Todt Explains Ferrari's Position on USGP Controversy

This is Formula 1. Hunderds of millions of dollars are at stake. Mostly for the factoryteams which are all, except one certain team, Michelin-runners.

Michelin screwed up and left their teams hanging. Who´s problem is it exactly that the Michelin-runners turned up at the game with unsufficient equipment? Should a stage of the Tour de France be shortened because Lance Armstrong brought the wrong bicycle? Should the stage be shortened because half the field has brought the wrong bicycle?

Why should anyone who did get their stuff together to compete properly have to accomodate their failing competitors, even if this is against their own interests?

For every time you blame Todt for not being a sportsman, you should blame Dupasquier (Michelin managing director) ten times for getting it wrong.

You should lay the blame by whoever causes the damage. It actually is that easy.

In conclusion:

F1 has stopped being a sport a long time ago. It is a billion dollar business and when you take part in a billion dollar business, you´d better have your equipment in order. If not, you´re going to get hurt, even if it is merely commercially and financially.

On a side note:

The assumption that Bridgestonerunners count only six cars, whereas the Michelinrunners take up the rest of the field, means that Michelin has a valid point in demanding track-changes whereas Bridgestone has not since six cars (or two when we narrow it down to Ferrari alone) are easily missed -thus implying that there is a fundamental difference in status between a Michelin-runner and a Bridgestone-runner- is too far out there to be even considered. It would mean that the sole choice of tyre-manufacturer dictates team-power in getting things done. It is only fortunate that the FIA doesn´t follow that route.

 

That is the best defence I have heard yet. I concur.

Pete, I know what you mean about sportsmanship. Something should have been done that day for the sport. However I guess we could say, Michelin, FIA and all the teams failed to some degree on the "sport" aspect, not just Ferrari

 

Agree, well written.

And once the fans fully realise (by such demonstrations) that the sport has completely gone, they will leave in their thousands.

I watch F1 for the sport, for the racing ... I do not want to watch more business at work. Do that all day at my work, and as we all know, morals, etc. go out the window in a business environment.

Many other sports have made this mistake and then wondered why they lost their place and had to work hard to get it back.

The sport MUST come first ... and at the USGP it did not. A bunch of rules won, when there were plenty of valid options.

A sad day for all fans and those involved with F1 ... and Todt would not even listen.

Pete