my hunch is right, it’s exactly what Flavio wants.

Se questo articolo fosse stato scritto 30 anni fa da un’altra persona qualsiasi, e io lo leggessi oggi per la prima volta, mi formerei un giudizio inquinato. Penserei che l’autore avesse, a suo tempo, volutamente calcato la mano su una serie di fatti e di eventi, al semplice scopo di romanzare la storia, e di consegnarla distorta al giudizio delle generazioni successive. Ma la questione qui e’ assai piu’ semplice: c’e’ molto poco da romanzare, i fatti sono andati cosi’, e il giudizio e il commento, per quanto soggettivi e personali possano essere, non spostano la conclusione in maniera percettibile. Conclusione, che a discapito dei meriti di chi ha vinto e delle evidenti colpe di chi vinto non ha, e’ una  e una sola: la stagione 2009 del Campionato del Mondo di Formula 1 andrebbe rimossa! Da tutto! Dagli annali, da Internet, dalla memoria e dal bagaglio di esperienza che una qualsiasi competizione sportiva genera, e sul quale, nel bene e nel male, si costruisce quello che viene dopo.

E’ stato un orrendo sabba stregonesco, che nel pentolone della politica e delle lotte intestine, ha cucinato e malamente rimestato i regolamenti, la tecnologia, le qualita’ di pochi e le mediocrita’ di tanti, le scelte errate e le fortune inattese.

E dire che le avvisaglie c’erano state, gia’ quando una scuderia formalmente chiusa e fallita come la Honda, venduta per una sterlina e recuperata per il rotto della cuffia da Ross Brown, con due piloti decenti ma che campioni non sono, ha letteralmente dominato grazie a un trucco regolamentare. Il doppio fondo. Se si poteva fare, allora poveri quelli che non l’hanno capito, Ferrari in testa, e se non si poteva, allora andava sanzionato seriamente dalla F.I.A. In entrambi i casi, la cosa andava chiarita con fermezza, e prima di versare il primo olio nelle coppe.

La BrownGP ha vinto meritatamente, non tanto battendosi in pista, ma soprattutto lavorando bene al tecnigrafo e al sistema CAD. E poi, guidata da quell’indiscutibile genio che la possiede, e che le ha affibbiato il proprio nome in una sorta di rito propiziatorio (Enzo Ferrari, Frank Williams, ecc…), ha semplicemente amministrato il ritorno sorprendente della RedBull. La quale, pur avendo compiuto degli errori, ha rivelato tre cose. La prima: che nel panorama della Formula 1 del 21-esimo secolo c’e’ un nuovo pilota tedesco che potrebbe non farci rimpiangere troppo un altro tedesco che di titoli ne ha vinti 7. Si chiama Sebastian Vettel (si pronuncia Fettel!). La seconda: che Adrian Newey e’ talmente geniale da riuscire a far andare veloce anche un cassonetto per la raccolta differenziata. La terza: che vendendo bibite energetiche si puo’ competere alla pari in un mondo che, da sempre, sembrava riservato solo agli storici costruttori.

Storici costruttori che, evidentemente, hanno fallito miseramente. Forti delle loro certezze, sono caduti pesantamente dal piedistallo. Tutti! Solo la McLaren, con uno sforzo mostruoso, e piu’ che altro economico e coperto dal poderoso salvadanaio della Mercedes, e’ riuscita a rimettere in piedi la propria dignita’, rendendo nuovamente competitivo il suo campione del mondo. Un Lewis Hamilton che, oggettivamente, e’ piacevole come una scarpa 38 su un piede 41, ma che e’ veloce come pochi altri. Ma la BMW, la Toyota, la Renault e, come dimenticarsene, la Ferrari, hanno portato a casa solo un risultato: una penosa figura che, con precisione diabolica, si colloca esattamente agli antipodi della loro reputazione e delle aspettive degli osservatori. E, infatti, la BMW e la Toyota l’anno prossimo saranno assenti in griglia, e la Renault, con ogni probabilita’, ci salutera’ nel 2011.

