But seriously, what is really going to happen now?

[race aficionado]

Is there really going to be something done about this incident that has us all riled up?

What would be the options?
If you were in charge, what would you do?

[freud]

First of all, I would suspend the results for Ferrari, TGFarce & the doormat/lapdog!

Secondly, I would impose rules so that this crapshi1t never happend again in formula one.

Thirdly, I would urge the Ferrari high-ups to put life into this team and give real pleasure of racing to the f1 fans and tifosi alike. Ferrari's reputation is on line here.

[Tristan]

I honestly DO beleive there will be change this time. This was a BIG embarrassment for F1.

And, do you know, it wouldn't be suprising if at the post race review in the Ferrari motor-home they all sat down, look at each other and said "y'know what, chaps?? I *THINK* we may have gon too far there....."

I sincerely hope so.

But didn't we say all this after Australia 1998??

[SL]

OK then, what will happen.

1/ Nothing from FIA as no rules were broken, no official complaints so no need to have an enquiry.

2/ Having got away with one Ferrari will do it again so MS can get the Championship in time for the German GP (Work out the maths, thats why Rubens yielded)

3/ Rubens will then win the rest of the races

4/ All people who said they will never watch another race will see Monaco and record it too see if it happens again, plus another load of people attracted by the publicity.

5/ MS will retire at the end of the season leaving Rubens with a signed 2 year deal in line for the 2003 championship which is why he gave way today

6/ MS will make a comeback and get the 6th crown to beat Fangio after a few years 'resting'

Simon

[Valve Bounce]

Be real. Nothing is going to happen. Ferrari is just too powerful and in high demand in the minds of Bernie, Max and the rest of the FIA goons. In fact, if you checked one of the quals threads, I actually tipped this to happen when I said I was surprised nobody asked MSch in the post quals press conference whether he was going to sk Rubens to move over. I think Ferrari, Brnie, Max and the rest of the FIA goons could care less what we think, so long as the money keeps pouring into their pockets. And any publicity is good publicity - just ask any hooker.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

[Tristan]

The Italian GP will be EMPTY.

[rollhoop]

I'm thinking about not going to the USGP..........

[Gt_R]

i agree with freud ,and in part with SL, here.

I sincerely think something HAS to be done by the FIA with Michael's result, and with the person who made that decision. Meaning, void MS's results (though even if he did not make the decisions, he benefitted from it), and heavily fine Todt and Brawn.

And the FIA needs to stamp down such blatant race fixing and form of team orders. But on hindsight (and let's be optimistic), even if nothing is done by the FIA this time, i guess we would not see such things happen for quite sometime in the future. Ferrari, and other teams, learnt the backlash of this incident now and i doubt they would dare to do it again and get worse reactions from the public.

As for publicity, bad publicity is still publicity, and bad as it may be for F1, people will still be watching the next race at Monaco. I would, thats for sure. But not out of curiousity of what happens, but simply because i want to watch F1. For all those who criticise so much, make so much big noises and claim they are done with F1, won't you be watching again, then continue to join in the forums to talk about it? I doubt you guys would leave for good too.

"5/ MS will retire at the end of the season leaving Rubens with a signed 2 year deal in line for the 2003 championship which is why he gave way today"

I actually thought that this may be probable!

[Valve Bounce]

I hope Rubens lets his son $hit in that trophy.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

[Raoul Duke]

Here's what I would do if I were in charge of the FIA.

-Reverse the order of the finish so as to give Rubens the win.

-Take away Ferrari's constructors points.

-Ban Ferrary for at least one race if not more.

-In Nascar, when a driver does something wich is out of line, he is then placed on probation for a certain amount of time. So my suggestion, is place Ferrari on probation for at least a couple of races, maybe even half the season.

[Lee Janotta]

There'll be no changes. People will still watch. Ferarri's merchandisers and the track owners will suffer, though.

[Markules]

In all honesty, I don't think they could punish Michael. The team is admitting it was their decission, Rubens was the one who did the slowing up, so really Michael - ironically, considering he was the only one to benefit from it - was the one who actually has the least participation in this shambolic affair. And giving Rubens the victory would mean fewer points to TGF, so that would be seen as punishing him. A cruel world.

Anyway, perhaps TGF will pack it in at the end of the season - his original motivation was the challenge of building Ferrari up into a championship winning team, something that bernie and the FIA have also been helping all along, and I think Michael would have to admit that now, driving that Ferrari to victory is anything but challenging.

Personally, I blame Bernie and the FIA - they've been keen on building up the mighty Ferrari from the "one win a season if we're lucky" outfit of the mid 90s into a true championship outfit, and now they've got a team that is killing competition in the sport.

[f1manoz]

What should happen?

Simply, that was race-fixing (tampering with official results) in its purest form.

Therefore, if anything, Ferrari should be brought up on criminal charges by either the Austrian or Italian governments.

[Startline1]

As has been said in other threads, the only way to get any changes is to hit Bernie and the offending team/driver is in their pockets.

