Mosley, Manor and Donnelly 27/06/2009 Fans of Garcia will be glad to know that I have received a report from him and am busily engaged in editing it at the moment. This may take a while, since he cares little for any lawsuits that might result for me through anything he writes so casually, but I am hopeful that I will be able to post his piece in the next few days.Manor Motorsports in F3In the meantime, it is worth having a look at the next political storm that may be brewing in the background. Although still at the stage of rumor, this one has the potential for taking the focus off the current Mosley/di Montezemolo struggle, which would be a welcome relief for us all, I think.I refer to the interesting relationship between Mosley's sidekick, Alan Donnelly, and Manor Motorsport (one of the new teams accepted for next season by the FIA), as reported by Pitpass this morning. The story originates in the UK's Guardian newspaper and has a bit more credibility than emanations from the more dubious publications therefore.Donnelly was the man reported by FOTA to have been trying to persuade teams away from FOTA and it seems that is not all he and his company, Sovereign Strategy, have been up to recently. Although Donnelly denies any direct involvement with the team, an associate director of his company is organizing Manor's public relations strategy. It is no surprise that memories of the general surprise at Manor's inclusion in the list of the FIA's accepted teams arise, with the reultant suspicion of some kind of connection between Donnelly, Mosley and Manor.It does not really matter whether there is any substance to the story; it is just another example of Mosley's regime ignoring the restraint required to avoid any conflict of interests. An administration that has a long record of apparently ignoring potential doubts of ethical standards in its decisions, damages its reputation for fairness in all things.As examples, I can mention the sale of commercial rights to Bernie Ecclestone, the choice of Bridgestone as the standard tire supplier (coupled with the odd relationship between the tire company and the FIA that followed, Bridgestone seemingly able to dictate tire rules and regulations to the governing body), the selection of McLaren Systems' ECU over Magneti Marelli's offering, the appointment of Donnelly as chairman of the stewards and the long-suspected and now verified facts of the "special relationship" between the FIA and Ferrari. Put it all together and it hints at something very rotten at the core of the FIA.Nothing may ever be proved or admitted in this latest uneasy affair; probably everything will die down after denials without proof, just as all the others have been forgotten or ignored. But it may suggest one more reason why Mosley is so reluctant to release his grip on power in the FIA. Is it possible that any future president, if not the choice of Mosley, might discover events in the past that could blow the reputation of the FIA and Max Mosley clean out of the water?
Clive
Nick Goodspeed I tend to believe Mosley's vendetta toward McLaren wasn't about Stepneygate or Liargate at all, but about Mosley becoming paranoid about spies working covertly. He was certain Ron Dennis was looking for proof of dirty deals and had to put a stop to any more digging behind the scenes. He had no proof about the sex tapes but obviously blamed Dennis. To get revenge he pulled out all stops in attacking McLaren, in the bank and on the track. In doing this he made McLaren a far less desirable partner for Mercedes to the point that Dennis had to leave to protect the survival of McLaren. Since Liargate McLaren have been successfully gagged. They effectively have no voice or opinion. Date Added: 27/06/2009
Clive Nick: It's an interesting theory... Date Added: 27/06/2009
DWinn Fia F1 fo(ta) FOMI smell the blood of an ego manBe he elected, or be he notWe'll have his rules, me thinks a lot Date Added: 27/06/2009
marc Nick:Maybe it is a quirk of Speed's F1 coverage, but your description of Max re: McLaren rings true with me. It seems Dennis knew that it didn't matter whether or not he was in the right, Mosley was successfully eroding the confidence fans and sponsors have in McLaren. Sadly, their current car further undermines stature because it look like they have lost their mojo. However, I must give a nod to the fact that McLaren do have a mixed track record of good and bad seasons (as do most successful teams).I agree with Clive as well, but I worry that if I let myself go down the road that he describes, I will end up like one of those guys who look under every rock and twig trying to prove the government is covering up aliens landing at Roswell, NM and/or UFO technology at Area 51. Except that I would take every FIA position with a grain of salt, and I would suspect Ferrari of pulling the strings... oops, I guess its too late. Date Added: 28/06/2009
DWinn Clive: "Put it all together and it hints at something very rotten at the core of the FIA".Indeed, and it stinks. But what should we expect from a so called 'association' that is in effect an autocracy.Vested interests, jobs for the boys, you scratch my back, back handers, blackmail, lies and more lies, do as I say not as I do, I know best, your just a bunch of friggin plebs - need I go on ?We find it all the time in big business and government, so nothing is new.I just pray that a new president of the FIA (if it comes to pass) is just plain honest - thats all it takes.As you may guess, I'm a typical grumpy old man and I don't often post on blogs, but the recent mess in our sport and 'that' man in particular really blows my fuses.btw you do some great articles Clive - Garcia & FOM ~ a classic ~ made my day Date Added: 28/06/2009