La casa di Monaco negli ultimi cinque anni ha esibito soltanto enormi ambizioni, e ha compiuto un percorso incomprensibile, dando sempre la netta impressione di non capirci poi molto. Emblematica la scelta di spingere piu’ degli altri l’introduzione del K.E.R.S. con una determinazione sconcertante, salvo poi eliminarlo subito. I giapponesi, seppur dotati di un budget faraonico, sono riusciti nel difficile intento di far passare la voglia a uno tosto come Jarno Trulli, a tal punto da renderlo perfettamente inutile. La Ferrari merita un discorso a parte, ma non perche’ io ne sia un sanguigno seguace, ma perche’ la gamma e la varieta’ di errori compiuti la posizionano in una categoria a parte: quella degli incapaci che, tanto per gradire, sono anche sfigati. Non bastava aver toppato nell’intepretazione del regolamento, lasciando passare l’opportunita’ di costruire il famoso doppio estrattore da subito; non bastava aver progettato una macchina senza grip e incapace di sfruttare al meglio le gomme. E non bastava aver tirato fuori un motore talmente assetato di carburante da rendere superflua qualsiasi strategia in materia di pit-stop, e nemmeno il fatto di avere deciso di fermare lo sviluppo della F60 a meta’ stagione, pregiudicandosi ogni residua, seppur minima, opportunita’ di salvare il salvabile. Non bastava tutto questo, no. Mancava l’incidente di Felipe Massa al Gran Premio di Ungheria, che ha messo fuori gioco il pilota. Il quale sembrava fosse, tra i due “cavallini”, quello meglio in grado di contribuire alla causa. Perche’, parliamoci chiaro, il buon Raikkonen, pur essendo un driver dal talento indiscusso, si e’ risvegliato troppo tardi. Forse lui e’ uno che ha bisogno di sentirsi protagonista, e non ama dover competere internamente, visto che ha iniziato e concentrarsi e a impegnarsi come si deve proprio dopo l’uscita di scena del collega brasiliano. E sara’ proprio per questo, unitamente alle sue doti comunicative, che sono simili a quelle di un vaso d’argilla, che a Maranello hanno deciso di salutarlo anzitempo. Ed e’, a tutt’oggi, l’unico campione del mondo di F1 che aspetta ancora di trovare un volante. Significhera’ qualcosa, no?

Gli altri hanno portato poco valore al Circus, che si chiamassero Williams oppure Force India, la loro presenza e’ stato un mero atto scenico. E l’anno prossimo di questi cosi’ ce ne saranno a pacchi, ma ne parleremo in futuro.

Detto tutto questo, la delusione piu’ grande e’ stata scoprire che lo sport dei gentlemen driver e’ finito davvero. La Formula 1 ha dovuto, quest’anno, fare i conti anche col dispiacere dell’imbroglio pianificato a tavolino, e spifferato da un ragazzino brasiliano incapace e viziato (Nelson Piquet Junior), figlio di un ex-asso del volante che, nel procrearlo, si e’ dimenticato di trasferirgli il manico genetico e, con ogni probabilita’, anche le palle. Parlo, naturalmente, del Crashgate che ha visto coinvolta la Renault, sul cui futuro sono scese ombre scure, e che ha colpito duramente, forse troppo forse no, l’italico Flavio Briatore. Sulla cui attitudine alla correttezza potremmo discutere fino a notte fonda, ma che aveva avuto anche il merito non solo di colorare a modo suo una Formula 1 un po’ grigia (dopo la morte del Drake), ma soprattutto di aver investito con grande convinzione su Michael Schumacher, che e’ poi diventato l’amatissimo campione che tutti conosciamo.

La FIA ha fatto il suo tempo, governata da un Max Mosley che, tra un festino sadomado e l’altro, ha solo trovato il tempo di accanirsi contro i suoi nemici, politicizzando un ambiente che di politica sarebbe anche potuto crepare, se la cosa fosse andata avanti un altro po’. Un direttivo che ha solo saputo creare regole stupide e incomprensibili, che ha introdotto l’inutilissimo K.E.R.S., nella sciocca presunzione di volersi mostrare attenti all’ambiente, come se 22 macchine che ogni anno percorrono poche migliaia di chilometri, possano davvero avere un impatto significativo sul Global Warming. Ridicolo e ridicoli! Gente che ha reputato utile alla salvaguardia dei costi impedire ogni test durante la stagione, cosi’ che dovendo sostituire necessariamente un pilota (vedi Ferrari), il sostituto non ha mai potuto provare la macchina, con evidenti conseguenze sulle prestazioni (e ricadute sull’immagine), e anche rischi connessi alla sicurezza.

La FOTA ha mostrato di non servire praticamente a nulla. Un’associazione di costruttori che, nel momento del bisogno, si e’ disunita come non mai, arrivando a dover far fuori un paio di membri (Williams e Force India) i quali, nel dubbio, sceglievano comunque di tutelare i loro interessi di piccoli costruttori e di fregarsene beatamente dei loro compagni di avventura. A che scopo associarsi per condividere obiettivi e piani, se poi, quando succede qualcosa, uno va a destra e uno a sinistra?

