DC has his say

rdjones · 14 May 2002, 09:42 (Ref:286025)

Just picked this up from F1-live.com:-

What the public have to understand is that F1 is a bit like the Tour de France where there is a team leader and all the other guys are there to help him, “ he said. “Is Miguel Indurain not the great champion everyone thought he was because he had 10 other guys helping him? Would David Beckham be able to win a football match without 10 other guys on the pitch? Of course not. A driver can only win a championship with a team's support. A lot of teams put more importance on the constructors' championship rather than the drivers' championship but the driver is the name that will always be remembered. It will always be a footnote what the car was,” he said. “Maybe the teams should have to declare their contract to the public because I know people bet on F1. But the public have to understand the politics of the sport. There are a range of issues but they have been there since Juan Manuel Fangio's day when someone would stop and get out of the car and give Fangio his car to go and race. "

**Spudgun** · 14 May 2002, 09:53 (Ref:286035)

Well, he would say that wouldn't he? He's good at 'helping'.. Hill, Hakkinen and probably Raikonnen too..

But seriously, you'd think that Ferrari would want Rubens to get 2nd in the WDC..

EERO · 14 May 2002, 11:35 (Ref:286135)

Actually, I think its one of the most rational things I've read in the last couple of days. How can you fault a man for being honest and matter-of-fact. DC is a Gentleman and for all the Hypocrisy expressed by Briatore, Head, Walkinshaw, et al, you cannot call him a phoney.

Red · 14 May 2002, 11:43 (Ref:286143)

Quote:

Originally posted by EERO
Actually, I think its one of the most rational things

"Most"??? Were there any others?

Tristan · 14 May 2002, 12:32 (Ref:286188)

I appreciate his honesty and all and I agree with EERO on the point of "at least he's not jumping on a hypocritical bandwagon". But that's just about all I can agree on.

Too much is made of F1 as a "team" sport. In this context it quite simply isn't. I cannot condone Sunday's events. The public/media are NOT over reacting. This was terrible for everyone concerned.

J.McClane · 14 May 2002, 12:35 (Ref:286190)

OK so now we have DC and the Ferrari team that think what was done is acceptable, but everyone else in F1 thinks it wasn't, maybe DC is hopin' for Shu job when he retires!!!!!

Bibendum · 14 May 2002, 13:04 (Ref:286238)

Red: I don't think that all of the substance of our discussion here has been irrational.

J.McClane: I don't read DC's comments as saying it was "acceptable" in the sense you mean. Dr. Austin is everywhere shouting about the fact that no rule was broken, but to me this misses the point. On the one hand, we hardly expect antique values of 'sportsmanship' to obtain but, on the other, I think many of us simply experience a visceral sense of injustice, and wish that the cynicism and hypocrisy (neither of which are against any formal regulations of the sport) were not so manifest and so smugly displayed and defended. It leaves a bad taste. I don't read DC as negating or denying any of that. I imagine that he has had his share of a bad taste from his role as 'helper,' and what he's doing is expressing the reality as he perceives it, without necessarily saying it -- or this particular incident -- is acceptable.

J.McClane · 14 May 2002, 13:13 (Ref:286254)

Calm down Bidendum, i was just havin' a jolly up, here have a beer.....

Bibendum · 14 May 2002, 13:22 (Ref:286268)

Thanks for the beer! Alas, it appears only as a small red x in my browser. As for calm...um, do I appear uncalm? Odd. Oh well: Om. Shanti. Om.

Mr V · 14 May 2002, 13:27 (Ref:286276)

the difference imo for what it's worth (not alot, i know!!) although DC did exctly the same thing, he pulled over due to a genuine mistake in oz '98, mika would have won that race, and i don't honestly believe that at that time he knew just how much that mika would go on to dominate that season!

Paul Rayner · 14 May 2002, 13:40 (Ref:286285)

Of course DC's going to defend it, he did it in '98, which brought in this "sport into disrepute" law.

It is part of F1? Is it within the rules? I don't care. No-one's forcing me to watch F1, and although I've loved it, and Ferrari, for years, I really don't want to watch a sport where that is allowed. It's ruined my favourite sport for me.

f1manoz · 14 May 2002, 14:01 (Ref:286305)

No rules were broken, but he spirit of sportsmanship, morality and honour were all squashed on Sunday afternoon.

However, DC, like usual, had something smart to say on the situation.

MickyHelm · 14 May 2002, 14:53 (Ref:286356)

I think that DC was not neccessarily condoning it, but said that it is a team sport so there are going to be occasions when the team may be geared more towards one person and as a result something like what Ferrari did on Sunday will come into effect. I think that Mclaren have a good way of running the team, although I do think that they should accept that they are going to have to support one driver more than the other when it gets towards the middle/end of a season. Sometimes they leave it too late, but I think Ferrari have done it too early, and I don't agree with such blatant public dislpays of team orders.

Paul Rayner · 14 May 2002, 15:30 (Ref:286378)

Quote:

Originally posted by f1manoz
No rules were broken, but he spirit of sportsmanship, morality and honour were all squashed on Sunday afternoon.

This rule:

Item 48 of the FIA sporting regulations state: "If in the opinion of the Formula One Commission a competitor fails to operate his team in a manner compatible with the standards of the Championship or in any way brings the Championship into disrepute, the FIA may exclude such competitor from the Championship forthwith."
Credit to Earl Alexander, who sent that to Autosport.com, for that.

If the massive drop in TV figures for the next race, plus numerous complaints to both Ferrari, the FIA and FOCA, don't show that the sport's been brought into disrepute, then what on earth will bring it into disrepute?

As I've said, whether it's in the rules or not doesn't make me watch the races, but unless Ferrari are punished for it, I won't be watching in future.

Baby Spice · 14 May 2002, 18:06 (Ref:286498)

Quote:

Originally posted by EERO
Actually, I think its one of the most rational things I've read in the last couple of days. How can you fault a man for being honest and matter-of-fact

You are right, sometimes we just can't ignored the fact.

Mania · 14 May 2002, 18:12 (Ref:286501)

Never been a fan of DC's but he's just stating facts. Team owners are very selfish as are drivers. If DC was in the same position as Schumacher, he would probably had passed his team mate as well. Same goes for most of the grid. I dont think there's any one driver on the grid today who would dare to defy a team order - or even wish to defy one either...deep down inside that is.

Mr V · 14 May 2002, 18:16 (Ref:286502)

the way things are going for DC, thats the only way he's gonna get in front of his team-mate imo!

Nicholas · 15 May 2002, 13:27 (Ref:287281)

Nice to see someone making some honest comments.

Was the only other Mclaren incident of this nature done in Australia '98? IMO that was legitimate because a, Mika led most of the race and b, DC and Mika made a pre-race pact that whoever was leading at the first corner would be allowed to win the race.

f1manoz · 15 May 2002, 14:01 (Ref:287305)

The difference is DC DIDN'T have to abide by that agreement. It was a pact, that to a less honourable man, could have been broken. DC could have said 'stuff it, I've been gifted a win' and won the race, but no, he chose to abide by his Gentlemen's Agreement, slowed down and moved over to let Mika over. And that's something which I've always respected DC for - he is a honourable gentleman.

**Spudgun** · 15 May 2002, 14:08 (Ref:287310)

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul Rayner
If the massive drop in TV figures for the next race, plus numerous complaints to both Ferrari, the FIA and FOCA, don't show that the sport's been brought into disrepute, then what on earth will bring it into disrepute?

I think that is a very interesting point.

What does everything think the definition of bringing the sport into disrepute is?