Andrew Reid: Curb Your Enthusiasm

The FIA knew they were breaking their own rules when they introduced the new points system, which was incidentally suggested by one Bernard Ecclestone. A crafty bespectacled genius of the highest order in my opinion.

The FOTA gaggle of united teams is bad news for the powers that be. In fact the battle between the teams and the FIA and commercial rights holders recently spilled out into Chelsea basements, with a leading F1 figure using the News of The World to expose Max Mosley’s weekend leisure persuits. Mosley subsequently hired a private detective and has admitted as much that he knows ‘for certain’ who set him up. The news on the grapevine is that this leading F1 figure will soon be exposed to the tabloids as well and possibly criminal proceedings will follow. But knowing Max, he’s probably waiting for the right moment for the great reveal.

The battle over control of F1 is nothing new, after all it was Bernie and Max themselves who came from the team’s half, and overthrew the FIA equivalent in the 1980’s.

Having done this, they’re better prepared than most to see of this new challenge from the teams.

Their method is to divide and conquer.

First of all, split off the independant teams, whom’s interests have always diverged with that of the big corporate teams and car manufacturers. The independants have been slung a few carrots, namely the budget caps and unlimited technical freedom. The car manufactrers who until recently had money to burn (and they will do so again one day) don’t like the idea of sticking to a £30 budget limit. They spend that on corporate hospitality buffet food and wheel nuts alone.

Sir Frank Williams would rather spend it on flywheel KERS. That’s the first division sorted.

It’s in Bernie’s interest to divide FOTA too. So having spoken to the independant teams, he put it to the FIA that ‘all’ the teams would really like the new points system. Of course the lower spending teams would like it - they’d snatch a few lucky wins early on (before the big spenders like McLaren could fix their crock of a car) and end up winning the drivers championship on 30 points!

The indies have also been thrown the very nice gesture of being allowed to cheat. Whilst the likes of Ferrari and McLaren have rear deffusers as flat as a super model’s bottom, Williams and Brawn have done all sorts of fancy things with their rears. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Toyota is now also an independant team in all but name, having had their budget slashed again (when the economy dived) and again (when Honda pulled out) and again (it was a windy day in Japan). Soon the survival of the team will depend on them making a profit! Who’d have thought it!

Well I am completely on the side of Max and Bernie. I know their plan may be criticised by some as making F1 unstable and giving it a bad press, but I actually love these shenanigans and political games. It adds another dimension to the weekends rather than just the racing stories.

And I am on the side of Max and Bernie because they’re completely right to divide and conquer the manufacturers.

The future of F1 lies with the independant teams, not with the large faceless corporations who cheat their way to championships with their massive budgets. Spending more on a car is the same as having a bigger engine and it’s a crying shame that the most innovative people at Williams, Red Bull (with Newey for art’s sake!) and Brawn GP will at some point this season have their winter inginuiety overtaken by a McLaren leaving a trail of burnt money from it’s rear.

I’d also like to see a relegation / promotion system in place, and you’re not going to have any fresh teams or the drama of relegation whilst the corporations have a money powered strangle hold over this great sport.