Comments on: Is Bernie Ecclestone sticking up for McLaren again?

By: Michael K

Michael K — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:20:22 +0000

See Steven, they are everywhere

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:16:31 +0000

The last time Bernie attended an F1 launch was Jordan’s in 2005, just after it was taken over by Alex Shnaider and the movers-and-shakers in F1 thought Russian money would take over the F1 world… …for about a month. Then the dollar-dream turned to dust due to disappointing performances. The 2002 Toyota was a major disappointment in terms of performance. Is Bernie’s arrival at McLaren’s launch going to lay a similar curse upon McLaren?

Changing McLaren’s pit allocation at this juncture feels wrong. What I want to know is:-

1) What were Red Bull offered to give up their earned pit garage slot?
2) Were the teams who finished below Red Bull consulted?
3) If so, what were they offered to facilitate McLaren’s move? If not, why not?
4) Did McLaren even ask to be treated preferentially in this way or is this purely an FOM initiative?
5) What happened to the FIA being the final arbiter of what is and is not permissible in race weekends?

By: Steven Roy

Steven Roy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 19:52:45 +0000

Michael K,

I had a packet cookies go missing last week. Now I know who took them.

Anyone have Max’s phone number?

By: SoLiD

SoLiD — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 18:53:22 +0000

after all F1 owes McLaren alot… a little return maybe.
As Mclaren doesn’t belong at the end of the pitlane…they need a big box

anyway doesn’t matter that much to me

By: Robert Mckay

Robert Mckay — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:35:11 +0000

It’ll ruin the order of the driver numbers on the pit garage wall…I thought Bernie was a stickler for details like that

By: Michael K

Michael K — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:19:40 +0000

What would Ferrari have to say about this? The positioning of the big teams in the pits is important for the cameras more than anything else, it’s just marketing money as most people already said. Steven, can you sleep without having nightmares about Ferrari trying to break in and eating your cookies or something as this might be a tactical advantage for them? I find it intruiging that they don’t break in and steal your cookies.

By: Steven Roy

Steven Roy — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 12:01:43 +0000

I think the most interesting thing about this whole affair is Ferrari’s silence on the issue. If they believed that McLaren were gaining by this they would be screaming blue murder and doing their usual injured victim routine.

Everyone knows that the team in the first pit gains during pit stops by having a straight entry to their box. You don’t need Ross Brawn’s tactical brain to know that the last team has a straight exit. No need to jink round the pit in front. No chance of tripping over a dangling air hose etc.

I assume Ferrari have pointed out that F1 would look pretty stupid if a team gained a tactical advantage as the result of a supposed punishment and Bernie gets to manipulate things.

What I would like to know is what is the difference between Bernie putting McLaren in a pit they are not entitled to and Michael Schumacher putting Rubens Barrichello on the top step of the podium after Ferrari made the phone call asking Rubens to pull over and let he whose superiority must be unchallenged through. Seems like the same thing to me.

By: Alex Andronov

Alex Andronov — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 11:56:25 +0000

Absolutely Milos! They bring a lot of PR dollars into the sport and being in the boondocks isn’t going to help anyone.

Also Bernie needs to schmooze with a lot of the people McLaren bring and with his little legs walking down to the wrong end of town takes him too long – it was Bad enough when Kylie and the Beckhams ended up with Honda last year!

By: milos

milos — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:41:28 +0000

it is all about money for Bernie. McLaren at the wrong end of pitlane is as bad news for Bernie as it is for McLaren.

By: DanielPT

DanielPT — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:37:35 +0000

Bernie Ecclestone has feelings? Besides his love for money? Perhaps this is the right time to review my view of life! :p

Now seriously, Bernie just wants to have someone to fight for the championship along with Ferrari. And who’s better than Hamilton and Mclaren? Bernie knows Hamilton is money and he is trying cash on it!