Watch Alonso

With Michael needing Fernando to finish outside the top eight, if at all, there have been suggestions in the press that perhaps some argy bargy would transpire at this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix. Others suggest that perhaps we should be watching the teammates instead. Filipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella are themselves in a battle for the second runner up spot but perhaps it is not unthinkable that they may be called upon to help settle the issue. Perhaps Filipe could "accidentally" run into Fernando at the start. Or indeed Fisi could do the same to Michael. Though I do have my doubts about Fisi wanting to do such things.

All these speculation are purely conspiracy theories you understand. Although I should point out that the three most successfuly drivers of the modern era Prost, Senna and Schumacher have all at one point or another resorted to questionable tactics to win the world title. I can hear the Prost fans howling in protest but lets be realisitic shall we. If you believe that Prost did not know that Senna was side by side with him going into the final chicane at Suzuka in 1989 then you simply must be blind. He knew Senna was coming and bloody hell anyone, least of all a double world champion would notice the red and white nose cone to his right. After all the chicane begins with a right hander and as everyone who has ever driven on a circuit knows you look to where you want the car placed next. And the next corner is a right hander and thats where Senna was incidentally, to Prost's right. That Frog knew he was there and took the line in any case. Of course Nigel Roebuck would never agree with you because he and Prost are such good pals.

Anyway back to 2006 and we ask the question: will Fernando Alonso join the ranks of these greats? Will he simply settle the score and put the game beyond a shadow of a doubt. Why risk engine blow outs, tyre troubles, accidents with drivers and not simply end it right there and then? Its a tight first corner at Interlagos. He can drive straight into Schumi ala Senna or attempt a more subtle but clumsy approach ala Prost and Michael Schumacher circa 1994.

Perhaps Vince McMann... oops sorry, Bernie Ecclestone, will have a hand in this, as alleged by Nigel Mansell, as he did on that fateful day in Adelaide in 1994. Its not beyond shorty.

Whatever it is, I think I will watch Fernando very closely on Sunday. It would be ironic if Michael were to be taken out the way he has taken out others (or attempted to) in the past. Perhaps we need just a little bit more of that good old "natural justice." That would be nice but even better would be for Fernando to win in style as did Mika Hakkinen in 1998.

Justice

From GrandPrix.com's Japanese Grand Prix race report:

"One day perhaps some worthy sociologist will write a dissertation to explain what happened in the Media Centre at Suzuka when Michael Schumacher's Ferrari blew its engine during the Japanese Grand Prix of 2006. There was a roar of approval. A loud roar. The F1 Media - the representatives of the fans (in theory at least) - did not want Michael to win this one. Why did they react as they reacted? Here was a great champion coming to the end of his era and the chroniclers of F1 history were cheering his demise.

Yes, Michael has always been a controversial soul but this seemed to be more than that. This was about natural justice - the phrase even came up in the press conference. It was about overturning the advantage that Michael had gained from the mass damper decision and the penalty against Fernando Alonso at Monza. Alonso talked about God. The non-believers talked about Fate. The ever-efficient Jean Todt talked about failure."

God, fate, the universe, whatever you want to call it, but I have a feeling the divine powers must have been pretty sick of the FIA and Ferrari and decided to give Fernando Alonso a helping hand. It could not have come at a better time. Now its all up to the Spaniard and Renault to collect. Whats most ironic, is that the Ferrari team are the ones blessed by the pontiff but I shall say no more on this....

On Team Orders II

In the wake of the Chinese Grand Prix last weekend, there seems to have been some discontent especially among the tifosi. The source of that discontent being Renault's own team orders during the race.

I've never been against team orders. I think thats just part and parcel of racing for the longest time. But I'm very much against unsporting behaviour and therein lies the difference between Ferrari and Renault (and pretty much everyone else). Other teams at least give both their drivers an equal shot at the championship. Team orders come into play only when one of the drivers no longer has any chance of winning the title. At which point, that driver, not unreasonably, will be asked to lend a hand to his teammate.

At Ferrari, all drivers at any time during the championship will be asked to subsume themselves to Michael Schumacher. The most blatant occurrence of that happened at the 2002 Austrian Grand Prix, when Rubens Barrichello, despite being quicker than Michael all weekend was asked to move over by the Ferrari management. At that point of the season, Michael had already built up such a lead in the championship that such actions were simply uncalled for.

The F2002 was such a vastly superior car that the rest of the field had simply no chance. Why not then, let the Ferrari drivers sort themselves out? As for the FIA, I think they were very much concerned that Ferrari's action had "brought the sport into disrepute." But in this case, they had a point. It was completely unsporting and the fans in Austria let it be known by jeering the Ferrari team during the podium ceremonies.

Its hard to regulate against team orders because for one, teams will find a way round it. But the criteria to be applied, and this is by no means easy, is whether such team orders consistutes unsporting behaviour. In many cases its very hard to tell. The criteria for judging unsporting behaviour is itself undefined. One cannot simply apply the "disrepute" criteria that the FIA loves so much. Disrepute in whose eyes?

However, its easy to see that in the case of the Scuderia, anyone else except Michael has simply no chance at their own ambitions. I find that aspect very repulsive though I suspect that that is Michael's requirements and not necessarily that of Ferrari.