Fontana tells the inside story of MS vs JV showdown | FerrariChat
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Fontana tells the inside story of MS vs JV showdown

Discussion in 'Other Racing' started by tifosi12, Sep 20, 2006.

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  1. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #1 tifosi12, Sep 20, 2006
    After years of keeping his mouth shut, former Sauber driver Fontana finally comes out with what happened on that championship finale weekend in Jerez: Remember Sauber was powered by Ferrari and the title between MS and JV was at stake.

    It was assumed all along that the McLarens would help JV and that the Saubers would do anything they could to help MS. Well, after all these years Fontana spills the beans: Before the race Todt came into the Sauber motorhome and gave the order to block JV as long as possible. Fontana sure enough did block him in the race for several corners and to this day he still feels guilty about it.

    We all know the outcome: MS tried to torpedo JV, but only disabled his own car and JV went on to win the championship while the FIA stripped MS of all points for that season.

    Story is here:
    http://www.blick.ch/sport/formel1/artikel45362
     
  2. Ric

    Ric Karting

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    #2 Ric, Sep 20, 2006
    tifosi12,
    I hope you already had your flamesuit on :D
     
  3. senna21

    senna21 F1 Rookie

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    #3 senna21, Sep 20, 2006
    He'll be crushed to know that not only MS but Ferrari as a team were guilty of this kind of behavior.

    But then again his denial button always seems to be well within reach.
     
  4. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 tifosi12, Sep 20, 2006
    Don't blame the messenger. I'm merely reporting/translating a story.

    Of course with the timing of this story one has to wonder about the implications for the 06 showdown. Will Todt visit the Mateschitz motorhome? Did Flavio anticipate that move and that's why Renault offers its engines to Mateschitz for 07 as well? Hmm....
     
  5. Senna1994

    Senna1994 F1 World Champ

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    #5 Senna1994, Sep 20, 2006
    Not a big deal if you ask me, McLaren and Williams had a deal to help JV as well, and if JV was in the lead and MS was out, he needed to move over for the McLarens (as he did thereby giving Mika his first win).
     
  6. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #6 tifosi12, Sep 20, 2006
    Agreed. I just thought it was kinda funny as some folks on here put the Scuderia in an ethical pantheon. :)
     
  7. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #7 RP, Sep 20, 2006
    So anyone is surprised that this goes on in F1? In racing?

    It is all part of the show. F1, NASCAR, etc, its all entertainment.
     
  8. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #8 RP, Sep 20, 2006
    Ethical Pantheon. That is the name of the latest toilet by Toto. Maybe it is Kohler, but you get my meaning.
     
  9. Ric

    Ric Karting

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    #9 Ric, Sep 20, 2006
    so do you think F1 is, sometimes, "rigged" as well, like "making" the championship near the end of the season closer than it really is, over the last, say, 10 seasons or so? I heard that Nascar has been accused of rigging too in the past.

    The WWE is entertainment too, you know, and we all know how they operate.
     
  10. Senna1994

    Senna1994 F1 World Champ

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    #10 Senna1994, Sep 20, 2006
    Ric, did you ever hear what Bernie Eccelstone once said about F1 vs. CART? He said F1 is like World Championship Boxing and CART is like World Federation Wrestling...
     
  11. RP

    RP F1 World Champ

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    #11 RP, Sep 20, 2006
    I do not think the championship is rigged. But I do believe that that the theatre that the championship is performed upon is very well planned. This is true in any professional sport, not as obvious in F1 as it is in NASCAR. At least NASCAR is honest about this and do not apologize for putting on the best racing competition on the planet.

    That is what makes amatuer sports so much fun to watch, they are actually played for the game, not the money. I absolutely do not compare professional motor sports to wrestling, where both the championship and the theatre are phoney. In racing, ego are so huge that this would prevent the Schumacher's, Alonso's, Raikkonen's, Earnhardt's, Gordan's, Force's from playing in a game like wrestling. These guys in racing want to win as bad as they want the money, maybe more.
     
  12. imperial83

    imperial83 F1 Rookie
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    #12 imperial83, Sep 20, 2006
    Great Mr. Obvious! You are only 8 years late!
     
