Would you crash as a 20-year old F1 driver if your team boss so demands?

No. Life is full of crossroads. It isn't about the circumstances, it is about your own moral compass. Everytime.

 

If you want to stay in F1 you would.

That is why I would never want to race in F1, and why Juan Pablo left...he hated the constant BS.

MB

 

Only if they promise to make me famous one day....

 

More to the point, if you'd done so, would you then go running around a year later, saying "The Devil made me do it!"?


Given Jr's record, I can imagine that Briatore's comment might have just been, "If you're gonna crash *again*, at least do it on lap 14 where it'll do the team some good."

I'm waiting to see if Alonso pits on lap 12 again this year, just for spite.
(Heck, betting on an SC period is still a good bet, at that track.)

The term is "infamous".

 

I voted no, but I wouldn't walk out. I'd make sure my meetings from then on were recorded and I'd do what I could to make the authorities aware of what I'd been asked to do. If I could get a recording of my boss repeating his request I'd go to the authorities with it. That way I get to finish the race and stay in F1 and help to rid F1 of an unsavoury character.

Now, if I was a cowardly and greedy driver who had never had a quick team-mate and my more famous and successful father owned the teams where I had acheived any success my answer might be different. In fact I might even crash and say nothing about it until my boss completely lost patience with my poor performance and had to sack me. Then, and only then, I would spill the beans as long as I was promised that there would be no punishment for me. I'd probably then even have the audacity to release a statement whining about the pressure I had been under and hoping to get another chance in F1!

 

If i was in a Piquet jr shoes, (rich Daddy, no need to work for a living) i would have walked away..

If I was in a Kubica shoes (starting from nothing,poor; and having to pay debts to my old racing team who invested on me to get me in F1) I would have seriously thought about it...

 

It depends on the situation.


Lets say, I was a rookie, and up until the singapore I had a good year as a rookie, but in an uncompetitive car I scored only 8 points whereas my more experienced double world champion team mate scored 15. I've made few mistakes over the whole season and got in Q3 3 times.

Seeing as I did reasonably well, I'd be sure the year after I can either stay with the team or move over to a better one. If my team boss told me to deliberately crash in return for a drive next season I'd tell him to shove the contract up his ass.


Lets say I'm a rookie again, same 2x WCC team mate and my year hasn't been good. I've made a couple of mistakes over the season, spinning out in a lot of my races and a few crashes. My team mate has had fewer spins but the car isn't very competitive and he's scored 12 points compared to my 3. We recieve an upgrade for the weekend in question, and my teammate looks good for pole position. His car breaks down after going into Q2. He fails to set a time but in Q1 he was a lot quicker than me. I fail to get out of Q2, my Q2 time on fumes still slower than my team mate did in Q1. My team boss asks me to have deliberate crash in the early stages of the GP so my team mate can have an advantage and end up on the podium, in exchange for a seat for the next season.

I sign the papers the same day and try and prove myself the season after. I crash on raceday and next season I'll try and beat my team mate more often.

Piquet failed in the last bit though. Signed the papers but failed to make himself look better.

 

Perfectly answered.

 

+1!

 

I would not crash the car under team orders. On top of that I would look for a new manager at that point.

The thing I am surprised that FIA has not done is remove the possible conflict of interest. Where the drivers manager also happens to be the team principal that the driver drives for. Perhaps after crash gate the FIA will see that this is a can of worms that needs to be closed.

 

I would have pushed as hard as I could. After the race, I would have sat down and introduced Flavio to my new manager, Nelson Piquet Sr., who would find me a new team next year along with Flavio's full blessing and cooperation. No funny business, innuendo or tampering of any sort. Anything perceived as obstruction will require me to explain to the world, in full, why I have arrived at this juncture.

 

No fair--that's been used

 

As in "the statements from Piquet Jr"?

Yes, I understand that you have the pitchforks and torches lit up for Flav.

I just think that these things aren't always quite as "Prof Moriarity" as they're made out. Very few people think of themselves as being a sinister villain.

Of course, it might also be that Flav was saying, 'Max is my pal this week, we can do whatever we want.' That's also possible.

I don't know -- I wasn't in the room .... and I'm not sure I'd trust the word of anyone who *was* in the room.

If you look at the statements of the various parties, the truth usually lies somewhere in between.
But when one party makes no statements, it's a bit difficult.


But you can still improve your position by taking advantage of an SC period, even without planning one. That's just betting with the odds.

You can usually count on an SC period at Monaco or Canada, and I'd guess the same would apply to Singapore.

 

Armchair racing is fun.

I havent seen the video or the race, but if the crash could be done somewhere "safe", i would have thought a lot about doing it.

Some other drivers did (Schumi, Senna, Prost...).

 

I don't think they were asked to crash in order to help their team-mate and agreed in the hope of being able to continue racing in F1. In the examples you cite they were trying to beat their opponents and used probably unacceptable methods. They did not 'fix' a race.

 

There is far more to loose by saying yes, lets start with respect.

 

You absolutely positively do what the boss tells you to do. And to the best of your ability.
If not form your own team.

 

NOT to do list:

1. Take it up the azz

2. Crash on demand

 

Crashing to take your opponent out is 'fixing' a race. Sure they werent asked but they did so, for a championship or even for a pole position (Schumi @ Monaco..).

 

I see it as this,IF I was an F1 driver it would be with Ferrari(prefferably).If they told me to,I would simply ignore it and make my case to LDM after.I would simply explain I have to much pride to carry THAT order out.

 

So you're batting .500--not too shabby