Can the FIA really be biased?
Discussion
I mean, can they actually get away with it? And how? F1 has a global audience of hundreds of millions, more than watch football. If the World Cup finals had suspicions of bias it would be front page news, but it doesn't seem to be for F1.
Is this because most people don't actually perceive any bias and that it's just a British media and fan thing?
Does anyone have sight of foreign journalists questioning the integrity of the FIA stewards?
Is this because most people don't actually perceive any bias and that it's just a British media and fan thing?
Does anyone have sight of foreign journalists questioning the integrity of the FIA stewards?
Could it be that they are guilty of trying to make the season finale exciting by having it a close run thing, and it so happens that to do this they are appearing to favour one team (Ferrari)?
If it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
If it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
Perhaps F1 is a little more complex that 22 men kicking a bag of air around some grass. I suspect that most of the global audience only see Merc vs Ferrari vs BMW vs Toyota vs Honda, vs some other team, they probably care little for the subtleties of it all. After all, what else is there to do on a Sunday?
tossbag said:
Could it be that they are guilty of trying to make the season finale exciting by having it a close run thing, and it so happens that to do this they are appearing to favour one team (Ferrari)?
If it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
No - we've already seen in the early years of this decade that Ferrari are allowed to take championships long before the final roundIf it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
s3fella said:
I wonder if William Hill will soon stop taking bets on this so called "sport"?
I also find that quite incredulous after the uproar in the aftermath of the MH DC affair. Bookmaking seemed to be a consideration at that time IIRC. It is surprising that there have not been stronger calls for greater professionalism in judging the rules (and defining them) in what is an extremely wealthy "industry".Compared to the "witch hunts" that go on in horse racing its just downright unfathomable.
s3fella said:
I wonder if William Hill will soon stop taking bets on this so caled "sport"?
Hamilton now 1/4 for WDC following Qualy this morning.. he was 1/3 yesterday.http://www.willhill.com/iibs/EN/buildcoupon.asp?co...
Is that really how the bookies see it..? I see him evens following last Sunday's 1st corner!
kevin ritson said:
tossbag said:
Could it be that they are guilty of trying to make the season finale exciting by having it a close run thing, and it so happens that to do this they are appearing to favour one team (Ferrari)?
If it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
No - we've already seen in the early years of this decade that Ferrari are allowed to take championships long before the final roundIf it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
heebeegeetee said:
kevin ritson said:
tossbag said:
Could it be that they are guilty of trying to make the season finale exciting by having it a close run thing, and it so happens that to do this they are appearing to favour one team (Ferrari)?
If it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
No - we've already seen in the early years of this decade that Ferrari are allowed to take championships long before the final roundIf it was Ferrari leading, and Mclaren second, does anyone think that the roles would reverse?
Honest question.
it only goes on as long as necessary to get a Ferrari win.
heebeegeetee said:
tomTVR said:
oyster said:
Can the FIA really be biased?
You ask that question on here, i wonder what the answer will be. The FIA also have an office on The Moon
tomTVR said:
heebeegeetee said:
tomTVR said:
oyster said:
Can the FIA really be biased?
You ask that question on here, i wonder what the answer will be. The FIA also have an office on The Moon
What do you think is not right?
heebeegeetee said:
tomTVR said:
heebeegeetee said:
tomTVR said:
oyster said:
Can the FIA really be biased?
You ask that question on here, i wonder what the answer will be. The FIA also have an office on The Moon
What do you think is not right?
tomTVR said:
But how many stewards are going to need to be kept in the loop? Are you saying that every single one is on the FIA payroll? Even if it was possible i dont see what there is to be gained from so risky that would destroy they sport if it could be proved.
Er, i thought they were, yes. I thought to be an FIA steward you had to sign up to the FIA, though i confess i don't actually know how these things work at ground level.The one thing i have always thought about Bernie, is that whilst he's making himself as rich as hell, he makes everyone else rich as well, and thus they've always been happy to go along with him. I assume its similar with the FIA, in that you can choose to go along with this incredible gravy train, or not. But if you choose to, i'm sure you would be willing to go with "the message" as well.
I mean, i struggle to understand it. But then, as much as i tried to, and believe me i've tried, i cannot see how the rules of the sport can be changed mid-season, twice, or even why anyone would want to. Is the fact that the same team benefits both times a co-incidence? Why would anyone want to change the rules at all, other than to keep the championship going?
I do know, that if you wish to attend a race as a journalist and report on same, you need FIA accreditation. This accreditation belongs to the FIA at all times and can be removed at anytime. Thus as a journalist, your career can be taken away at any moment without explanation.
I imagine there is a similar situation with anyone working for or with the FIA. There wouldn't be any need for any cunning plan or strategy, but i'm sure "the message" could be clearly understood.
I can't explain the Bourdais thing. I don't think there was one single journalist, reporter or commentator anywhere who thought that Bourdais was going to be penalised. It goes against what every man saw with his own eyes, it goes against the rule book, i believe, and it goes against the direct instructions given by the race steward to the drivers at the very weekend of that race meeting.
If anyone can give me a good explanation to this incident (or indeed the barge boards one from way back) i would be deeply grateful.
I can't see how anyone can say other than, either there is total bias going on or there has been the most extraordinary chain of circumstances going on. But i would like to converse with someone who doesn't think there is anything going on, so long as it can be kept sensible.
Donnelly's response:-
"I don't feel that is the correct solution, because their experience is tied to the past, from when they used to drive. And since then, let's say ten years ago, racing has changed," he said.
He added: "At the beginning of every season a list of people with the requisites to do this job is compiled. It's written by (FIA president Max) Mosley who is advised by the president of this sector of sport.
"These are people who, every weekend, work in some important event. They are given a superlicense just like the drivers'. We have stewards who have done this job for 20-25 years, when some of these drivers weren't even born yet."
So just how much has the art of racing cars changed over the years then?
So Max decides on who becomes a steward?
So a steward gets a Superlicence? Why? What does that teach them and how does that better qualify them for the role?
Even with 25 years' experience it is clear that a steward is still incapable of making a consistent, reasoned decision.
Donnelly contradicts himself in 2 of the statements above:- He slams the idea of an ex driver on the basis that they would base their decisions on the past and then defends his stewards by drawing attention to their time-served in the role and thus, presumably that this experience helps them to make the calls.
An ex racing driver would never have penalised Bourdais for starters!
I think it's less a question of bias and more a question of ability. With comments like that, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Donnelly had chaired Lehman's Traded Products Credit Committee...
"I don't feel that is the correct solution, because their experience is tied to the past, from when they used to drive. And since then, let's say ten years ago, racing has changed," he said.
He added: "At the beginning of every season a list of people with the requisites to do this job is compiled. It's written by (FIA president Max) Mosley who is advised by the president of this sector of sport.
"These are people who, every weekend, work in some important event. They are given a superlicense just like the drivers'. We have stewards who have done this job for 20-25 years, when some of these drivers weren't even born yet."
So just how much has the art of racing cars changed over the years then?
So Max decides on who becomes a steward?
So a steward gets a Superlicence? Why? What does that teach them and how does that better qualify them for the role?
Even with 25 years' experience it is clear that a steward is still incapable of making a consistent, reasoned decision.
Donnelly contradicts himself in 2 of the statements above:- He slams the idea of an ex driver on the basis that they would base their decisions on the past and then defends his stewards by drawing attention to their time-served in the role and thus, presumably that this experience helps them to make the calls.
An ex racing driver would never have penalised Bourdais for starters!
I think it's less a question of bias and more a question of ability. With comments like that, I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Donnelly had chaired Lehman's Traded Products Credit Committee...
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