A questo punto del POST mi accorgo di non aver preso la direzione che avevo in mente prima d’iniziare, ma sinceramente la poca passione che accende il mio cuore dopo una stagione cosi’ ha preso il sopravvento. E, tanto per condire il tutto, scrivendo, mi sono anche demoralizzato. Suppongo, dunque, che potrei anche chiuderla qui, evitando di tirare fuori tutto cio’ che grida vendetta dentro di me, sperando in un 2010 migliore.

Pero’, aspettate un attimo… una cosa da dire ce l’avevo sul serio, e siccome la Ferrari merita un discorso a parte, vale la pena chiudere con essa, per evidenziare un fatto che, da tifoso, mi ha deluso moltissimo. Forse in modo irreparabile (anche se poi al cuor non si comanda). La Ferrari ha sempre e comunque, indipendentemente dalle vicende che si sono susseguite in ormai 60 anni di storia, seguito una linea guida precisa: andare piu’ veloce degli altri. Il Drake aveva solo una cosa in testa, quella di costruire la macchina piu’ forte, a dispetto di tutto e di tutti. Lui le macchine le costruiva col cuore e con i nervi. Le Ferrari, che nel portare orgogliosamente il cognome di Enzo ne hanno sempre sottolineato l’anima, erano sempre state macchine di carne e metallo, di cuore e polmoni, di rabbia e di determinazione. Di desiderio di riscatto di una terra piena di talenti ma avara di opportunita’, di voglia di essere comunque primi, perche’ la sola idea di arrivare secondi dietro chiunque altro, era semplicemente insopportabile.

La Ferrari di oggi, quella di Stefano Domenicali & C., cosi’ non e’ piu’. Un team che decide di fermarsi, di arrendersi, di rinunciare, nella consapevolezza che da un certo momento in poi cio’ che arrivera’ sara’ solo sofferenza e delusione, non e’ un team degno di indossare l’uniforme rossa col cavallino nero. Mi dispiace dirlo, ma la F60 andava sviluppata fino alla morte, qualunque fosse il suo destino, anche quello di tramutarsi in un carretto siciliano carico di agrumi! Perche’, in questo mondo che ruota solo ed esclusivamente intorno al business, se c’e’ un’azienda che se ne puo’ fottere di certe dinamiche, e che ha il diritto e il dovere di seguire il suo unicissimo retaggio, che l’ha resa il mito che e’, e’ proprio la Ferrari. La  Ferrari non e’ un costruttore di automobili, no. Questo lo possiamo dire di altri, ma non della Ferrari. La Ferrari e’ un’entita’ astratta che anima e raccoglie in se’ lo spirito di tutti gli innamorati delle storie belle e un po’ folli.  Di quelli che, come chi scrive, farebbero carte false solo per lavorarci dentro, per poter orgogliosamente gridare al Mondo che “anch’io faccio parte del mito!”. Di quelli che vorrebbero vivere nel box di Fiorano, al freddo e sotto la pioggia, solo per assistere a cinque minuti di test in pista, in mezzo agli ingegneri e ai piloti e, soprattutto, a mezzo metro dalle rosse creature. Di quelli che quando sentono il canto del V12 degli anni 80 gli viene la pelle d’oca e piangono come ragazzini, mentre ascoltano un suono che, ad altri, sembrera’ solo un assurdo rumore. Di quelli che l’odore della gomma slick bruciata gli fa venire l’acquolina in bocca, mentre la fumata grigia dalla bancata di sinistra gli spacca il cuore dal dispiacere.

Forse la Ferrari l’anno prossimo vincera’, e questo lo sapremo solo fra 12 mesi.

Ma, nel frattempo, la Ferrari e’ morta. Viva la Ferrari!

