Hang The Traitors

While the world waits for Max Mosley's next move after exhibiting temper tantrums over some otherwise truthful snipes about him, lets consider the two treacherous teams who were expelled from FOTA in the last few weeks.

One of them, Williams, have stated that they wish to be reinstated into FOTA. I am absolutely disgusted by the audacity. I'm certain Vijay Mallya, the loathsome maker of the world's worst drink, incorrectly called a beer, the awful Kingfisher, is probably in a state of wishful thinking that his team would be welcomed back into the fold as well.

I do not see any reason whatsoever for the treachery to be rewarded. Whilst the teams showed uncommon solidarity in facing up to the tyrant Mosley, these two sold their souls to the devil, blissfully agreeing to be led by the nose by Max and Bernie. In the case of Frank Williams, he plainly admitted that money (and of course some lucrative Formula 2 design contracts) was the main motivation. In the case of Mallya, he gave some pitiful excuse about banking convenants that supposedly forced his hand.

Very well, if these apostates were so adept in saving their selfish skins, the let them now stand alone. FOTA had fought hard to gain concessions and whatever benefits should be theirs to share amonst themselves. Williams and Force India walked out by their actions, akin to deserting your comrades in battle. Why should they not face the firing squad now? And why should the be allowed to share in the spoils of (any) victory?

I say allow the new teams USF1, Campos and Manor into FOTA for they are indeed taking a bold step. But disloyalty should be rewarded in kind. Let Williams and Mallya stand alone and negotiate with Bernie and see how far that gets them. More revenue for the teams certainly. But none for these bastards.

Hear Hear!!

I love it when the general press (as opposed to cowering racing journalists) hits hard, as did the UK Guardian in this article by Richard Williams today. Highlights:

"Those who watched the Turkish grand prix on television might be interested to learn that the people in charge of the transmission were instructed to focus their cameras tightly on the cars in order to disguise the paltry attendance.

Not everything can be obscured by green sheeting, cunning camera angles or Jenson Button's dazzling smile. Button's success ....is just about the only thing formula one has going for it during a year in which the corrosive effects of Mosley's political machinations and Ecclestone's insatiable greed have become fully apparent."

Brilliant opening salvo but there's more:

"By imposing a wholesale set of rule changes at the beginning of this season, rather than introducing alterations gradually, he made himself look like a reformer while actually forcing the teams to incur huge additional costs, not least through the addition of his vastly expensive and troublesome KERS system, already abandoned by most of the teams."

Where were articles like these years ago before the introduction of the rubbish KERS. Instead we even had some blogs and press supporting its entrance. But the article goes further and this part I like:

"So far only two teams – Williams and Force India – have switched to his camp, suffering expulsion from Fota as a result of choosing self-interest over the long-term health of the sport. The association's eight remaining members – Ferrari, Renault, BMW, Toyota, McLaren-Mercedes, Brawn, Red Bull and Toro Rosso – might very well take the view that grand prix racing can exist perfectly well without one team that won its last championship in 1997 and another that shows little sign of doing anything other than making up the numbers."

Finally someone else says these things I've been trying to get across!

"Whatever Mosley may say, his objective appears not to be making formula one cheaper, greener or more competitive. It is to retain control of the sport first by dividing and ruling the existing competitors and second by threatening the introduction of a bunch of new teams whose loyalty to him and to Ecclestone has been bought by the rewriting of technical regulations and by the promise of financial assistance."

The article concludes:

"How much better the world would seem if formula one returned to Silverstone next year and Mosley and Ecclestone did not."

Amen to that Mr Richard Williams!

And so to the wannabe racing team boss Vijay Mallya. Why don't you quit being a wannabe and take your billions elsewhere instead being a nuisance in grand prix racing? Giving it to help the hardcore poor in your country who live on the streets eating scraps off garbage would probably be more beneficial to yourself and your nation in the long run.