We're living in a police state...

[Carlos]

Considering police states, many Presidents and Prime Ministers are elected in democratic elections, that are, or evolve to be; dictators. Ecclestone was not elected, he dictates the path of Formula 1 though commerce. Rather than compare him to a dictator, a more apt comparison would be, the merchant Princes of Italy's past; the Medici. Ecclestone has accumulated incredible wealth manipulating F1, with incredible wealth comes vast influence. He uses that influence to multiply his wealth. He wields that influence with an unfettered arrogance ignoring many moral ideas we accept as the bedrock of good character. Ideas we regard as important to F1;for instance, what we interpet as fairness and sportsmanship.

[donskar]

Rather than compare him to a dictator, a more apt comparison would be, the merchant Princes of Italy's past; the Medici.

Or, perhaps better, to the teacher of the merchant princes -- Machiavelli.

[safeaschuck]

I suppose if you look at F1 as a business, which is what it really is, and is certainly the reason most people are involved in it then you don't really have democracies in business. The MD dosen't take a staff vote every time he has to make a tough decision.
It's always worth reminding oneself that probably 90% of people employed directly and indirectly by F1 are in it for a job first with all other considerations being secondary, this means pretty much all of them are less concerned as to the fairness than they are about being out of work.
I'm sure there will be people upset by that thought, that most people in F1 are there to earn a buck (I put it this way because 'making money' sounds slightly less noble in intent), no doubt many are great enthusiasts of F1. There are mechanics etc. who spend their life working unsociable hours and living in crappy hotel rooms, they love their teams and fair play to them, but you don't see them walk off after 5 years because the team isn't up to scratch, their attitude to lifestyle allows them to pursue that career, it no doubt pays better than a lot of equivalent static employment and they've got to eat after all.

Although if we want to acknowledge it's ever flimsier claim to being a sport, then yes it's in a lot of trouble, but lot of the coverage of it being a sport focuses on the small group of individuals, such as team managers (to an extent) and drivers who are in it to win first and foremost, although this is often a by-product of them being financially well off enough not to NEED to continue doing what they are doing for a living.

At least this organisation are going about a bit of self regulation, no matter how mis-guided their ideas and underhand their motives, unlike a lot of industries who are stumbling on in the same old fashion then throwing themselves at the feet of government and pleading for a bail out. They (FIA) are making the decisions that they know will impact and upset the workforce more than any other - layoffs.

[bidong]

I can not believe that there is a term coined as the "lie-gate."
I mean if they did something that would make the whole season less credible.
But this is one race. First Race. One Lie. (I think also that Hamilton was partly not lying, cuz he was passed by Trulli even before McLaren ordered him to make him pass) "lie-gate schmy-gate." STUPID FIA! Stop the politics! Go on with the racing.

[jon-mullen]

Go on with the racing.

Amen, we've heard more about what happened behind a damn safety car.

[Rob W]

I'd like to make a point about the Hamilton lying issue at hand. He's been maligned for it but I don't think it is entirely justified (don't even get me started on flat-out lies told by M Schumacher in his career) because, as the driver, he was probably the least capable person of taking in and recalling the conversations he had while driving a car under safety car in the rain.

He had so many distractions at the time it isn't funny - add to that the Tulli running off the road in front of him which, a few have pointed out but most seem to have ignored, puts Hamilton well within his rights - according to the rules - to have overtaken Trulli and then not give the place back. The recording of the discussion with the team indicate lying, not denying that, but also show a complete intention to do the right thing - asking what happened (he's in the car and can't see nearly as much as everyone else), what the rules are and for the team to check with Charlie Whiting etc.

I find it totally derelict that the stewards of the race weren't able to make a ruling within minutes on this - the rules should be so utterly clear. This is where the significant failing was.

Taken as two single events, when you compare this to M Sch parking in Monaco qualifying the other year and then blatantly lying about it to everyone, this warrants a grid penalty at best.

[Giblet]

Let's not forget though, that what MS did in Monaco tarnished his reputation for ever.

What he did on track in 97 with Villeneuve could be looked at like blood boiling over and nobody giving any quarter. It makes what he did on track there tolerable, as Senna did the same kind of things, but even more harsh. After JV's incident, everyone knew that he would not move in a corner, and his life got easier at that point.

But after Rascasse, a very sullen defeated looking Schumi came out of a drivers meeting that we will never hear the details about. Competitive as they all are, a good portion of drivers do like each other and get on OK for the most part. We never hear of private things like Trulli hanging out with Kimi on his yacht, but we do know that all the drivers tore into Michael at that meeting.

Personally, I think that was the incident that made Schumi decide to retire. I think it's that dirty tricks became needed to beat Alonso and Renault. It was not so much that he knew that Alonso would be able to beat him, but that he would have to be a douche all the time to continue winning.