On 23 October, 2009 Jean Todt became the new president of the FIA (Federation l’Internationale de l’Automobile). He was elected into office to take the place of Max Mosley who had been serving as president since 1993. Ari Vatanen was competing against Todt in the election for the presidency.
Despite the controversies that plagued Mosley’s tenure as president time and again (namely the 2008 sex scandal and the 2005 United States Grand Prix), Mosley was by and large a formidable leader. His contributions to motorsport and road safety must be recognized. He was also a major role player in bringing F1 to its current heights (with much help from former-colleague at March, Bernie Ecclestone).
What makes Jean Todt’s new position is the conflict of interest that his presidency implies…let’s begin with a quick background check…
Todt’s managerial career began in the 1980s heading the Peugeot works effort in the World Rally Championship. While managing, the rally team proved to be very successful, winning world titles in 1985 and 1986. The manufacturer battle during these years, between Peugeot and Lancia, developed cars that reached speeds that would make the FIA (then headed by Jean-Marie Balestre) ban them prior to the 1987 championship season. Todt was also heavily involved in Peugeot’s successful Paris-Dakar and Le Mans teams during the late 1980s and early 1990s.
In 1993, Todt was hired by Ferrari to be the general manager of their fledgling F1 team. Ferrari had just finished their worst championship campaign and were looking to bring their team back to the top of the F1 pecking order. Todt proved to be what the team needed; he hired key members that were pivotal in developing Ferrari to what they would become in the 2000s. Ross Brawn was hired as race strategist, Rory Byrne as chief aerodynamicist, and the then two-time world champion Michael Schumacher was hired as their driver. The successes that followed (no less than seven manufacturers’ titles and six drivers’ titles) would return Ferrari as a major power in Formula 1. The marque accrued enough power to threaten their withdrawal from the sport twice in the 2000s, resulting in a high stakes poker game over television advertisement revenues between the FIA and the major car manufacturers that had huge sums of money tied into the sport. The leverage that Ferrari was able to find against the FIA made some believe that if there was no Ferrari, there would be no F1. The fans would go wherever Ferrari went (Ferrari threatened to try their hands in American open-wheel racing, good think that they didn’t…). Think something along the lines of if the Yankees left MLB, what would that do to the sport? To put F1 on par with baseball again… How would baseball fans feel if George Steinbrenner became the commissioner of MLB?
The FIA has already showed a strong amount of favoritism towards Ferrari, especially in the “spygate” scandal of 2007 where a former Ferrari employee passed confidential information from Ferrari to the McLaren F1 team. When this case resolved in England’s High Court of Justice, McLaren was banned from the 2007 world championship standings and was fined $100 million… The FIA presidential term is four-years in length, it’ll be interesting if Ferrari receives any more favoritism over the next years.

This week started with the news that Bridgestone will withdraw from the sport after 2010 and yesterday Toyota kissed F1 goodbye and now there is news that Renault held a meeting to discuss their future in the motorsport.

Were Renault to pull out, it will be an extraordinary year of the exit of major manufacturer teams in F1. Honda and BMW exit is not even a year old by now. Only remaining manufacturer involvement will be Mercedes and Ferrari.

Toyota’s reason to leave sport is due to falling sales of their cars. For the first time in their history since 1937 they lost money in a fiscal year. They lost $4.74b in 2008 and are expected to lose $8.3b in 2009. This is compounded by Toyota’s F1 programme’s high costs and failure to live up-to its expectations. In last 8 years of their involvement Toyota was on podium only for 8 times. Although Toyota signed concorde agreement to remain in the sport till 2012 but the numbers have played a huge part in their decision to quit.

Renault always looked like first time to leave the sport. They are already indebted by bail out package from their goverment. Along with that Carlos Ghosn isn’t F1 friendly. Numbers can play a part there too. Recently, Renault also had to suffer from ignominy of Piquet-gate. F1 is famous across the world and such incidents really tarnish the image of the whole company. Although Renault have fired the culprits but still this disgrace will be languishing at the back of their minds and can act as another factor on why they want to withdraw.

Renault can remain as a engine supplier much like 90s when they formed a formidable champion car with Williams.

The situation never looked good for manufacturers to remain in the sport in the current climate. The economic meltdown in the past 2 years have taken a toll on manufacturers and when the core business suffers, other things are bound to suffer.  F1 is all about cycles and in the current phase the number of manufacturer entries will be low.

Max Mosley already envisaged such a scenario and he was pushing for low costs but his methods were too radical and this led to famous FIA-FOTA war. His bad mouthing in the press might have already made F1 a less attractive place for manufacturers who were considering a breakaway series.

I would be upset to see Renault leave the sport. It is my second team because of Fernando Alonso. Also, a hugely talented driver in Robert Kubica’s future will be in disarray again after similar thing happened in BMW.

Until I began to study Journalism in depth recently I didn’t realise that journalists sometimes have access to information that they are subsequently not allowed to publish.

An injunction given to a media outlet by a lawyer on behalf of one of their clients can mean that the public are not privy to a piece of information.

Most recently, in a case that no average member of the public really understood, The Guardian were given an injunction by Carter Ruck which meant they weren’t allowed to publish what they knew about the oil company Trafigura.

The case was in the public interest and thanks to a bizarre blogging/social networking outburst about the injunction, it came to people’s attention anyway and so then the injunction was lifted.

