Ferrari’s magnificent performance in this year’s championship is in danger of being trivialised by the team’s ham-handed tactics, writes CAR deputy editor John Bentley.
Ferrari’s performance in this year’s Formula One World Championship has been magnificent. But the team’s achievements are in danger of being trivialised by the ham-handed attempts to stage-manage results.
The team orders in Austria earlier this season rightly resulted in a barrage of criticism from the fans. Now comes the bungled attempt to create a dead heat at Indianapolis, a move that has left me – and, judging by the reaction of the American crowd, many other fans – totally deflated.
In modern F1, where the splits are measured in thousandths of a second, it must be virtually impossible to manufacture a tie. Schumacher had the race won, but threw it all away.
The gap of one hundredth of a second was hailed in the post-race interview as the closest in history. But, back in 1971, Peter Gethin’s BRM won the Italian Grand Prix at Monza by the same margin, and there was no stage management involved: the BRM headed a four-car battle to the finish, with all the protagonists giving it all they had. That was a real Grand Prix…
If Jean Todt’s Neubauer-like control has made Ferrari look arrogant and disrespectful of the fans to whom the team owes its very existence, Frank Williams’ laissez-faire attitude towards the rivalry between his two drivers has resulted in an equally farcical situation.
The egos of the two prima donnas have lost the team valuable points, even race victories. At Monza, Juan-Pablo Montoya’s refusal to give best to Ralf Schumacher resulted in the latter short-cutting the first chicane. At Indianapolis, Ralf’s attempt to stave off Juan Pablo into Turn One at the start of the second lap led to both cars going off.
Exciting stuff for a few seconds perhaps, but both incidents destroyed the Williams challenge, arguably robbing the fans of exciting racing. And the team’s main sponsor and engine supplier BMW could not have been very pleased… – John Bentley