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#1
05-08-2005, 05:04 PM
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Ferrari Are Sandbagging - Here is why.
I am totally amazed at the comments I am reading here on FChat at what is happening to Ferrari this season. This is not a sport its a business.
The Facts are; Ferrari are the only team signed to Berni and the current F1 show for the future and all of the manufacturers, name one that isn't, are all set to go their own way with another show next year. Bernie has to get them back on board. - NO disagreement so far; $100m changed hands between Bernie and Ferrari and I believe that Bernie asked the F men to take a year off. This is the result, take a year off boys and they have. How in Gods name do you think Bernie is going to talk the motor manufacturers, with all of their money, into taking part in another Ferrari Grand Prix show season. A walkover, whitewash, no competition season, you wouldn't waste your money playing in that game, in fact, it is not a game, something so one side for the last 5 years is not a game, its a NO-WIN situation. The $100m was a back-off deal not a buy in deal. Can you see Ferrari dropping F1 if the rest go elsewhere and race, Ferrari will be with them. Jean Todt took the money from Bernie because that way he get the best of both worlds, an easy season and paid for doing it. Sorry guys, too kniave for words, they planned this and it is unfolding before your very eyes, the resistence to a Ferrari/Ecclestone F1 Circus for the next 10 years is lowering by the race. Biggest discenters; Renault,McLaren,BMW,Toyota,Honda. Now let me see, what was the result today; ahh yes - Mercedes/Chrysler, Renault/Mazda, Toyota, all benefitted from todays event, BMW, but they can afford to run their own Grand Prix series anyway, and Honda are on the sidelines. Ferrari and the non stop winning is a pain in the A55 to Bernie, they win everything, time to reconsider the position, you can win again after they have signed, OK guys, now take a holiday Michael. Michael could drive a soapbox with a Volvo windscreen wiper motor in it and win a Grand Prix, even with only one gear, are you kidding me that this isn't fixed. Todays tyre problem with all of the experience they have tyre testing 1,000 hours a season, on the cars today, was not a tyre problem, it was a pressure problem. Michael had plenty of tread, tyres too low, overheated to lose grip, and he was then running on the sidewalls as the tyres compressed on the road. He was putting in 1.15.8's and lower, and yet he went backwards and then forwards, picking up time until he cooked the tyres, these guys are pro's, it happens when you run underinflated tyres, they cook, obviously few of you have raced, it is kindergarten basics. Thats the situation, if you don't agree, please enlighten me with your valued views. Especially if you have had track experience with car/tyre set-ups and disagree. D11VE:J Last edited by D11VE:J; 05-08-2005 at 05:07 PM. 
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#2
05-08-2005, 05:21 PM
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#3
05-08-2005, 05:29 PM
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#4
05-08-2005, 05:34 PM
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Call me a fellow conspiracy theorist... but I can't quite disconnect the current performance of Ferrari and the $100m deal they signed either... I'm with you. Also, have you noticed that earthquakes only happen when the space shuttle launches?  I'm sitting here wearing my aluminium foil deflection helmet - their mind control will never get me! LWR
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#5
05-09-2005, 04:37 AM
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To the disblievers, these are multi-million $ comapnies with some of the best talent on the planet involved in building racing cars and they have tyre problems all of a sudden, the Bridgstones on the other teams cars aren't blowing out, I know they are not going as fast - no - they are not blowing out, why? Michael, because he was driving faster. I think that he was offered the chance to win a few, not many otherwise they would say he was sandbagging. These are profesionals - thats the point, he could win with rubber bands around the rims. D11VE:J Last edited by D11VE:J; 05-09-2005 at 04:40 AM.
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#6
05-09-2005, 04:58 AM
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I agree entirely
Sadly, that is the wat of the world and always has been. I think Bernie needed the other teams to sign, and people were starting to get sick of the only show in town. (not me of course).
Just look at the past, faked moon landing, false wars just to secure oil. It goes on and on. Even the not getting the car out for the first race had a bad smell.
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#7
05-09-2005, 05:10 AM
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That's certainly a very interesting set of circumstances, and all would point to what you suggest.
