Lauda on the current mess

I don't know why anyone would consider the likes of Lauda or Stewart in any way an expert on the subject. They have to rely on the media just as we have to. They don't know anything we didn't already know ourselves, and yet they feel the need to comment whenever some stupid journo asks them to.

 

+1

 

Amen.

Ferrari need somebody like him to stop the rot again ... we are in for a long dry patch as they have completely lost their way again .
Pete

 

Niki's obervation is well known in F1 circles. And despite being antiquated, Lauda is still within those circles and is closer than any of us in the peanut gallery to what is going on in F1. At this point, the biggest threat to compromise is this situation is a bit more Luca diMontezemelo than it is Max Mosley. Ferrari is preventing a reasonable compromise with their our way or the highway attitude. I believe the reason Ross Brawn was sent to meet with Mosley today is because the rest of FOTA wants a solution, Montezemelo wants power.

LDM's rant about the reason Ferrari sucks so far this year is pitiful. If he would just admit, his engineers are not as clever as Brawn and Newey. Time for a change.

 

Basicly because he's Niki Lauder and we're not!

 

FOTA teams know this is their golden opportunity to get rid of Max. Time is on their side... Max is up against a wall.

So far, Max's offer has been to come back into the fold and work with the FIA to make the rules. That's a non-starter. He will then run for re-election, and get back to his dictarorial ways.

I think Luca is absolutely right for playing hardball this time. He might not get another shot... this is their chance to get rid of Max Max.

 

In my opinion Michael, you are half right, Max needs to go, but so does LDM. Only then we will see a workable compromise. Until LDM steps out of the way, and takes his grandoise ideas that Ferrari is the only reason for F1, there will be no solution, and it will not be only Mosley's fault. LDM does not care about FOTA or F1, he only cares about Ferrari and LDM. Unfortunetely, with the favortism Ferrari received from the FIA being made public (Ferrari taking the FIA to French court was just one really dumb move), it appears you overlook the grind that puts on all the other teams. Do you honestly believe that all the other team principals are overjoyed that one team, Ferrari, had the only veto power given to a team?? When push comes to shove, and everyone realizes that leaving the FIA F1, when actual compromise was offered but for one team wanting it their way (and everyone is expected to change their livlihood), what do you think will happen? I doubt if the other FOTA teams suddenly become lemmings.

With all due respect, I believe you have lost sight that this situation is not about Mosley, its about the continuance of a healthy F1. Read your post, its all about getting rid of Mosley, nothing about what needs to be done for F1 to survive. And take this one step further, you need to keep up with current developments, Mosley has agreed to major compromise, but it is rumored there is one reason it is not happening, and that is LDM and his personal gripe with Mosley, preventing agreement. I don't give a rats ass about their little love spat, I do care about the only form of motor sport I actually enjoy watching live and also reruns. I don't have a problem being critical of "my team" when they are wrong, and this time, they are wrong. The only "non-starter" at this point in time is the position that LDM has place FOTA with the take it or leave it attitude. That is what will kill F1. Its time for compromise, and if LDM can't handle it, I guess you send Ross Brawn. Which they did today.

I will suggest to you that for 2010 there will be an FIA F1 series under one of two scenarios, 1) all the FOTA teams with Ferrari will be racing, or 2) all the FOTA teams except Ferrari. And F1 will survive, and within two years, Ferrari will be back. There will not be a new FOTA series because no one wants to deal with all the aspects. Expecially the cost.

I hope Ross Brawn was successful today.

 

Ron, If what you claim is true, then what would be the reason for the other teams to back LDM/FERRARI. And if LDM wanted to have it his way, then he would have gone himself and told the FIA to go pound sand. He is actually being reasonable to send Ross and remove himself and the possibility that would harm negotiations. The teams are not wrong to want a reasonable implementation of regulations and not Max's/Bernie's personal agenda governing such rules. Furthermore if the teams thought LDM/Ferrari were so out of line, they already would have fractured. LDM/Ferrari is doing what FOTA wants, not just what LDM/Ferrari wants....IMHO

 

I agree. I'm no LDM fan but I do appreciate what he and FOTA are displaying for the sport. He/FOTA are standing their ground and are trying to better F1...not just Ferrari. There's only one thing that's keeping that from happening and it's Max. Once he's either gone or rendered powerless F1 will begin it's return to a healthy series with correct budget, spending and rule issues. It's ironic that I've been so upset at LDM's decisions over the years and now he may be considered the one who saves F1.

Holy cow! Did I just say that???

 

+1 by any means necessary get rid, unless you like dictators, and races fixed after the flag drops.

He is on his back foot they have to go for the jugular, I'd said it at the start of this Bernie biggest problem will be a saving face exercise for Max.

 

I don't know why most people here are blaming ferrari whenever it is FOTA. I can't understand why opinions are so negative about LDM as the man is a genius who wouldn't have turned around the whole company like he has if he was just a crying Italian. I don't see why ferrari can't go and race somewhere else and bring the global passionate fans with them and therefore make the series big and probably bigger that F1. Yes F1 isn't ferrari but it would be nothing without them and whilst it would be a tough few years if they went somewhere they will survive it and end up top where they belong. You also fail to see that if they jump ship, they won't be alone.
who is going to watch f1 with no ferrari, mclaren, Toyota, brawn, bmw to name but a few?
Anyone who thinks that people will watch a championship with a few teams that are nothing in size or calibre of these teams are really as crazy Max and Bernie.

 

It appears as if Brawn made no further headway than Luca did judging by FIA's plan to go forward with the cap so clearly the sticking point is Luca....

Lauda was a great driver and I'll leave it at that...

 

I'm still waiting to see what Alex Yoong thinks.

 

How much do Bernie and his bankers suck out of F1 every year, is it more or less than a Billion USD? (They do get 50% of the take)

I can't see the cost of starting a new series being anywhere near as much as the savings of getting Max and Bernie out of the sport...

What are the other aspects? How hard can it be to start a race series? I think it would be very easy and it would save a lot of money over the current situation.

I will even volunteer to help, I will be the new Bernie I have three race licenses including an FIA license so I might even be slightly qualified

 

Why do people blame LDM for firing the "dream team"? I don't think that was the case at all. Remember, he hired Todt and financed the dream team. You still see Todt and Schumi hanging around smiling so they must not be bitter about it. Teams do not stay together forever and you have to move forward. Strange that some who love Ferrari accuse them of being too Italian. LDM has done a phenominal job at Ferrari both on the production side and in racing. He is not doing all of this because of one bad season. Remember 2005 under the dream team? Remember how hard they worked and stayed patient between 1997-2000? But when the rules change every year, who knows what kind of car you show up with in Australia. And if the car is slow, no budget to change durring the year? Guys at his level, and the CEO's and boards of Toyota, Renault, etc...are not going to get pushed around by Max or Bernie. Max's mistake, in my opinion, was that he pushed it to hard. He has treated Dennis/Frank/Flavio etc. with contempt over the years, and while they did not like it, they found out he was very strong willed and could make your life miserable....see Ron Dennis. But LDM and a guy like Ghosn are not going to be bullied around by Max Mosley. At some point, the boards of these companies perked up and thought "who the hell are these guys and let's emliminate them". We will see if they do it.

 

Excellent Post, +1000.

 

Yes dream team had to end ...

Pete

 

best post of this thread...