Thanks a lot FIA!

    Excuse me, but what the hell just happened to F1? One minute we're salivating over the prospects of the most open season in years, the grid finally freed of the monkey from Kerpen on its back, the next we're embroiled in enough stupid scandals and tomfoolery to give cycling a run for it's Swiss Francs.
    What is it about bureaucratic governing bodies that just tend to ruin perfectly good events? After Michael Rasmussen's untimely ejection from the Tour de France people started asking the question, why the hell did the UCI and ASO let him start the race if he was so suspicious? Cue shrugging of shoulders and finger pointing all around, interspersed with convoluted references to various rulebooks and procedural manuals.
    This same mentality sees the FIA ripping Formula One apart at the seams. Not only have they managed to drag out and irritate the ongoing McLaren/Ferrari feud with their half hearted guilty but not punishable shenanigans, last week they managed to make the worst race on the calender, even worse. Post Saturday qualifying left us with the immensly entertaining prospect of a serious inner-team rivalry taking shape between Alonso and Hamilton as they'd done their best to mind-fuck eachother throughout the session. As you can see from our post below, we were pretty excited about what might happen between the two drivers come turn one; which was a nice surprise considering the twisty Hungaroring usually produces a complete and total bore-fest. (How Hungary has made a successful 20 year tradition out of hosting an F1 race on a go kart track and the US can't keep Indy on the calender for 8 years is yet another bureaucratic nightmare)
    So what did the brilliant FIA stewards decide to do? Toss Alonso back an arbitrary 6 spots on the grid and rob us of any possibility of actual racing of course. Kimi was driving the wheels off his Fiat the entire race to finish second and yet described the event as boring, such was the implausibility of pulling off some daring pass around this mouse trap.
    Now we're hearing that Alonso's disenchantment with his new team is such that he's considering moving on with a year left on his contract. Thanks FIA, thanks for stepping in and totally screwing up a perfectly good season. Maybe you could enact some obscure rule changes that further complicate an already byzantine racing formula. Or maybe you could just keep manipulating results (Indygate, MIchelin tires, Mass Dampers, drafting infringements, sprung floors, etc) until we end up with the equivalent of WWF on wheels. Thanks FIA.

Comments

[Keith]

I don't agree - Alonso impeded another driver in qualifying and was given exactly the same punishment as Giancarlo Fisichella, who impeded Sakon Yamamoto.

I think you have a point about the Hungaroring but it's not all down to the track. The fact is both the GP2 races last weekend were very good because those cars have far less downforce, no traction control, slick tyres and no refuelling stops. That's the real recipe for racing.

[barlow]

So why did they punish McLaren as well? What good did that accomplish aside from handing Ferrari some slight chance to make a comeback, which obviously they didn't capitalize on. As far as the GP2 race, you've definitely got a point that they have a better formula for passing, but if we're not going to have passing we should at least go to great tracks. Spa, Monza etc. Hungary is not on that list.

[alex king]

I would have to agree. This is the FIA getting their nose in where it shouldn't be. It's a McLaren affair where Hamilton was in the wrong. And this is no conspiracy theory. Ron Dennis is pissed at both drivers equally and Lewis showed his true colors when ignoring team orders to let Alonso through to get his fuel burn. It's silly, but thats the sport that we are all learning to hate.

[Keith]

McLaren were punished because they failed to explain why Alonso spent a total of 30s in the pits in front of Hamilton. The team held him there for 20s, allegedly to prevent him from rejoining the track in traffic, then Alonso waited for another 10s.

I suspect their only way to win the appeal would be to come clean and admit that Alonso deliberately waited for another 10s. That would doubtlessly anger Alonso, but for 15 championship points it might be worth it...

[Paww]

I agree with the blog, what the FIA/Stewards had to do with team mates fighting each other (inthis case alonso playing around in the pits) is to do with them I have no idea! He didn't affect any other team, just his own!

It should have been left to Mclaren to sort out that problem themselves instead of moving Alonso down the grid.