I have two problems with it though; Firstly, sponsors: I have no idea what revenue the sponsors generate, but I would estimate its pretty sizeable, possibly in excess of the $100m deal. Would Ferrari risk alienating their sponsors for a one-off deal? If Ferrari were honest with their sponsors (and told them of the plan) the sponsors would undoubtedly have wanted to cut a deal with Ferrari, reducing the value of the $100m. Either way, going from team one in 2004/2005 to an also-ran in 2005/2006 has a neagtive impact on the sponsor, and will not project the image they want. I can't see them entering into it. Secondly, Mr Schumaker: Do we really believe he would be happy with an uncompetitive package and driving like some old doris all season? The guy is fiercely competitive. Taking his age into account, he probably only has a couple of seasons in him as a driver, so would he really settle for playing second fiddle to red Bull racing, possibly in his penultimate season? Surely he would want to try and retain world champion title until his retirement (which if they kept their foot on the gas would have been possible). Maybe theyhave paid him off, with an additional $20m sweetner? At which point the $100m looks like a bad deal for Ferrari - if they've had to pay off sponsors and drivers they $100m revenue they've received to interupt their reign as drivers and constructors champions has dwindled to maybe $20m. I personally don't think Ferrari need $20 million that bad, and they would much rather have the kudos of retaining the constructors title for consecutive years.
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#8
05-09-2005, 06:24 AM
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#9
05-09-2005, 10:41 AM
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Amusing conspiracy theory (with the usual mixture of being not that implausable but just a tiny tad too simplistic). It's very nearly there, but just not quite as black and white (or cynically fixed) as you claim. OK, it's about 90% fixed! Read the Pirahna's of F1 book. It's not about the drivers in the slightest, but about the team owners (several of whom are car makers, but don't discount the others), the sponsors, (Max & the FIA a bit) and the TV channels around the world who buy the rights from Bernie and sell the advertising....
Racing is about winning, so don't blame Ferrari for being 'too good', blame everyone else for being not good enough since 1999. The history of F1, or Le Mans, for that matter, is full of one team / constructor dominating for several seasons, so this should not surprise anyone - even though it will turn viewers away if one driver wins the first five races in the series. One key point here is that sponsors don't sign contracts for only one season (except in very rare circumstances). This is often true of team contracts with their tyre suppliers, their drivers, and in some cases their engine suppliers. So trying to "fix" the results is often difficult, hence the several mid-season rule changes that the FIA have brought in over the last few years, even though the teams ask them to keep changes between seasons as much as possible. Name one other global sport where the competitors themselves are also the ruling body. What does that tell you? Of course you are right to the extent that this is a business and has ceased to be a sport in any true sense, many years ago (as with football, WRC and most motorsport, even rugby recently, and many others). But I have inside track from three of the biggest sponsors in F1, and they are not currently in fear of getting a poor return on their sponsorship investment, I can assure you. Unlike Bernie, who cannot be sure where the future of F1 versus breakaway constructor series will go over the next decade. He's a better poker player than most, so I for one, won't be betting against him.... J.
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#10
05-09-2005, 10:52 AM
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Ferrari pull in US$150m pa from their sponsors and believe me they need that money. MS is worth at least US$350m - he doesn't need even a sweetener of US$100m!
Why would Ferrari/Bridgestone elect to damage their tyres in order to appear uncompetitive. This has to be the most dangerous and potentially fatal route (just HOW does one control the point at which the tyre fails?????) why not simply load the car with more downforce to slow it up or reduce engine power? Aldo Costa has designed the new car in succession to Rory Byrne. This is his first solo project. Ferrari's sponsors are looking at the future succession of the team - Montezemolo knows this and the last thing he'd want is for the car to perform badly and thus worry sponsors who may withdraw when Byrne goes. Equally, Schumacher has already admitted that if this season goes badly he will not renew his contract - again, the last thing Luca wants.... Todt is near retirement age and has just married a bit of totty who'd quite like to see more of him. Brawn has a family too. A bad season may also encourage them not to renew beyond the end of this year. ....so Bernie bungs Ferrari US$100m not to perform this year. Result? Schuey retires, Brawn goes home, Todt learns Tai Chi and Phillip Morris go back to McLaren....that's really worth taking a US$100m bung isn't it!!!!! IMHO, Bridgestone seems unable to produce a hard compound tyre that has enough flex in its sidewall. Consequently, the tyre is slow to generate heat. Is it any coincidence that Schuey's best performances in the last two races came in the middle part of the race when the tyre was in its optimum performance window?
