The Colombian Method

[prisonermonkeys]

During the 1980s, kidnappings and violent crimes were so common in Bogota that Colmbian news services actually took to reporting the days that were crime-free. And so it seems the case with Formula One; there is hardly a week that goes by of late that was without controversy.

This one in particular started back in Istanbul, when the teams accused Alan Donnelly of overstepping his bounds and allegedly attempting to persuade teams like Brawn out of dropping their threat of going rogue. Donnelly got himself back in the headlines three days ago with this little gem:

The Guardian has published an email from Alan Donnelly, who is Max Mosley's official representative, saying the Virgin tie-up was completed several weeks ago.

"Virgin have signed to be investment partners with a share holding of around 20%," said the email.

Although the news of Virgin's deal with Manor is interesting enough, the involvement of Donnelly in the deal has added fresh intrigue - with several teams questioning whether or not there is a conflict of interest in his role as stewards' adviser.

The Formula One Teams' Association has already written to the FIA questioning Donnelly's neutrality in his steward role, although the governing body insists that any support for new teams is merely part of what should be expected to help bolster the grid and improve the sport.

The Guardian also revealed, however, that Donnelly proposed helping put together a deal with the Saudi royal family and the Manor team.

"I will be in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and look forward to seeing you at our planned meeting . . . with representatives of Manor and Virgin," wrote Donnelly in his email, sent to the Saudi royal family.

This little episode might have slipped under the radar otherwise, but the situation may have gotten a lot worse by a whole order or magnitude:

Cosworth embroiled in new FIA controversy

F1's governing body reportedly selected only new teams with no ties to car manufacturers to make their Grand Prix debuts in 2010.

Britain's Daily Telegraph cites disgruntled bosses who missed out in the FIA's selection process as alleging that only a commitment to independent engine supplier Cosworth ensured a spot on next year's grid.

US F1, Manor and Campos, all to be powered by Cosworth, were included on the 2010 entry list, despite more established names including Prodrive and Lola also applying to race.

It is believed some of the rejected teams planned to tie up for engine supplies with Mercedes, Ferrari or Renault, as F1's car manufacturers warred with the FIA about the future of the sport.

"We were told that if we wanted to take up the 2010 grid slot we would have to sign a three-year engine contract with Cosworth," one unsuccessful team applicant told the newspaper.

Another wrote in a letter that he "had a real possibility of obtaining a Renault, Mercedes or Ferrari engine. It was made very clear to me that it was considered a mandatory condition from the powers that be that Cosworth was the engine supplier".

It should be noted that at the time of the 2010 selection process, the car manufacturers including Ferrari, Mercedes, BMW, Renault and Toyota were all threatening to quit Formula One and race in a rival series.

An FIA spokesman confirmed that the availability of an independent engine supply was a "priority" for the new teams, otherwise "the whole grid would be at the mercy of the car industry and no new team would be able to enter without their permission".

But another disgruntled unsuccessful 2010 applicant alleges the new teams were "hand-picked for political, rather than sport criteria".

Cosworth insists it "in no way, shape or form requested that the FIA make demands on its behalf of potential entries to the Formula One world championship".

One has to wonder how much of this is someone stirring up the pot simply because they can. Firstly, under the rules, manufacturers can only supply a set amount of teams with an engine, and all those manufacturers already supply that number (the exception being BMW, but they've shown no interest in doing it), so the notion that new teams could have signed an engine deal is specious. Secondly, the Cosworth spec engine was created to be a less expensive alternative to doing an engine deal with a manufacturer or to building one from the ground up.

I'd be very surprised if more than one or two prospective teams actually wanted to use something other than Cosworth; Prodrive and Lola are the only ones I can think of who might have been able to do it. I can't speak for Lola, but I am pretty sure Prodrive's failure to make the 2008 grid as promised had a lot to do with their not being selected. If the article above actually named the teams raising the accusations, I might take it a little more seriously. Further, to redo the selection process would be impractical, because all the unsuccessful applicants would probably have ended their Formula One programs by now and wouldn't have time to restart them.

I think a lot of this particular saga is fuelled by three things: firstly, the assocaition between Nick Wirth and the FIA. Secondly, the fact that Manor kept quiet about the application until the annoucement of the teams was made (they say they didn't want to get egg on their faces). And finally, that people believed Lola and Prodrive were guaranteed grid positions based on their names and reputations. But whatever the case, Formula One really doesn't need this ...

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Pardon the double-post - also, can a mod please change the thread title to something a little less obscure? - but there's been an important development: N.Technology is taking the FIA to court ...

N.Technology takes FIA to court

By Jonathan Noble - Sunday, July 12th 2009, 11:58 GMT

The Italian MSC organisation, parent company of the N.Technology team, is taking the FIA to court in Paris over the new Formula 1 team selection process for 2010, AUTOSPORT has learned.

The N.Technology outfit had hoped to make it onto the grid next season but it withdrew its application in June after what it felt were 'irregularities' and uncertainties about the 2010 championship.

Those frustrations have now resulted in MSC applying to the Tribunal de Grande Instance in Paris last week for a legal hearing into the selection process for new teams. The team told AUTOSPORT that the judge accepted it had a valid case for a hearing, and the matter will now be heard on September 15.

MSC board member Angelo Codignoni, who is a former CEO of Eurosport, told AUTOSPORT: "We are doing this in the name of sport. From our point of view, the procedure for dealing with new entrants was not respected and there was not transparency about the process and preparations for the 2010 championship."

The MSC action follows claims that some of the rejected teams were unhappy about being told they needed to run Cosworth engines if their entry was going to be accepted.

AUTOSPORT understands that FOTA has also asked the FIA to clarify the team selection process, although team figures were keen not to get drawn into the controversy over the Nurburgring weekend.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said: "FOTA clearly doesn't have a vote on the selection process, so consequently it is not right to have a voice on it.

"We were not involved in the selection process. I think FOTA's position is that we are very happy to see new teams. It is healthy to see new teams in F1, and if FOTA can assist any team to make a successful start in F1 then we should be doing so."

As serious as this potentially is, I don't think much will come of it. The hearing is set for September 15, and even if they come to a conclusion by the end of the day - which they won't, just look at how long Ferrari's injunction took to solve - then that means the earliest the new new teams can begin is in October (assuming any of the current three have their entries revoked), which isn't going to happen either because sponsors and backers who were interested last time probably won't be now that the three teams have been chosen and the current teams look like they'll be staying. So, at best, and new team would have three months to prepare, and given that US-F1, Campos and Manor are all hard at work on their current cars and have been for some time, three months will not be enough. Remember last time someone rushed development of a car to make the grid?