  13. racerx3317

    racerx3317 F1 Veteran

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    #13 racerx3317, Sep 20, 2006
    Not a huge deal. Neither MS nor Ferrari or anyone else in the paddock for that matter, can be accused of being ethical. Still an interesting story.
     
  14. Whisky

    Whisky Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #14 Whisky, Sep 21, 2006
    And both of the above bring in more revenue with less expenses than F1.
    What could be cheaper than throwing a couple of actors -er- wrasslers in a little square ring in Speedos with loud music and fireworks, and having them dance for a few minutes ?

    Amyway, does it matter on who is doing the rigging ?

    I recall a red car with a Brazilian driver 'pulling over' a few times to let his teammate win, and I'm sure it's been going on for years with ALL teams at some point.
    Teammate faster than you ? Simple - screwup a pit stop, that'll hold him back for awhile.
     
  15. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #15 tifosi12, Sep 21, 2006
    But if the team manager of Ferrari asks a competitor to do something illegal, wouldn't that be unethical? Wouldn't that make Ferrari an unethical team?

    But wait there is more: Now Peter Sauber jumped to the rescue and declared he was never asked to do such a thing. Interesting wording: According to Fontana Todt talked to the drivers directly, not via Peter Sauber. So in essence Peter didn't lie by defending Todt. Clever.
     
  16. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
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    #16 bernardo66, Sep 21, 2006
    Like Enzo Ferrari once said: "History is made up of a dash of truth, and a whole lot of fiction."
     
  17. bernardo66

    bernardo66 The Crazy Cat Man
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    #17 bernardo66, Sep 21, 2006
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
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    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  18. imperial83

    imperial83 F1 Rookie
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    #18 imperial83, Sep 22, 2006
    Ferrari and Jean Todt did nothing unethical! Sauber at that time was the Ferrari B team and team orders were not illegal back then! :)

    This mess was created by Williams and McLaren to begin with! Fontana is just looking for some attention from the press because of his washed out career!
     
  19. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
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    #19 moretti, Sep 22, 2006
    technically right but morally wrong

    the garagisti had the fix in for Ferrari so they just returned volley, doesn't make it right but in the same circumstances I'd have done the same thing to try and drag some ground back.

    in the end what MS did was wrong and he paid the penalty, the garagisti have always banded together to fight the Ferrari hordes so why would this amaze anyone ?
     
  20. imperial83

    imperial83 F1 Rookie
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    #20 imperial83, Sep 22, 2006
    Scuderia Ferrari still ended up with more victories in the long run!

    JV, Williams and Fontana have all pretty much washed up!
     
  21. moretti

    moretti Five Time F1 World Champ
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    #21 moretti, Sep 22, 2006
    I still remember the days of the Cosworth domination :(

    that really hurt the stats

    the dfv clocked up 100 wins in no time at all
     
  22. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #22 tifosi12, Sep 22, 2006
    Slick answer! Just like Sauber's dementi.

    With the same argument Renault didn't do anything wrong this season: They used the mass damper while it was legal. Now that it is banned they no longer use it. So they weren't unethical. :)
     
  23. Koby

    Koby Formula 3

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    #23 Koby, Sep 22, 2006
    It's cheating only when Schumacher and Ferrari do it. :rolleyes:
     
  24. tifosi12

    tifosi12 Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #24 tifosi12, Sep 22, 2006
    That wasn't really my point. What McLaren and Williams did was cheating too, or at least unethical.

    My point is that no team in F1 is living up to Impy's ethical standards. And quite frankly they shouldn't, it is cut throat competition. Ferrari are bloody bastards just like everybody else. Nothing wrong with that, just don't put them on a pedestal.
     
  25. PaulC

    PaulC Formula 3

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    #25 PaulC, Sep 22, 2006
    Here is Peter Sauber's answer to the question. Of course I understand than he is just Ferrari's little minion and would probably lie just so conspiracy theorists have some water cooler fodder. If you hate F1 so much quit watching it, and if you know the out come already, head to Las Vegas and put your money where your mouth is.

    http://www.planet-f1.com/News/Story_Page/0,15909,3210_3213_1525301,00.html
     
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