Judge Eady and privacy

Sometimes though, an article is stopped long before it comes to the public’s attention.

Mr Justice David Eady of the High Court, has taken it upon himself to become the defender of the nation’s privacy, and has ruled in favour of many a celebrity to either grant them compensation for having a story printed or prevent their story going to press in the first place.

Many journalists have criticised Justice Eady’s decisions most profoundly of all Daily Mail editor Paul Dacre, arguing that cases such as the one involving Max Mosley are in the public interest, contrary to Eady’s ruling.

In a conference earlier this year at the University of Westminster, News International’s Kelvin Mackenzie also expressed his outrage at Mr Eady, with reference to case involving an unnamed footballer who had cheated on his wife.

MacKenzie argued that as the footballer had opened the doors on other aspects of his life to the media, for example selling his wedding photos, that details of his extra-marital activities were no different. But Eady granted an injunction anyway and so the story was never published.

Footballers and other high profile figures – do they have a right to privacy?

Having to think about this issue I have found it difficult to reach a conclusive opinion as to which side of the debate I sympathise with.

Ashley Cole centre (c) Downing Street 2008

On the one hand I agree with Mackenzie. Footballers, and celebrities in general, often think they can have it both ways; they court the media for their personal gain one minute and then when they do something wrong they think they don’t want anything to do with it.

Ashley Cole is going to the High Court later this month in attempt to gain compensation from the Mirror Group after a series of articles they published which alleged that he had a series of affairs and cheated on his wife Cheryl. But given  the fact all other aspects are carried out in the public domain, does he really have the right to do this?

What I definitely don’t think is that they should be able turn the media spotlight on and off. Once they welcome the press into their lives, in my opinion, they waiver the rights for anything they do to be off limits.

On the other hand I think we have become far too obsessed as a nation by the culture of celebrity and really what a person chooses to do in his or her personal time is none of our business.

But I think it in some ways is a case of supply and demand, if we didn’t report on these things then maybe people would no longer want to read it either.

However I can’t exactly say I don’t subscribe to the celebrity culture, because I do. But I also wish I didn’t and as a journalist I certainly wouldn’t say it would be something I would want to write about. Maybe I shouldn’t say that though because I might have to one day.

At the end of the day though a footballer is a footballer, that is what they signed up to do and so what they should be famous for.

As someone who is hoping to become a sports journalist for me writing about the football should be the priority, not whoever someone may be married to or going to divorce.

It is a sad fact of life that people have affairs and people split up. I would be inclined to agree with Eady on this at least, that unless someone’s private life effects what they do for a job, be it on the pitch or in a courtroom, then it is irrelevant.

I wouldn’t exactly say I agree entirely with his ruling on Max Mosley, but I’ll leave that for another day.

Nevertheless I don’t think for a second that the tabloid press are going to be deterred to try and publish these kinds of stories, which they believe are in the public interest, in the future.

After all while there is still currently a market for these stories, particularly ones regarding the lives of professional footballers, it is in a newspapers interest to publish it if they can. A few extra paper sales are worth much more than any amount of compensation they may have to pay back.

For me it is interesting to know these sorts of things go on but I kind of always like to think people are not guilty of the things tabloids accuse them of, especially if it is someone I am a fan of.

However as well as questioning which side of this ongoing debate I agree with, I am now questioning my own beliefs. If they really were innocent then why would they try and stop something getting published in the first place?

The debate continues…

2009 season ended at Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi with a win for Sebastian Vettel. Red Bull driver scored a one-two with teammate Mark Webber and World Champion Jenson Button third. This was Vettel’s fourth win of the season and it was also the third time Red Bull scored a one-two this year.

“The car was fantastic, it worked brilliantly on both tyres. it was a pleasure to sit in the car,” Vettel said. “To sum up the season: up and down. The car is getting quicker – it’s a shame the season is ending.”

Race favorite Lewis Hamilton did not finish the race due to rear brake problems. After qualifying on pole yesterday Lewis Hamilton was expected to win the race and end season in style for Mclaren. But after his early exit all eyes turned to Kovalainen and Raikkonen. But Ferrari had a miserable day in office with both Raikkonen and Fisichella struggling for pace. All three drivers finished off points and Mclaren secured third in constructor’s championship.

The otherwise boring race had a decent finish when in the last two laps Webber and Button were fighting for the second place.

F1 season end with huge driver shuffle expected and it will be back with 13 teams (14?), no refuelling, no KERS, no Mosley (:D). 133 days till it all gets going again!!