Nick Goodspeed Marc: Mosley disgusts on many levels. He is an arrogant bully with no morals or ethics. He cares for no one, family included. He has ruined his own reputation and he doesn't give a damn what he does to F1 or anybody in it so long as he can feed his sick ego. He works behind the scenes using fear and who knows what else to get what he wants. When he is out of power the real dirt will begin to fly. Those he has intimidated into doing his bidding will most likely try to redeem themselves by spilling the beans. What F1 needs more than any agreement with the FIA or new deal with Ecclestone is a transparent enquiry into Mosley and the FIA, the teams private dealings with the FIA and Mosley, Ecclestone's 100 year deal, Bridgestones tire Monopoly, and the new team's funding. Bullies like Mosley only know one way of working and that way leaves trails of unhappy, compromised people who are afraid that he will ruin them. His private comportment shows that he has no fears about ruining himself or his family. The fact that he's back, as venomously as ever, so soon after the loss of his son, or after the total humiliation of his family shows the man has no empathy or conscious. What Mosley did to McLaren was to set an example to the other teams as to what could befall them if tried to get at him.Fear works...but not for ever. Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive DWinn: Great little rhyme there! :DThe present state of the FIA needs a new broom indeen to sweep it clean. I'd suggest Alex Wurz again but I know he won't even be nominated.And thanks for the kind comments - Garcia will be informed, as always! :) Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive Marc: Catching, isn't it, Marc? ;) Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive Nick: Excellent maxim, your last sentence - "Fear works...but not forever. " Date Added: 28/06/2009
Becken I´m definitely with Nick on this one too. Alan Henry is away of paddock, so he can write something like that. The guys who “walk at the grid” (If you know what I mean) don’t want to risk his credentials starting to dig into the FIA´s dirt business.So, what we have is an autocracy with everybody — the press, the teams, the drivers, everyone — struggling under Mosley´s hand… Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive Becken: Yes, it's time the old dicta... oops, president bowed out. Date Added: 28/06/2009
michael Hello Clive"Is it possible that any future president, if not the choice of Mosley, might discover events in the past that could blow the reputation of the FIA and Max Mosley clean out of the water? "Reputation... Is there any left? seven years of blatant Ferrari aiding and in your face more than questionable off-track rulings... FIA Reputation has long left the building actually a good buddy of mine from Neptune has sighted it cruzing off into deep space. Whatever naughties now "suddenly" appear fall under "seriously, could we have expected any better".The shameful fact is and will always be that the media and the now united FOTA Teams have let it come this far and why... because of greed, arrogance and equal and shared amount of distrust. All the sudden now everybody is singing the tune "It wasn't me" "It was all on Max!" Have we not heard this tune far too often looking back down history lane. If the complete media fraction had the decency they all have been lacking ever since the french revolution to stick to good journalism write in depth and show civil courage that might have helped but now to be saying "if we said anything we would have lost our credentials." So what!? send hundreds more in and let them loose their creds :: there you go now you have a story. No journalism=no news=no tv=no media=no business :: coz no ads! Maybe then the teams would have found their mojo to act dutifully disrespectful to a man they now claim to be the sole demon in the room and begin to corner the idiot.As Bernie said: "There are no winners just compromises." Damn (scuze my lingo) right he is! Max is the perfect poster boy demon but he is not the only one in the room. The teams & the media did not operate out of fear they operated with the lacking self respect that has shown civilizations on a global scale that decency and civil courage (duty) will always come last for a fast buck.Corruption:We point our fingers at Romania or Bulgaria in display of our disgust to their scale of government corruption But, heh the FIA dealings with respectable companies such as hum Bridgestone and Ferrari, well, need I say more?Is what we are witnessing now not merely a small-scale event a portrait of man-kinds history? There is no innocence there is just growing pains. Date Added: 28/06/2009
michael sorry but I forgot to say that all this above mentioned is why I AM ANGRY! :-)F1 as we know it seems at a turning point. will corporate identity now take over the colorful crazy-headedness of F1 and all of us be so sick to the point of breaking away wantingly as we have already witnessed our inner reactions to the introduction of genetically designed-drivers bland and empty of all things meaning and colorful?sorry Clive it's just one of those daysall the best Date Added: 28/06/2009
marc Nick: No doubt, you are right that Mosley was making an example of McLaren. And it worked. Williams and Force India had to back down from FOTA's positions. In my opinion it would be a best case scenario to have Mosley's soldiers turn on him. It would allow the next administration to make the sweeping reforms necessary to ensure a tenure like Mosley's cannot happen again. And it would be delicious to hear about all the things that he was doing behind the scenes. Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive Michael: Incredibly, there are still some who do not believe the stories of corruption in the FIA - and it is true that our suspicions are the result of adding two plus two, yet they remain suspicions. Any new administration might be able to find out the facts about various apparently dubious dealings in the past. And that would enable us all to make a new start, confident in the future of the sport.I agree that F1 is at a turning point. We live in interesting times... Date Added: 28/06/2009
