Vatanen speaks…since Todt isn’t
November 5, 2009 by Negative Camber
Filed under F1B Op-Ed, Negative Camber, People & Events, Top Story
Since Jean Todt’s FIA has very little to say about the recent Bridgestone and Toyota announcements, other than the obligatory “we’re concerned and might sue” statement sprinkled with a dash of “see? Mosley was right about cost-caps” nonsense, it seems we have to look to the person who should have been elected FIA president, upon Max Mosley’s retirement, for actual presidential leadership .
Ari Vatanen has spoken out about the recent shock news in F1, which I am just waiting for someone to coin “manufacturer-gate” or “Maker-gate”, following Bridgestone and Toyota’s announcement of their departure from the series. Renault is understood to be seriously considering exiting the sport as well in an extraordinary meeting of the board of directors yesterday.
If I am honest, I was expecting much more from Jean Todt than the weak and heavy-handed press release the public received yesterday concerning the news. In fact, it was downright depressing to be honest. The tone, content and hind-pokery was just sophomoric and smelt of week-old Mosley wordsmithing.
A clear indicator that what the FIA member clubs voted for was indeed a regime and it is made manifest by the notion that the first crisis, since taking the helm, for Jean Todt is met with the most pedestrian of Mosley-esque moves. The clear design that commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone is still at the helm and that the FIA is a shill for his needs and desire to reduce the Formula One Teams Association (FOTA) to a shambling heap of gelatinous goo.
FOTA is now reduced to three manufacturers and Ferrari issued one of its strongest statements yesterday concerning Toyota’s exit equating it to a murder mystery. The new teams, as I stated before, are like the remote African FIA motoring clubs who will vote any way you need them to as the promised checks are enough of incentive to cast integrity headlong into the wood-chipper.
So is Ferrari right? Is it economics or something else akin to an Agatha Christie novel? Vatanen thinks it’s the latter:
“If you analyze it Renault is right, they are a serious international corporation and not loonies like Max Mosley [former FIA president] has called them, they are just very disillusioned with the governance of Formula One,” he said.
“[Renault] would stay in the FIA championship if the sport was known for positive news and if it was a good avenue for marketing and promotion — but Formula One is only known for conflict, crisis and court cases recently, and big companies cannot afford that,” Vatanen added.
“We must realize the economic realities is nothing to do with the crisis. Big companies always look to market and promote, even when times are tough, but only if it is in a sensible way.
“I do hope [Renault do not leave], but if they do it is the final alarm call that we cannot continue with business as usual. I’m sad to say the old guard are still in power in the FIA but teams are starting to vote with their feet,” Vatanen added.
Like Ferrari, Vatanen sees the Molsey regime still in power and actively diluting the FOTA position. FOTA won victory last summer and both Ecclestone and Mosley knew all too well how dangerous the combined efforts of manufacturers could be but they sallied forth to destroy FOTA and have done a yeoman’s job of it by successfully replacing Mosley (forced out by FOTA) with a hand-picked successor who would follow the beat of the Ecclestone drum in lockstep with the Mosely regime.
The Mosley regime is an insidious machination working within the guise of the FIA and Ecclestone himself is the largest part of their leadership. FOTA failed in successfully starting a breakaway racing series last summer and at some level were duped by Ecclestone/Mosley into re-signing the Concorde Agreement.
Now they have Todt carrying water for the sycophants and perhaps the future looks bleak for the world’s largest car makers. Perhaps in time we will see the real reason for leaving F1 but until then, Toyota, Bridgestone and possibly Renault are content with blaming the economy.
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Can you tell us where to write in support of Ari?
He is spot on.
Let me check with his camp Peter and get back to you on that one. The email I have is probably not the one they want to use for that type of communication.
FOTA were duped, we knew it and they should’ve known better…
We should be enjoying the off season, waiting in anticipation of the first FOTA races at some classic circuits in 2010…instead we’re waiting to find out if another major team is going to drop out of our sport… I can’t believe the teams signed up for more of the same through 2012…
One of your finest posts, NC. Well, I do get a strange rush when someone else goes on a Mad Max Rant.
Us Canadians get a voyeuristic look into American politics, being so close and yet so removed. With Bush we were thinking “Oh, really? You voted for him? Well, let’s just see how that works out for you.” Then it was 8 years of vicarious thrills and feeling the pain for our brothers and sisters.
I have a similar reaction to the whole FIA thing. I love F1 but it’s flaws are undeniable and the potential and the path to sanity seem so close, yet there they go and “Oh really, you voted for him? Well lets see how that works out for you.” Problem is, the you is us. Neither situation will affect my life in terms of taxes, health care or being sent off to war, but hell, I really give a crap about these issues and the people involved. One can always hope that the tide changes next time…….
Yes it’s that fine line between clever and pants-on-head retarded. As a gaping bystander, you watch the train wreck slowly develop like mold on vinyl siding. Then they elect the guy and the first act of business is all very Bernie-esque. Nothing will change unless FOTA change it or Bernie leaves the sport. Thanks for the kind words mate.
With due respect Ari is doing his own version of “See I told you so”.
First things first teams leaving F1 should be headache of FOM/CVC/Bernie and not the organization that is supposed to be governing body of “All the Motor sports”
FIA should be Federation Internationale de L’Automobile and
Not F1A – Formula One Administrators.
Its time that role of FIA to be limited as the body that helps Race Organizers like FOM/WRC/A1GP to a) Setup Sporting(Racing) Rules. b) Act as Ombudsman for Teams, race organizers, race track promoters, Fans participating in various racing events governed by FIA.
This entire business of FIA selecting teams on F1 grid, selecting Tire supplier, setting up of Car specs for F1 stinks. That is Bernie’s/CVC’s job whom them want to participate in their series.
If any any parties ( Teams, drivers, suppliers, race track promoters etc) have any concern about CVC/Bernie decisions they should go to FIA to seek clarification.
While the clearly demarcation of this role was wiped out in Moseley regime, Ari’s statement sound like if he was at helm he would have been jumping into F1 game without being asked to.
Did any of the team leaving F1 approach FIA with set of grievances against current F1 format before they left?? The answer is is Big NO. Their representatives in F1 like Theissen/Howett were on the contrary opposing the cost cutting moves till few months ago. And in light of that opposition these corporations giving economic climate as reason for leaving shows clear lack of communication between the then Fota memembers and their Boards at home base.
I have never ever backed Moseley and was not Fan of Todt given the way with Todt at helm Ferrari was operating with FIA assistance between 2000-06
But lets make peace with the fact that Todt is at helm,for all his vices he has management experience in Motorsports at all levels, give him a chance to prove his worth. And if Ari is that very concern with state of motorsports ( and his concerns are right) He can definitely take High road and offer his services to Todt to improve the state of mess in Governance rather than doing customary ” See I told you so” number in press.
This is what opposition parties in Politics world-wide to ‘Criticize’ all the while claiming that they are ‘ Opposition Party with Difference’
I completely agree with Ari about the economic crisis having nothing to do with volume manufacturers pulling out of the sport.
I would say that the only elements that give the sport a modicum of respectability are the corporate sponsors and, to a lesser extent, the presence of long-established volume manufacturers. Take that away and all you have left are liars, cheaters, and half-senile megalomaniacs and, well, bad governance. On that level it’s really easy to see why the teams felt the need to establish FOTA to show that someone was steering the ship (or bailing water?), but I guess it wasn’t enough…