Barratt Homes: fresh from his landslide victory over ex-flying Finn, God-bothering Ari Vatanen in the FIA Presidential elections, top French midget team manager Jean Todt continued to cause consternation amongst F1 fans wanting a fresh start at the institutions’ Concorde HQ by getting the builders in to create an annexe for the ex-President, it has been revealed.

Pausing to talk to reporters in between supervising the installation of his favourite pieces of dolls’furniture at the new home in Paris, Todt insisted his appointment spelt an end to the recent acrimonious acrimony that threatened to split F1 down the middle and then divide that bit in two,

“It is important that we have harmony in F1 from now”, he said craning his neck to the microphone whilst on top of a fruit crate. “I am my own man and will ensure the future is consensual rather than conflictual,” he added from up on his tip-toes.

If you looked like that and went out with that, you'd look smug as well

But eagle-eyed journalists witnessing the new President’s impromptu press conference were quick to notice that Todt’s statements of independence against the Pickfords removal backdrop were contradicted by the Magnet kitchen reality being played out behind him.

“He talked independence and consensus”, journalist Creatin Hunter-gatherer commented, “but it was clear from the amount of trowels, cement, fried breakfasts, pornography, benefit cheques, mugs of tea and deck chairs being carried in by dustied overall-wearing n’eer do wells, that some sort of heavy-duty building work was going on.”

“It was only when the sound of banging, hammering and sawing was drowned out by the testing of a heavy duty washer drier combination and the arrival of an iron bedstead with handcuffs on it, draped in a Swastika plus the fact nobody had seen Max leave for the previous 3 days that we finally put 2 and 2 together”, the journalist added.

Thieving, gipsy bastards putting in a bathroom yesterday for more than you were sure you'd originally agreed

If the rumours are true and the ex-President is going to be living permanently at the residence supposedly given over to his successor, it will be a massive blow to those who hoped Todt – who is famous for somehow getting Michelle Yeoh to marry him – would provide the much needed reform, myopic F1 fans who somehow think the sport could be run as a fucking democracy for their benefit hoped for.

“Todt has said he’s his own man but the plasterboard, Irish layabouts and plethora of white goods suggests he will have to go a long way to convince people he is truly independent”, commented Creatin.

“That and the fact he was a lying, cheating, blinkered, self-interested little whining tit who presided over the dullest period of F1 ever”, he added thoughtfully.

Jean Todt has played down reports his new relationship with Ferrari might be a strained one.

The Frenchman ran the famous Italian team for 14 years, but has now been elected to succeed Max Mosley as the new FIA president. Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, also chairman of the Formula One Teams Association, clashed memorably with Mosley over the recent political war.

Another difficult relationship might now ensue between Todt and Montezemolo, amid rumours the pair did not part ways at Ferrari amicably.

“It is not true that I have had problems with Montezemolo,” Todt told Tuttosport. “Actually he was the first person I heard from after the election and also the previous evening he sent me a very nice message.”

Montezemolo also played down the reports, which are ironic given that some feared that Todt’s election as president would bias the FIA’s relationship in favour of the Maranello-based team. “I’m very happy that Todt, a person who worked so well over 16 years here in Maranello and with whom I have a very amicable relationship, has been elected into such an important and crucial position for formula one’s future,” said the Italian.

Reference: f1-live.com

Antes de começar a enumerar todas as razões que me levaram a escolher o título e analisar o que significa para o desporto esta vitória do “pequeno francês” para o desporto automóvel, tenho que pedir desculpas a todos os meus leitores pelo tempo de reacção bem lento com que eu tenho reagido às novidades.

Não é por esquecimento nem por nada: é que eu tenho andado a trabalhar justamente para o blogue, mas numa surpresa que deverá estar pronta antes do Ano Novo (não é o anuário, esse estará pronto, em princípio, em Janeiro 2010) e que será muito útil para mim, e melhorando a qualidade do blogue…

Enfim, passemos aos assuntos “sérios”!

Maioria absoluta não explica tudo

Por mais que Ari Vatanen tenha ganho simpatizantes nos adeptos do desporto automóvel e no mundo dos blogues, era perfeitamente óbvio que as ideias eram tão boas que Mosley não lhe iria dar o apoio, dando-o à sua versão B…

Como disse Ricardo Araújo Pereira (min. 0s53 do vídeo), conhecido humorista português, a Manuela Ferreira Leite nas eleições para Primeiro-Ministro: “só prometo o que posso cumprir… que raio de brincadeira é esta?!”.

Destaque também para o facto de Ari Vatanen ter contestado o processo de voto e levando a que o sistema fosse alterado para o voto secreto, mas nem assim a vitória esmagadora de Jean Todt foi evitada.

