Ferrari Ever the Villain

June 21, 2005 at 2:00 pm jcalvert 5 comments

I have not even gotten started writing about my frustrations with last weekend’s US Grand Prix debacle at Indy, but I will start building up steam. Here is a beauty of a quote

“Jacques Villeneuve, meanwhile, blamed Ferrari for their failure to agree to the introduction of a chicane: “We could have raced with a chicane, if a chicane had been put before the banking, but Ferrari didn’t accept.”

Michael Schumacher’s comment, “I don’t know what Michelin’s problem is, but this wasn’t our problem,” spoke volumes about Ferrari’s intransigence ahead of F1′s race of shame.

It is amazing that Ferrari could be built out as the bad guy in this mess. There are lots of things that could have (dare I say should have) been done to prevent the weekend’s fiasco from occurring, but even if Ferrari agreed to a new chicane, I doubt the FIA would have went along.

Devil’s advocate time – suppose Ferrari and the FIA would have agreed to add a chicane, how is that a better solution that multiple changes of tires for the Michelin runners? Adding a chicane over running a slightly slower speed? Using a chicane instead of ducking into the pits each lap to prevent the load on turn 13?

Regardless of the potential solution, one was never found. David Coulthard said it best

“The bottom line is Michelin made a mistake. But after that the FIA had it in their hands to find a solution and ensure we all raced out there. The most important people, the fans, have been forgotten in all of this,” noted Coulthard.”

The fans were indeed screwed, and I find myself questioning why I bother to follow the sport I (used to?) love so dearly.

Sports none

#1 | Written by Adam Simpson on June 21, 2005.

Ferrari could maybe have done more to find a workable solution. Who couldn’t, though? The anti-Ferrari mob, such as whoever was responsible for twisting JV’s words to suit the desired meaning, defy belief sometimes.

Of the solutions presented, the chicane was probably the most practical one. Michelin had said their tyres were good for 10 laps maximum but Ralf’s failed on his first flyer on Friday so there’s still a massive inherent risk in running those tyres with multiple stops, and cruising through 13 is impractical for several reasons. What happens when everyone lifts on lap 1 with Jordans and Minardis steaming in at full pelt just behind? F1 cars don’t have speedometers so how easy is it to run the fixed speed? How do you police it, and to what tolerance level? What happens when the first driver realises that if the safe limit is, say, 120 mph, he’s got more chance of overtaking if he does 121, forcing the man ahead to run 122 and so on?

However, sticking the chicane in front of T13 isn’t massively practical either. It disadvantages the 3 teams whose tyres worked well, the tyres would still be under strain on the banking and massive load down the straight, but if it’s the only way to get a race on…to my mind, you should take the option that gives you a full motor race.

There’s much more to it than that. Shame the politicking got in the way of the motor race, but it is a long long time since F1 could ever be considered sport. Shame, that.

The best bit, mate – I’ve already got my viewing planned for Magny Cours, and my ticket for Silverstone. You don’t honestly think I’m giving them up? No, neither does Bernie…

Cheers,
Adam
#2 | Written by Adam Simpson on June 21, 2005.

My last attempt at taking over the most recent comments section of the main page…another perspective on things, that of Nigel Mansell, can be found here:

http://www.itv-f1.com/Featu…

Not a long article but an interesting viewpoint.
#3 | Written by jcalvert on June 21, 2005.

Adam, while I have a good 15+ years on you, I understand that you have watched F1 much longer than I have paid attention to the would be sport (~10 years). With that said …

This is going to be an apples/oranges thing, but suppose your Poolies cleats were not long enough to stick on a very wet pitch, while their opponent faced no such problem. Should both teams agree to take off their shoes? Should the opponent agree to switch shoes to ones that were at a disadvantage (i.e. short cleats)? I am sure there are other options that someone could come up with, but the reality is that the game would go on, and the Poolies would just have to make do. While no one would be in danger of dieing, plenty of Poolies would be in danger of injury. Maybe the reserves would see action?

OK, maybe far fetched, and maybe a very poor example – I am just building (ah, stealing) from a football (US football that is) example that I heard someone explain, so I guess I am not being very original.

I am sure there is plenty of blame to go around, but I still do not see blaming Ferrari for the mess. Share in the responsibility yes, but I hardly see the weekend blunder as the fault of Ferrari. In the end, fans were screwed, which really is all that matters in my book.
#4 | Written by Adam Simpson on June 22, 2005.

I completely agree with you, mate. That’s essentially what I was trying to say, in truth.

There was only one viable solution, but if the one viable solution in the football was for everyone to change boots…you’re right, we make do. It might end up a farce, but it’s a farce of our own making. For HUFC, read Michelin, and away we go.

The only difference on this occasion was that it seems the Michelin teams physically couldn’t make do – even the back-up Barcelona spec tyres flown over specially were failing, apparently. In that case, you can’t go slowly through 13 since that’s just a different way to get your drivers killed, you can’t race as is because the tyres aren’t safe, but you can’t put a chicane in because it disadvantages the teams that came prepared. What do you do?

There isn’t a solution that would have made the sport look good…but I agree, can’t pin it on Ferrari, and I struggle to understand those who have tried. It also seems to have been ignored that even if Ferrari were on board, that does not automatically change Max’s mind…regardless of what some think, the Scuderia aren’t in power.

Cheers,
Adam
#5 | Written by jcalvert on June 22, 2005.

Adam – "It also seems to have been ignored that even if Ferrari were on board, that does not automatically change Max’s mind…regardless of what some think, the Scuderia aren’t in power." I agree 100%, and said as much about the FIA in the body of the original post.

No doubt that Ferrari carries a lot of weight in the sport; when Ferrari is doing well, it is great for the sport (my opinion). However I do not mean to imply that Ferrari should win every race, get rules bent in their favor, etc . But I guess that is a different topic for another day.

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