It appears even the Invincible Ecclestone must occasionally bow to the combined force of will presented when every Formula One team speaks with one voice, as the FIA announced this weekend that it will be scrapping the system which would see victory determined by outright wins.
More than that, it seems the whole thing has revealed a bit of deceit on the Ecclenator’s part, with FIA chief Max Mosley saying that Bernie Ecclestone had told the FIA that the F1 teams had supported the rule change, prompting the FIA to institute the new system unilaterally.
With the opening round of the 2009 F1 championship in Melbourne only days away, this latest debacle for F1 and the FIA paints a dark picture for the organisation.
“Bernie [Ecclestone, F1’s commercial rights holder] told me that he talked to all the teams and everybody was happy,” Mosley told The Daily Telegraph.
“I was led to believe they all agreed. The World Council was under the impression that they had all agreed.”
It’s interesting to know that at the top end of motorsport, huge game-changing rules are being instituted on the strength of a conversation. Signed papers and official agreements? Bah, who needs ‘em.
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Could they not see this coming? It was (and remians) evident that there is at best ambivalence from the teams and drivers, with some (Alonso, Hamilton) pretty vehiment in their dislike for the proposed changes. The fact Fota had put forward an alternative solution would also suggest to me that winner takes all was not first on the lips of the teams. If Max and his cronies had picked up the phone and rule books surely they could have confirmed this before going public - or does Ecclestone have to get his grubby little paws on everything?
The FIA and The Emprasario need to get their ship in order, super-pronto. Is there a reason Fota can’t run things themselves? OK, OK the constant bickering - but to FIA/Ecclestone have been nothing short of mindbogglingly naiive this week, a schoolyard squabble between scuderia and the rest trying to set rules/regs seems compartively high-brow!
P.S. “World Council” - This isnt Star Wars Max! You were decieved by a hobgoblin - perhaps that title is a little OTT.
Good decision by the FIA to scrap this idea… just hopefully they let it rest and never speak of this crazy plan again.
d.
Unfortunately that sounds unlikely Dylan. Ecclestone (I believe it was - if not the FIA) was saying it will definately be enforced in 2010 - nothing like working with one another is there?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7957788.stm