No entanto um reparo à fiscalização efectuada do cumprimento dessas medidas: o processo foi fiscalizado por um fiscal francês… Não é por nada, mas isso é como haver um França vs Finlândia com um árbitro francês!

Como será

Agora que as cartas ficaram na mesa, e temos os resultados finais pela frente, resta contemplar o que será este mandato de Jean Todt que promete ser uma repetição dos últimos anos de “Mosleyismo”.

Apesar de tudo a FOTA não se mostrou muito abatida, com Jean a dizer que está ansioso por trabalhar com as equipas. Logo, poderemos ter um presidente da FIA com mais liberdade em relação ao previsto, pois o francês não mostrou durante a campanha muitas tendências de “marrar” na equipas, mas antes cooperar com elas.

Nem o escândalo de uma possível compra de votos abalou a vitórias, e até temos um lado positivo: agora deverão haver mais pressões para o regresso do GP de França!

Não nos esqueçamos de que quando foi eleito pela primeira vez, Mosley, tal como Vatanen, era dado como a figura ideal para as esperanças de fãs do mundo inteiro e acabou por ser o que já esperávamos…

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Estou de volta, mas o que se passou?
Renault suspensa… mas não para já!

Sendung vom 23. Oktober 2009

In dem Moment, als gestern abend Daniela Milanese leicht zerzaust am Bildschirm erschien (als hätte sie erst kurz vorher noch ein wenig mit dem Mikrofon des Tönlers gfätterlet) und in breitem Berndeutsch Derendingerisch zur Sendung mit vielen «Mettupönkt» lud (wir vermögen unserer Dialektophilie zum Trotz Glück die Herkunft nicht genau exakt zu lokalisieren), atmeten wir kurz – und überaus beruhigt – durch (verständlich nach dem gleichsam rainersierten Vollprogramm der vergangenen Tage). Auch wenn die liebe, gute, brave Daniela M. auch gemeinhin eher wie ein Sedativum wirkt, war sie nur noch Balsam auf unsere strapazierten Nerven (nebst R.H.M. schoss ja auch der «Ui-ui-ui»-Wyler aus allen Rohren).

Diese allgegenwärtige Beruhigung schien telepathisch auch auf andere Protagonisten abzufärben. Besonders gut war dies bei der Pre Fight Press Conference von Vitali Klitschko und Kevin Johnson zu spüren. Als Boxen noch das Mass aller Dinge im Kampfsport war (also zu Zeiten vor der Sportlounge und Gästen wie Annette Denz), gerieten diese Konferenzen zu Höhepunkten ante Highlight. The Greatest, und es kann bekanntlich nur einen geben, reimte Spottverse auf seinen Gegner, auch wenn die härter zuschlagen konnten als alles bisherige gesehene («Don’t block the halls and don’t block the door ’cause ya all going home after Round Four»).

Aber leider wird unsere Zivilisation von stets noch langweiligeren Gutmenschen nur noch sauberer geleckt, so dass wir mittlerweile an dem Punkt angelangt sind, bei dem wir uns von sage und schreibe Daniela Milanese die Frage stellen lassen müssen, ob man Testosteron riechen könne, um schliesslich zwei guignols bei einer «Willkommen in der Bern-Arena-Mini-Stade-de-Suisse»-Pressekonferenz beim Herumalbern zuzusehen: Geradezu lächerlich, dass sich das Pummelchen Kevin Johnson von Klitschko die Sonnenbrille hochheben liess. Und damit schliesslich auch noch alle Kinderchen die richtigen, die wahren, die guten Vorbilder haben, mussten die zwei Box-Tussies sich auch noch in die Hockeymontur stürzen und mit den Berner Piccolos das Kalb machen (für den ehemaligen Sowjetrussen Klitschko ist das Eis natürlich die zweite Heimat, aber für den Schwabbelami?).

Nach soviel bumsfidelen Trallala durften wir dann noch miterleben, wie der sehr hässliche Franzose Jean Todt (die pockennarbige Reinkarnation des grossen Korsen) den sehr dummen englischen Max Mosley (immerhin ein nicht dementierter Nazisympathisant) als FIA-Präsident beerbte (auch mit von der Partie: Unser Schweizer Paul «Pól» Gutjahr, genau, der mit den grauen Haaren und dem gefärbten Schnauz, der Unserem Schweizer Peter Sauber mitteilen konnte, dass sein Team auch in der kommenden Saison fahren könne, auch wenn darüber gar nicht geredet wurde). Irritiert hat uns einzig Michael Schumachers Anblick: Sein Nackenhaar war derart unregelmässig geschert – wir glaubten für einen Moment, der 100-Mio-Schumacher mache sich die Frisur eigenhändig vor dem Spiegel und spare die 35 Franken, die der Coiffeurbesuch in Vufflens-Le-Château kostet. Aber das denken wir im Prinzip jeden Abend, wenn wir um 22.20 zu den Frisuren von Sport Aktuell schalten. Ausser bei Beni Turnheer: Wo keine Frisur ist, kann man auch nichts mehr ruinieren. (L.T.)

