Maldonado sponsorship for Williams

[manchild]

Respectfully, I have no idea how any of that applies to the discussion. What am I missing?

Well, it is not the first time in topics about Williams that people mention it. Like "Chavez is bad, money is dirty and therefore Williams is a dirty team". That is why I suggested that if those things should be cleared out, than let them point out all politicians who are spending citizens money on F1, and all F1 teams who accept such sponsorships. F1 teams are not "One whore and eleven virgins" band as some suggest, or fail to see that by pointing out only isolated cases, it blows the wind in the sails of those who are doing identical things, and whose enemy outside of the sport Chavez is.

If Chavez's money is dirty, so is all the Arab money in Ferrari, Mclaren and Mercedes

Exactly! Many other unmentioned too.

[Richard]

bosanac - OK. Better to say what you mean to say on this site.

I guess only the top 4 teams that could turn down pay driver. Although even they'll have an eye on the sponsorship potential when comparing similar drivers for the number 2 seat. That's just being a vicarious pay driver.

For example that must have been a huge factor in McLaren's assessment of Button. Even if Button didn't do very well, they could be sure the sponsors would love him.

[FW17]

For example that must have been a huge factor in McLaren's assessment of Button. Even if Button didn't do very well, they could be sure the sponsors would love him.

Other than in the UK and Australia, where else do you see Buttons value?

[Richard]

This isn't about "dirty money". It's about pre-election tension in Venezuela. I suspect this has been leaked to show how their existing president is frivolously wasting cash on fantasy projects.

However Chevez is rather adapt at the nationalist card, so he'll retort that this is evidence of the strength of the nationalised oil industry. "we kicked the colonial pigs out of our oil industry and it has bourne fruit, we now have a Venezuelan company leading a team in F1. It shows we are now a rival to Shell, they can no longer keep us under their thumb."

This short statement will of course take about 2 hours to be deliver in a live TV address to the nation on all channels. Any journalists who question it will end up in prison.

Heh, that's South American politics for you.

[Richard]

For example that must have been a huge factor in McLaren's assessment of Button. Even if Button didn't do very well, they could be sure the sponsors would love him.

Other than in the UK and Australia, where else do you see Buttons value?

As a highly gregarious blue eyed blonde WCC with a famous Japanese girlfriend, his potential was greater than more sullen lesser looking non-WCC divers competing for the slot.

Alongside Hamilton, McLaren have a good mix of drivers to appeal to a broad demographic. Sure, they're missing out on the Latin potential, but that's not an issue if you are targeting Middle East and Asia.

[xpensive]

Will all due respect to every member, we are not talking some south american sugar corporation paying for someone's desire to do F1, but an international pariah sinking 50 MUSD into a team which only ten years ago was an F1 powerhouse.

What's next, Kim Yong Pilot racing for McLaren?

[Richard]

Chavez isn't at pariah status yet is he? I think he'll need to blow up a plane or invade a neighbouring country to get that honour.

[xpensive]

I'm not certain if you have to be cought on the act, but tell me about your friends and I know who you are, Chavez' relations and outspoken sympathy for the likes of Khadaffi, Al-Assad and Lukashenko speaks volumes of who he is.

To learn he's calling the shots with a team that once helped Jaques Villeneuve to his WDC makes me cry like a baby.

[manchild]

xpensive, have you read my post on previous page?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=11877&start=67

So you have problem with Chavez for being strong holder founding Williams with tax payers money, but you don't even mention politicians and companies from NATO countries involved in F1, who have killed thousands of civilians including children, or Russia who financed Petrov into Renault, their invasion of Georgia and other shameful affairs, Islamic countries whose companies are sponsoring or have shares in Ferrari, Mclaren, Mercedes, countries that chop heads, hang or imprison people for speaking their mind, being gay or whatever? I've never heard anyone including you trashing Frank Williams for having Lenovo as sponsor 5 years ago, and compared to Chinese regime, Chavez is an amateur in crimes against his own people. Also, there's poor and needy in those countries too, not just in Venezuela. F1 has become a dirty business long time ago, and if would weigh amount and severity of crimes, Chavez wouldn't even get into Q2.

[gridwalker]

This isn't the first time that something like this has happened ... here is a copy of Maldonado's contract from 2010 (apparently) : http://www.scribd.com/doc/59010972/Past ... PDVSA-2010

If anyone can read this, I would be interested to hear if there are any juicy details

I wonder who the leak might be ...

[xpensive]

Manchild my man,

Comparing one bad man with another bad man, allegedly even worse a bad man, is never going to cut it in my book,
you're just going to end up in a "you did too" argument.

Fact is that Chavez is in the same league as Assad, Lukashenko and Kim-whoever, while F1 has never to my knowledge being legendary for being the champion for human rights, there should however be some limits of decency.

The Williams team is therefore from now on my personal list of non grata.

[manchild]

... The Williams team is therefore from now on my personal list of non grata.

So the list existed before you've added Williams? Who is on it apart from Williams?

[xpensive]

Second in line to Schumacher, why do you ask?

[RacingManiac]

So we are comparing human rights violator to aggressive racing car drivers now?

[manchild]

Second in line to Schumacher, why do you ask?

I suspected there won't be any list, so I wanted to make sure. If you had slammed them all outloud I'd applaud, this way I'm just disappointed.