No further punishment for Ferrari

[Roths]

Well i'm gobsmacked!! What do you guys think??

[ASCII Man]

Finally some sense.

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by Roths

Well i'm gobsmacked!! What do you guys think??

On the face of it an utterly perverse decision but I will reserve judgement until the full details of the decision an the reasoning behind it emerge.

[Wims]

Only ruling that made sense. The FIA would have shot themselves in the foot if they withdrew points from Ferrari, cause then Ferrari would have been forced to file a complaint to the french courts about team orders in other seasons too, for example the season that Hamilton won. It would be a farse, ending up with the french courts taking away WDCs from drivers and awarding them to other drivers. Now its time to get rid of this ridiulous rule once and for all

[Tall Chris]

Is this fact or speculation, I can't see any references elsewhere?

[ECW Dan Selby]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/09/0...x-team-orders/

Oh dear

Selby

[Wims]

Pretty much a fact
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/86478

[Roths]

Originally Posted by Tall Chris

Is this fact or speculation, I can't see any references elsewhere?

Its a fact, press release has been doing the rounds. Sorry for "firther" spelling mistake, couldnt change but maybe the MODs can do it for me

[chillibowl]

actually happy with the result.
still to early to know how they came to this decision but some very early and brief speculation on the thinking from adam cooper.

[frostie]

I didnt expect much to come from todays hearing but hopefully when the season ends the FIA sees the sense in removing this rule, seeing as they clearly do not want to police it

[Super Hans]

The right decision would've been to rescind the initial punishment and repeal the rule completely, but I'll settle for this.

[littleman]

I'm confused!

If Ferrari's defence was simply that Massa himself decided to let Alonso by then why were they fined $100,000 in the first place. If the FIA have accepted this argument then why don't they give Ferrari the money back?

[chillibowl]

why would they ever give the money back?...my guess is that $100,000.00 is barely enough to subsidize the cost of holding a FIA world council meeting.

[littleman]

You're right of course!

But humour me a bit longer.If Ferrari believe they've done nothing wrong and the FIA have apparently accepted that, then what's the $100,000 fine for?

The way the case reads now, Ferrari have been fined $100k because Massa let Alonso pass when he shouldn't have done! So it's Massa's fault then!

[fourWheelDrift]

Originally Posted by littleman

You're right of course!

But humour me a bit longer.If Ferrari believe they've done nothing wrong and the FIA have apparently accepted that, then what's the $100,000 fine for?

The way the case reads now, Ferrari have been fined $100k because Massa let Alonso pass when he shouldn't have done! So it's Massa's fault then!

Which is exactly why I described the decision as perverse however I suspect the meeting didn't even consider the possibility of returning the fine, in fact there is probably no process for doing so except by hearing an appeal from Ferrari, they didn't appeal the fine within the time limit required so it won't be repaid.

Having said that the suggestion that Massa was simply being apprised of the situation and he made his own decision to let Alonso past is the kind of lawyers fiction that gives lawyers a bad name.

The whole thing is a fudge based on the fact that so many lies have been told in the past that no one dare risk the truth coming out now.

If the FAI can't or won't enforce the rule then they need to ditch it as having rules that everyone agrees to ignore damages the credibility of the rest of the sporting regulations and prejudices discipline generally.

[Knowlesy]

An insult to the public. We have been robbed. What little shred of integrity left in the 'sport' we love died today, along with the last vestige of respectability.

What is that? Why I do believe I can feel Enzo spinning in his grave!

Nah, finally, common sense. Now let's be rid of the rule and let the teams be run how the managers see fit.

[Super Hans]

Originally Posted by fourWheelDrift

If the FAI can't or won't enforce the rule then they need to ditch it as having rules that everyone agrees to ignore damages the credibility of the rest of the sporting regulations and prejudices discipline generally.

What has the Football Association of Ireland got to do with it?

[strider]

If I'm to say what I think, the decision was wholly to be expected.

Team orders are a reality. The best the FIA can do is devise a method by which they are not immediately apparent to the general public.

For example, in my book Kimi was not handed the 2007 title as a result of Ferrari's pit stop strategy, but that's the general perception. At the very best that's how it should be. With an element of doubt. Nothing obvious.

[Marbot]

I'm glad that's over! Now we can look forward to some real racing for the rest of the season......well, something that looks like real racing, even if it's not actually real racing.

I do hope that Fernando wins the WDC now.

[ralf fan]

Good decision. Get rid of the rule.

[gachjoel]

no surprise on that decision.

so if Ferrari are not guilty of team orders.
Then Massa is guilty of bringing the sport in to disrepute.

[Born Racer]

Typical Ferrari. The smug team get away with it again.

[BMW_F1]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

Finally some sense.

+1

[TrapezeArtist]

The most painful part is that Teflonso now has 7 points more than he deserves. If he wins the championship by 7 points or less, it will be a travesty. A most unsatisfactory conclusion to the best season in a long long time.

If a driver can't beat all of the drivers in the championship without being given points by another driver, he is not a worthy champion.

Ferrari International Aid is alive and well and living in Paris.

[Lancsbreaker]

Typical fudge...either have the rule and enforce it, or don't have it.....

From a racing point of view I abhore team orders, but realistically if sensibly/cleverly applied it would be virtually impossible to prove (coded messages, anyone?) so I suppose we have to live with them....and judge those who gain as a result of them accordingly, in terms of how much real ability they have, as opposed to having results gifted to them. If Alonso were somehow to fluke a WDC this year I would regard it as unearned......