Masks are falling

[manchild]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns17477.html

SEPTEMBER 19, 2006

The truth will out?

Nine years after the World Championship showdown at Jerez in 1997, the then Sauber driver Norberto Fontana has decided to tell the story of what happened to him during that highly-charged weekend. In an interview with the Argentine magazine Ol?, Fontana claims that three or four hours before the race Jean Todt visited the Sauber motorhome and told the Swiss team, which used Ferrari engines at the time, that the Saubers must block Jacques Villeneuve if they were in a position to do so in order to help Michael Schumacher win the World Championship.

Fontana said that he blocked Villeneuve for only three or four corners but that it cost the French-Canadian around three seconds.

In the end Villeneuve challenged Schumacher for the lead and the two cars collided. Schumacher went off into a gravel trap and was unable to rejoin. Villeneuve won the World Championship and Michael Schumacher was later punished for deliberately driving Villeneuve off the track.

Fontana said that the action had hurt his career but that Todt and Schumacher never thanked him for what he had done.

While this is all ancient history now, there is a certain irony in that after the same race there were claims that Williams and McLaren colluded to rig the result of the race. That claim was rejected by the FIA World Council although it was never clear why the allegations ever got as far as the World Council.

To view what happened and make up your own mind, view the following video: http://www.youtube.com/v/m8rv23q9sZM

http://www.youtube.com/v/m8rv23q9sZM

Greatest story of Schumacher's "glorious" career finally out

What a disrespectfull retirement it will be! All the bad things said about him are starting to be confirmed! I won't even mention the things I tried to explain before about how Schuey, Todt, Brawn and Montezemollo brought disrespect to Ferrari and its heritage. Now it all becomes clear!
Unless Todt puts Fontana on trial and wins the case by prooving that Fontana lied this will mean that Schuey, Todt, Brawn and Montezemollo are biggest villains in the history of F1.

[mini696]

I knew this all along. Happy to see Fontana tell the truth.

[Ciro Pabón]

... this will mean that Schuey, Todt, Brawn and Montezemollo are biggest villains in the history of F1.

This is a hard to achieve position... the competition is strong and is not giving up easily!

[manchild]

I apologize. The only villains in the history of F1.

[Rob W]

WOW!. Good on Fontana for coming out about it. And good timing if you're an anyone-other-than-Schumy supporter.

I wonder whether Jean Todt will bother to comment on this one?

Rob W

[DaveKillens]

At that time, Schumacher had been driving for Ferrari for almost two years. He had moved to that team with great fanfare, notably because of his promise to deliver a title, and his record salary. The buzz was.."so when will he live up to his boasting?".
He didn't succeed in Jerez, and in fact was relegated to disgrace. But this is what he has, and does. It's a shame for such a talented driver, but he is willing to do anything, at all cost, for the title(s).
Interestingly, I found this comment in a quality web site, although it was written back in 1998.
Is Michael Schumacher one of the very best? Only time will tell just as assuredly there will arise a contender to his throne. How he reacts to this will define his career.

How very prophetic. And now we come to the closing days to Schumacher's racing career, and he is reacting, and what he has done will define his career, the stuff apart from the absolute black and white data of records. But the last chapter is still being written, it is far from over. We are in the same situation again, with Shu close to the title, and full of surprises. Expect him to do anything, at all costs, once again.
Some fans will say "so what?", and point to his many records of poles, wins, and titles. And other fans will remember the days when they watched the races, and the many things he did on track, and shake their heads, and mutter "foul".

[bhall]

So much for "the end of war."

[manchild]

So much for "the end of war."

Its the news published on 19th September 2006. The end of war was about terminology that caused war.

[pRo]

I can't wait to hear what Jacques says about that.

[saam]

What a JOKE, next year you'll only be complaining about something else....... its a no brainer....

[RH1300S]

That's what you get if you put like minded people together...........warped morals

[Mikey_s]

As a general rule I try not to get involved in the more subjective side of this site - and I do not intend to get dragged into the he said/she said discussion that is inevitable here. However, the timing of this announcement stinks - Fontana has waited for 9 years and emerges now to sling a bit of mud... Hell, it's not even Todt that is retiring... and this continual blurring of the Ferrari=Schum and vice versa line is becoming tiresome. MC et al, we know you don't like Ferrari, but you will likely never convice others to dislike them simply because you do not. Dave has said on a number of occasions how curious it is that we all see the same stuff, but draw different conclusions... Please respect the right of others to have a different set of beliefs.

I do not buy conspiracy theories without some degree of factual evidence (i do not include hearsay as factual).

I would be astonished if every team did not have strategy meetings on a regular basis. I would be equally astonished if teams supplying parts to other teams did not visit and say to their cusotmers "if you see one of our cars coming to lap you please move aside" (in fact I know that e.g. Patrick Head has walked down the pit lane to ask Eddie Jordan to make sure his drivers were not blocked even as a non supplier). There are few angels at the top level in sport, power often equals money, and when the stakes are high (and they are in this sport) the nice guys do not finish first. I hate that aspect, but it is a fact of life. If Renault start to string together a series of championships I would anticipate similar consipracy theories to start to emerge.

Todt may well have asked the question (I personally find it unlikely), but even if he did, the execution of the fraud (if there was one) was by Sauber - who is guilty as a result? In my book that makes Fontana the cheat - and in any case not Schumacher. If Fontana really did block Villeneuve that is, in my view, at least as bad as Todt having asked him to do so - probably even worse... the excuse of "only following orders" did not wash after the second world war and it does not wash today either. If Fontana/Sauber blocked Jacques then it is Sauber whose repoutation should be tarnished and not Ferrari. I'd like to hear Peter Saubers' views on the allegations to. If it comes from him it would be far more credible than from a 2nd rate driver who has been lying under a rock for the past 9 years.

anyhow, enough ranting, I have some work to do! but for what it's worth, I lokoed at the video; the only time i saw Villeneuve look like he wanted to pass he made it happen, the rest of the time he looked content to follow Fontana. See? I have a diferent view!

[pRo]

you will likely never convice others to dislike them

Uhm...I fail to understand why do you think this post is meant to make others dislike them? If someone posts something positive about them, do they do it just to convince the others to like them?

Or do they just want to share an interesting article and talk about it? Isn't that what this forum is all about anyway?

If Renault start to string together a series of championships I would anticipate similar consipracy theories to start to emerge.

If they achieve the championship this year, I doubt there will be many theories about FIA helping Renault.

[boban-mk]

It's interesting when this information has shown up. I'm supprise by stupid timing that have decedided, instead of 19.09 to be 27.09. I will be really supprised if this is the only such info that will hear until the end of the season. On the video everything is clear. Fontana blocked JV a little at the mid of the race. That didn't make any influence in the race.

But what a story, what a comercial story. I will not be suppriced if some whomen says that she slepped with him, or some other driver who need some commercal cash to give such information. I'm suppriced only about bad timing.

I thought that if some engine maker sells engine to other team is for money only. What a dummy i was .
I must admit that you are discovering the wheel for me, again and again.

[nae]

of course any winning team is clearly involved in conspiricy

just like rossi is in motogp

no i am afraid not, some teams and drivers / riders do hav standards and do maintian them FIAerrai hav always had a win at any cost mentality