Teams accused of wanting Monaco chaos
13 May, 2010
Tony Fernandes
May 13 (GMM) Michael Schumacher and Martin Whitmarsh have accused some team bosses of wanting “chaos” and “controversy” to reign on the streets of Monaco this weekend.
At a meeting last week in Barcelona, the bosses voted on a drivers’ proposal that ‘Q1′ qualifying be split into two parts for this weekend’s fabled street event.
With a busy grid in 2010 and six cars that are not up to speed, drivers fear not only that the traffic will impede their ability to set proper lap times, but that the situation could be dangerous.
But Lotus team boss Tony Fernandes admits to having vetoed the vote, arguing that he wants F1 “to be exciting … to be unpredictable”.
McLaren’s Whitmarsh expects the unpredictability to be in the form of a litany of stewards enquiries about blocking.
“There are those, and I’m not one of them, who feel that controversy and stewards’ hearings after the event are entertaining. I don’t share that view,” he told reporters earlier this week.
Seven time world champion Schumacher also expressed disappointment with Fernandes’ line of reasoning.
“Some team bosses felt that they’d rather have the chaos and may take the profit from (that) than to have a reasonable, clean qualifying,” he said on Wednesday.
“Let’s see who has to suffer or not.”
Almost every driver, from either end of the grid, spoke on Wednesday about the traffic situation.
Spanish reports quote Fernando Alonso as neatly summarising: “It will definitely not be easy, but it’s the same for everyone.”
Related posts:
- The Slipstream: Monaco Magic
- Monaco GP: Bridgestone preview
- Monaco GP: Virgin Racing preview
- James Rossi previews the Monaco GP
- Lotus vetoes split Q1 for Monaco
Racers are paid to race. It is sad when all they do is whine about traffic or use it as an excuse. (and that’s any of them, not just the front runners)The best thing the FIA could do is eliminate blue flags.
I don’t hate Ferrari.
I just dislike martin Whitmarsh saying that the new teams will get in the way, when during practice it was Ferrari that got in the way.
I also dislike it when Schumacher says the new teams will get in the way, when in 2006 he deliberately stopped on the circuit.
The big teams and drivers should have just shown themselves up today, Saturday may be different, but at the moment it’s …
Tony Fernandes 1
Martin Whitmarsh 0
@ Bec, please slow down on the haterade. We can tell by your last 20 posts that you dislike all things Red and FOTA. It is only natural for the guys up front to want a clean track and the backmarkers not to care. It is not a FOTA or Ferrari conspiracy. It has been this way for many many years.
Also, did you see practice?
Hmmm, a Ferrari holding up a Lotus and a Virgin car.
Come on Martin Whitmarsh, let’s see a vitriolic statement slamming Ferrari.
Come on !!
No?
What a surprise!
Whitmarsh with his anti-small teams discrimination has lost all credibility.
It also just occurred to me that one of the people moaning about the possibility of slower cars causing chaos is a certain Michael Schumacher, the very same Michael Schumacher who in Monaco 2006 DELIBERATELY parked his car at Rascasse in qualifying, preventing Fernando Alonso from beating his time.
Schumacher’s cars wasn’t just slow, it was stationary !!!
Martin Whitmarsh DOESN’T want unpredictable races … This from the chairman of FOTA.
He should resign with IMMEDIATE effect.
I think you’ll find most fans want unpredictable races, but then when has FOTA ever had the fans interests in mind?