That's what it looks like: The FIA announced that they have a working group looking into the rule and consider a change to it after the end of the season. Todt is discreetly undoing the dammage Mad Max left behind.
It'll be interesting to see what the outcome of the working group will be. We could end up in a position where Ferrari's actions originally brought in the team order rule and then years later, Ferrari's actions have helped remove the team order rule. (And to think, there are people on here who think Ferrari no longer have any clout in F1! )
The FIA, and F1, a farce. Ferrari broke the exisiting rules, their validity is not the questions. Even NASCAR makes more sense.
Here is the official statement. http://bit.ly/aeVnvf And notes from the meeting: http://bit.ly/9Lymtu
Of course it is. Outlawing team orders in a team sport is like outlawing gravity. Ferrari's offense wasn't in violating the rule but violating it in a ham-handed way. If the FIA had pushed the issue they would have ended up in a very embarrassing position.
Punishment enough for Ferrari and it's fans is being forced to watch little Brawn and then Red Bull clean their clock for two years.
Wow, the basement-dwelling pimple-farmers on Twitter have no comprehension of nuance... Who'd have thought? ...What's the latest on Snooki?
I think the FIA have done the right thing. I think the 'no orders' rule is stupid and should be abolished asap. There have been team orders since there have been teams. If some of the audience don't understand that then that's just tough. I wasn't angry that Ferrari 'broke a rule' when they told Massa to move over, I was just angry that they have decided to back one driver so early in the season. Team Orders too early in the season cost us the drivers title in 1999 and the same could happen again. If Ferrari have a huge upturn in form and Massa loses a title to a Red Bull or McLaren by a couple of points Ferrari are going to look pretty stupid.
I think it's a stupid decision. Unless FIA gives back the 100k to Ferrari and announce in tomoro's newspaper that Ferrari have done nothing wrong, then my view still stands.
And if Ferrari have a huge upturn in form and Alonso wins a title ahead of Red Bull or McLaren then Ferrari are going to look rather smart!.
Very true guys! Because 100K is a PATHETIC fine for something like this. They either did something, or they didn't. Ferrari basically gave a 100K fine for doing nothing wrong according to the WMSC
Maybe the FIA figure with all the fuss, there has been enough damage done to sport's image. Todt was always going to have a dilemma with this one. Things need to move on, it's up to Ferrari how they go on from here.
Particularly Todt with having been the previous team principal and with his son being Massa's manager. There was no clean way out of this one.
I think the FIA have realised that by punishing Ferrari for what they have described as an indirect team order, they have opened up a Pandora's Box of just which radio statements made to drivers should be construed as indirect team orders and should therefore be fully investigated in future. This could tie them up for months on end with investigations so they may well decide it easier to simply drop the rule, especially as most the teams and drivers seem to want the rule gone. This would also help explain the lack of further punishment for Ferrari. Having admitted that they are aware that indirect team orders have been in use by teams for years, for which they have taken no action on, and now showing a concern that the team order rule cannot be effectively policed, if they do decide to abandon the rule next year, it would look a bit bad to seriously punish the team that has brought the issue out into the open. (Of course, according to some on here, Myself, Damon Hill, Bernie Ecclestone, the FIA and various F1 drivers are all completely wrong and the only team that has ever used Team orders, be they direct or indirect, are Ferrari, so there's no need to remove the rule!).
Here is the latest: http://bit.ly/c0ucUi I'm sorry, but the FIA is just making a fool of itself. If you make a decision, just stick with it and let's start racing again.
They're saying what everyone knew already. Now change the rule. The interesting part is that Sauber and Williams supported Ferrari's case. Had the other teams been honest they all would have.