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#11
05-09-2005, 10:53 AM
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#12
05-09-2005, 10:54 AM
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What would be more plausible would be for Ferrari to allowed someone else to forge into the lead and then they could stage an amazing come back to pip the title in the last race therefore continuing the Ferraris winning, putting the excitment back and Schumcher cementing his reputation.
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#13
05-09-2005, 11:00 AM
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Oh and the Dubai thing? A1 GP? I just can't see it taking off - for starters it's a winter series only, ugly as sin (identical) cars, bankrolled by Dubai 'cos they're pi$$ed that they didn't get a GP. It's just a warmed over F3000 and we all know how boring that was to watch. Plus all the really good drivers are signed up to GP2 at the moment .
Bernie's so smart, he'll already have Dubai on the sidelines for an additional Arab GP when he finally buries San Marino (or Silverstone, heaven forbid)...on the condition that they drop A1 GP...and they will. I tell you what though, if the Dubai GP team takes off, watch out for them. I followed Class 1 Offshore Powerboating in the mid '80s to mid '90s - some great "garagistes" in there - Debenhams, Achille Motors, Rainbow Bears...all running a couple of Marine Lambo V12s in their aluminium and ply monos and cats, lots of noise, action, blowups and great atmosphere. Along come Dubai, set up "Victory" team, plough money into 3 carbon fibre boats, the best throttleman - Steve Curtis - and that was it., job done, total whitewash.
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#14
05-09-2005, 11:15 AM
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...and there's more. The banks that currently own the Kirch share don't want to own them. Several of them are not actually that well off.
You can be sure that Bernie is lining up to broker a sale of their shares to the 9+5, or more specifically, the manufacturers that still wish to remain in F1 (where did Mazda come from?...aren't they owned partly by Ford....no link with Renault, perhaps you're thinking about Nissan?). This is where the big game is happening - the manufacturers all have substantial facilities with those banks, just imagine what would happen if Daimler Chrysler decided to dump BLB completely - that'd leave a big hole in its balance sheet! So Bernie is trying to do a deal with the banks, the manufacturers are trying to do a deal with the banks and all will meet in the middle. In the league of manufacturers, Ferrari are nowhere - even if they rope in FIAT they still have nothing like the clout of Daimler Chrysler, Toyota, Honda or BMW. That's why they need the extra cash from Bernie.....if F1 as we know it is sacrificed at the altar of the "Grand Prix World Championship" Ferrari can kiss goodbye to its favoured status!
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#15
05-09-2005, 02:23 PM
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if there was any truth to that theory, wouldnt it have been easier for ferrari to agree to
a) to let their drivers actually race each other (i dont remember people complaining half as much when williams/mclaren were dominant but actually had 2 top drivers who would RACE each other b) tried a bit more overtaking on the race track rather than actively avoiding it and doing it thru pit stop timings ferrari dont have a magic formula to be better than others. They have done it thru a big budget, a great driver (yes singular), testing testing and more testing and a top team which have been together for a long time now. It seems the change of regulations caught them on the hop. Why i dont know. if the conspiracy theory is true, then the sooner the rest break away and leave a grid of f-cars racing themselves in formula one the better i think
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#16
05-09-2005, 02:50 PM
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Who gets the £100m - Ferrari ? (or Fiat), I wonder how they would show that in their accounts at the end of the year ??? (but on the other hand it is Italian accounting regs after all so highly believable)
Rick
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#19
05-09-2005, 05:23 PM
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D11VE:J
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#20
05-09-2005, 05:27 PM
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But please do not think A1 is going to keep you awake on the Sofa Sunday afternoons, it will be totally boring in my view. Just right for the anoraks, not the racers. D11VE:J
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