Früher, ja da hatten die Männer vom Sport noch rechte Haarschnitte!

63 year old Frenchman Jean Todt who received the endorsement of the outgoing Max Mosley has today been elected to replace him as president of the FIA as he beat former world rally champion, Finn Ari Vatanen comprehensively, by 135 votes to 49.

The FIA should be in good hands with Todt at the helm as not only has he had competitive experience behind the wheel having won various world rally races, but he has also shown he has got good success behind the scenes in a management role as he was Team Principal for the Ferrari F1 team from 1993-2007. During his time at Ferrari, he was credited with turning a team which was in the mire, to a team which was nigh-on unbeatable when Todt hired Michael Schumacher to drive at the team and brought in excellent technical staff, such as Ross Brawn.

Todt replaces the outgoing Max Mosley, who is responsible for much of the safety features in F1 we see today as well as bringing much publicity and attention to the sport during his reign which began in 1993, but this will be overshadowed by his involvement in a Nazi Sado-masochistic sex act involving several female prostitutes last year.

Other members of the new world council can be found here.

Well, the FIA finally chose a successor to the Nazi orgy guy, better known as Max Mosley. They did not choose the former rally champion Ari Vatanen. Instead, they went with the former rally co-driver – and former Ferrari F1 team boss – Jean Todt. Frankly, this isn’t surprising, what with Vatanen making some pretty heavy waves as of late, but it is still news. Personally, I think I would have gone with Ari, if only because he used to do stuff like in the embedded video. It’s astounding the amount of car control that some people have, and he was one of the best. Check out the video and tell me that isn’t awesome.

Will this new election really change anything? Probably not, but either way, I guess I’m happy to have Max removed from his power. Now, if we could all get to work on removing Bernie, everything would be much better.

So Jean Todt is elected, president of the FIA. No surprise there, as anyone who can read a newspaper will know about Mosley’s industrious machinations on Todt’s behalf. And not even particularly secretly, which shows what an arrogant fuck he  is.

Ari Vatanen was by far the better man for the job. Not only did he have the necessary political experience, he would have been totally unbiased regarding F1 – the area where the FIM (Federation Internationale de Mosley), interfered most perniciously – and that is quite possibly the  reason why Mosley supported Todt rather than Vatanen.

There is also the persistent rumour, that refuses to go away, that Ferrari “has something” on Mosley, hence the long-running FIA bias in their favour. The cynical might ask how much pressure Ferrari brought to bear – if any – to ensure Mosley’s support for Todt?

Now we have Mosley’s and Ecclestone’s favourite in the seat of power, there primarily – quite possibly totally – at Mosley’s behest, can he possibly operate entirely independently of outside influence (i.e., of Mosley)? Yes, he can; I have no doubt that Todt is an honest man – the burning question, though, is will he be allowed to be completely independent?

I would hope, if he is subjected to undue pressures by anybody, Todt will have the balls to do the right thing – and call the police. Fuck the FIA’s internal machinery, that can’t be trusted, it has to be the police.

Make no mistake, Mosley still wields massive influence, and will continue to do so, even though, at least notionally, he now has no power, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him carving out a niche for himself at the FIA, to ensure or, at least, try to ensure, that business as usual, continues. Mind you, he may not have to – 135 people did what he wanted at the FIA election, and only 49 opposed him – that’s a massive powerbase for Mosley.

Before leaving this subject, please bear in mind that the margin of victory brings to mind a  remark made by Mosley in a letter to Prince Feisal of Jordan, whom Vatanen had nominated as vice-president. In the letter Mosley stated Vatanen “would lose the election and lose badly”. Prince Feisal is reported as being furious – which I suspect is something of an understatement.

Three weeks before a supposedly secret ballot, and Mosley knew that he had it in the bag (anyone who thinks this election was about the various merits of Todt and  Vatanen is deluding themselves – it was about Mosley exerting his power, as always). Interesting, that; at the very least it shows that the election was about as secret as Mosley’s sexual predilections. Anyone worried about that? At all?