verasaki But, how can we miss him when he won't go away? Not that anyone believes he's going away. There was an article from Racer in my email this afternoon stating Maxie's being begged to run again. My guess is the two guys who are begging may stand to lose a few $ if he goes. Sorry, I have not a clue how to post a linky thingy here: http://www.racer.com/2009/06/mosley-urged-to-stand-for-re-election-2/ Of course there is corruption in the FIA. They have even less oversight than the financial industry. Why would they feel compelled to operate with more integrity? Date Added: 28/06/2009
Clive Vera: It sounds so familiar, doesn't it? He means the delegates from lesser motoring organizations that voted for him last year. Hopefully, even they will see that he really has to go this time.But miss him? I doubt I ever will... :D Date Added: 28/06/2009
RON That's why a breakaway series was a necessity and welcomed by one and all...This sitation is nothing like the Indy/Cart split - the breakaway was a real chance at correcting everything that is wrong in F1.The FIA has failed on so many levels, that I do not see it fit for anything other extinction...The FIA are nothing more then Al-Queda in suits... Date Added: 29/06/2009
Nick Goodspeed Mosley's yes men do what he asks of them. They are codependent on one another. The yes men know perfectly well if there's a house cleaning they go out with the rest of the dirt. Once you've sold your soul to the devil... Date Added: 29/06/2009
Lee I have always been uneasy with Donnelly, he has been Max's henchman since he started and one very strange episode will stick in my mind. In the incident between Hamilton and Kimi last season the stewards relegated hamilton 10 places. However the stewards never actually interviewed either Kimi or Hamilton. It was Donnelly that did the interviewing yet the stewards signatures were on the documents even though they were not present during those interviews..... The fact that Donnellys company had done a huge amount of PR work for Ferrari and was also assistant to Max made it seem strange that as a stewards ADVISOR he was the only one to actually interview the drivers! I am also concerned by the lack of qualifications he has to be a stewards advisor. He is a PR consultant and Politician. It re-enforces my opinion that all those in high positions should be independent of any other business dealings within F1. To be in position they should give up any other F1 related interests. Date Added: 29/06/2009
Clive Lee: Agreed totally. Date Added: 29/06/2009
Alianora La Canta marc, Williams and Force India would have had to have left FOTA irrespective of McLaren's fate. The moment those two teams signed up to the 2005 agreement with the FIA and FOM, their only options were to join Ferrari in a court case they can ill-afford or buckle under (at least on the outside - it's entirely possible they could be protesting within the boundaries of the agreements they signed).Max has lost this battle. It's now merely a question of him choosing the manner of his losing and the rest of us taking the consequences. Date Added: 29/06/2009
Steven Roy Like everyone else I can't wait to see the back of Max and the day that someone who is not part of his cabal sits n the president's chair. I look forward to everything that will be made public and the court cases that ensue. I wonder if the FIA will have to pay McLaren back their $100million.I heard a name mentioned as a candidate that I haven't heard for a couple of years and he is now my choice. He is a former world rally champion and member of the european parliament. His co-driver was Dave Richards of Prodrive which could make things interesting.Step forward the next president of the FIA. Mr Ari Vatenen.Ari is never going to allow someone to be fined for doing donuts. Date Added: 30/06/2009
Clive Steven: I have heard Vatanen's name mentioned a couple of times in connection with the post of FIA President and an increasing number of people are suggesting him. To be honest, I don't know enough about the guy to say one way or the other but, judging by the calibre of those putting his name forward, I'd have to say he is becoming a strong candidate. Whether the FIA will even consider him is another question, of course. Date Added: 01/07/2009
Alianora La Canta The "Max out" camp has received another boost. Someone called Gracia heard about Max Mosley backing Jean Todt to replace him and declared that Max "has gone even more mad".Clive, I thought this must be your very own correspondent Garcia, emboldened by a few of those English pints of beer to speak a few home truths to a journalist's ready microphone. The mis-spelling of said correspondent's name was, I assumed, down to the journalist being in a similar state of inebriation.The truth was even more intriguing. It turns out that the speaker was Carlos Garcia and that he is actually a member of the FIA's WMSC and a long-time ally of Max. So for him to cast aspersions on Max's sanity is significant (especially if we ever find out what act put him into the "mad" category in Carlos' eyes in the first place).Granted, he also fired a warning shot at Luca di Montezemelo for disrespecting the FIA's institutions (albeit on the same assumptions, indicating he got his information from Max), but it seemed to be more of "a plague on both your houses" kind of thing, in support of his own campaign for the Presidency.This gets more and more interesting. Date Added: 01/07/2009
Clive Alianora: Funnily enough, I too did a doubletake when I first read of Carlos Gracia's latest statement. If course, "Garcia" is a nom de plume and it is still possible that Gracia is my mysterious correspondent.But Gracia was also the guy who Max sent to Brazil to ensure that McLaren weren't mean to Alonso in the last GP of 2007, remember. He makes occasional noises about applying for the president's job but no one has taken him very seriously until lately. Date Added: 01/07/2009
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