If a few hundred thousand or more fans cancelled their Sky/F1 digital or fouled up the FIA`s funding in some way they would soon take notice.

For a long time motorsports fans have been the silent majority, but now i feel is the time to stand up and be counted.

[Liz]

I agree with that. This happens in other forms of sport -- most recently in cricket, as I recall. Can you make a citizens' arrest in Austria?

Oh, heck, let's just burn some Ferrari flags.

As for me, when I said I'm not watching any more races until that unprincipled is off the grid, I mean it. Since Jane Fonda betrayed the USA I have boycotted her and so have many other people. She still feels it as frequently she will say "I've SAID I was sorry -- I was young -- why won't you forgive me?"

Sorry, Jane. And sorry, sorry, Michael -- I'm not going to forgive you either. Instead of the Albatross, that stolen WDC around your neck is hung.

[Valve Bounce]

Originally posted by Liz
I agree with that. This happens in other forms of sport -- most recently in cricket, as I recall. Can you make a citizens' arrest in Austria?

Oh, heck, let's just burn some Ferrari flags.

As for me, when I said I'm not watching any more races until that unprincipled is off the grid, I mean it. Since Jane Fonda betrayed the USA I have boycotted her and so have many other people. She still feels it as frequently she will say "I've SAID I was sorry -- I was young -- why won't you forgive me?"

Sorry, Jane. And sorry, sorry, Michael -- I'm not going to forgive you either. Instead of the Albatross, that stolen WDC around your neck is hung.

I really hope you would reconsider this decision. If you stop watching F1, they win, the baddies will have won.
There are others in F1 to enjoy, viz: Massa, Jacques, JPM, and Mark Webber, not to mention Fernando when he gets a seat again. Don't let the ba$tards get you down. If you want to make a statement - then encourage everyone not to purchase Ferrari merchandise, and not to use any products they advertise. That is a more positive negative step, if you can understand my mutterings.
And urge Rubens to get his son to $hit into that trophy because that's all it's worth.

Valve[img]http://www.**************************/smilies/bouncy.gif[/img]

[race aficionado]

This incident has just hit a nerve in our collective souls.

Many of us have trouble stomaching Michael's consistent victory laps due to his faster car and undeniable talent.
Now suddenly we find ourselves witnessing another MS victory lap when it is unabashedly given to him as a collective gasp is heard around the racing world.

All I've heard so far is that no rule was broken. And as for rules, I mean the F 1 rules. Because something else was broken when we all saw the surreal scene unfold -- starting with Michael suddenly crossing the line first, actually lifting his hand in triumph -- the subsequent boos -- that appalling podium circus and the sad press conference . . .

It was an honorless, sad, and cold slap in the face to this sport that we love but that we know is undoubtedly gone awry. No matter if no official F 1 rule was not broken.

This situation has been going for much longer now -- and I include Michael's dangerously allowed racing bully tactics. It just happens that today, it was magnified when we saw a scene that to my mind is still too surreal to really put to words.

Hopefully something will happen. What? I don't know but what about this, let us just hope that someday this sport that has such a rich tradition, returns to what is was originally, a sport, a noble sport.

[f1manoz]

What about the rules of morality, honour and fair play?

Sundays proved F1 lacks all 3.

[race aficionado]

Would this also apply?

FIA Sporting Code; Article 48 !
Article 48 of the FIA Spoting Code stipulates :

"If in the opinion of the Formula One Commission a competitor fails to operate his team in a manner compatible with the standards of the Championship or in any way brings the championship in disrepute, the FIA may exclude such competitor from the championship fortwith."

at this rate, the though of them actually applying it to this situation is also surreal - or better yet, unreal.

[racing_guru]

This is nothing new to F1 and other forms of racing and I'm surprised so many are so angry. Ferrari has done it several times to benefit Irvine as well (Salo and Michael giving up wins), McLaren has done it (Almost identical to this when Coulthard let Hakkinen by in 1999), Fangio did it (Actually taking over a team mates car!!!).

This sort of thing happens all the time in FIA World Rally Cahmpionship,so this is NOT an exclusive Formula 1 and Ferrari issue at all.

I agree it sucks, but it will never change . . .

[freud]

Dont you know?!!.. Ferrari is exempted from the Article 48. Infact Ferrari has been granted special permission to break an FIA code & law without prior notice.

Max Mosely get paid an unknown amount by Ferrari for these special provisionos.

[freud]

Racing-Guru... just to clarify.. this is only the 6th race of the season!

[racing_guru]

freud McLaren did exactly the same thing in the 1st race of the 1999 season. I'm not defending the actions, just pointing out that it is not a Ferrari exclusive issue.

[freud]

mclaren did it in the first race of 1998.. and that because Mika deserved not to lose a race just on a wrong radio message.

It is a Ferrari exclusive issue.. believe me

[racing_guru]

So Freud are you saying that if you have a radio problem, then it's okay to fix the results of the race??