One of the things that really sickened me about the WMSC hearing was Mosley's crowing after the event. In particular, his assertion that "If they do anything wrong against Alonso, they will have to answer to us in Paris and we will do what is necessary," showed just how much he fails to understand Ron Dennis. A man judges others by what he sees in himself and Max assumes therefore that Ron will have a desire for revenge.
Max Mosley
That is a complete misreading of the McLaren boss. You may call Ron naive but never vindictive. He is an honorable man and would stick by his promise to give equal support to both Hamilton and Alonso, regardless of what lesser men feel would be the correct prescription for the Spaniard. Max merely reveals his own pettiness and bad judgement in even thinking that a warning is necessary.
I have seen Ron described as spineless for not fighting back against the injustice of the WMSC verdict but, again, this is a misunderstanding of the man. Ron has weighed the possibilities and decided that the best thing for McLaren and F1 is for the matter to end here and now; if that means some will take it as an admission of guilt, that is preferable to everything dragging on for months with even more damage being done to the sport. To put other more important concerns before his own standing is the action of a brave man, not a coward.
Of course, in spite of Ron's desire for closure, the ramifications of what has happened will not go away. Already we see the first ripples of a floodtide of disapproval of the FIA's actions, although one has to read between the lines to see them. Consider these words from the team manager of BMW Sauber:
Theissen insists that it is impossible to reign-in those with criminal intentions. "No matter what they do, banks are still robbed,” he pointed out in the German press. "You can do what you want (but) criminal energy can always overcome the obstacles."
Which shows that Theissen knows how ridiculous it is to suggest that Ron knew what was going on with a few of his employees. There may be a legal sense in which a manager is responsible for the actions of his employees but that does not make him morally responsible. In a company of several hundred, no manager could possibly know everything that goes on.
And you can bet that Theissen understands the implications for his own company and the fact that the McLaren case leaves all the manufacturers open to similar disasters and the whims of FIA committees. He is clearly not happy with the way things were dealt with and must be considering his options.
The same is true for Christian Horner, Red Bull team manager. When he says that he feels "slightly sorry" for McLaren and then adds, "The actions of a few reckless individuals have obviously hit them with a pretty Draconian penalty," it is very obvious what his opinion is. The big teams are worried and so they should be.
I am convinced that the days of Max as president of the FIA are numbered. It is very likely that the FIA will have to undergo considerable re-structuring too. The latest farce has shown all too clearly that it is no longer capable of administering a multi-million dollar international sport in a way that is fair to all. The manufacturers are in competition, yes, but an essential part of that competition must be that the playing field be even. The time for one man's personal opinions to rule over the fortunes of huge companies is over.
Max Mosley
That is a complete misreading of the McLaren boss. You may call Ron naive but never vindictive. He is an honorable man and would stick by his promise to give equal support to both Hamilton and Alonso, regardless of what lesser men feel would be the correct prescription for the Spaniard. Max merely reveals his own pettiness and bad judgement in even thinking that a warning is necessary.
I have seen Ron described as spineless for not fighting back against the injustice of the WMSC verdict but, again, this is a misunderstanding of the man. Ron has weighed the possibilities and decided that the best thing for McLaren and F1 is for the matter to end here and now; if that means some will take it as an admission of guilt, that is preferable to everything dragging on for months with even more damage being done to the sport. To put other more important concerns before his own standing is the action of a brave man, not a coward.
Of course, in spite of Ron's desire for closure, the ramifications of what has happened will not go away. Already we see the first ripples of a floodtide of disapproval of the FIA's actions, although one has to read between the lines to see them. Consider these words from the team manager of BMW Sauber:
Theissen insists that it is impossible to reign-in those with criminal intentions. "No matter what they do, banks are still robbed,” he pointed out in the German press. "You can do what you want (but) criminal energy can always overcome the obstacles."
Which shows that Theissen knows how ridiculous it is to suggest that Ron knew what was going on with a few of his employees. There may be a legal sense in which a manager is responsible for the actions of his employees but that does not make him morally responsible. In a company of several hundred, no manager could possibly know everything that goes on.
And you can bet that Theissen understands the implications for his own company and the fact that the McLaren case leaves all the manufacturers open to similar disasters and the whims of FIA committees. He is clearly not happy with the way things were dealt with and must be considering his options.
The same is true for Christian Horner, Red Bull team manager. When he says that he feels "slightly sorry" for McLaren and then adds, "The actions of a few reckless individuals have obviously hit them with a pretty Draconian penalty," it is very obvious what his opinion is. The big teams are worried and so they should be.
I am convinced that the days of Max as president of the FIA are numbered. It is very likely that the FIA will have to undergo considerable re-structuring too. The latest farce has shown all too clearly that it is no longer capable of administering a multi-million dollar international sport in a way that is fair to all. The manufacturers are in competition, yes, but an essential part of that competition must be that the playing field be even. The time for one man's personal opinions to rule over the fortunes of huge companies is over.