'Nelsinhogate' and the FIA

I am following the Renault and ‘Nelsinhogate’ situation with interest in how the FIA are going to deal with this.

I don’t envy the FIA. I find these situations are a lose-lose situation for the sport.

If the FIA, as in the case with the McLaren spygate incident, simply issue a fine it makes a mockery of the sport. Let’s face it, a financial penalty means nothing to these teams.

Yet, to the other extreme, if teams are banned it deprives us of racing, and with so few teams on the grid as it is, an absent front runner would be sorely missed.

I find there is a great inconsistency to the FIA. I think when the sport comes under scrutiny they suddenly spring into action. Would Renault really have got issued with a race ban for allowing Alonso to leave the pits with an incorrectly fitted tyre had it not been for Massa‘s accident? Yes, it was irresponsible and dangerous, but a race ban was a bit harsh. I think the FIA wanted to be seen as being proactive in light of what had happened to Massa.

Then, there is that really sceptical side of me that believes the FIA never seriously intended banning Renault. Sometimes I think these threats are given simply to add to the show, and to get us talking about it. I know that is incredibly sceptical but we’ve seen it happen enough times over the years. Teams get issued with penalties, we all start talking about it, which in turn generates publicity. Then, at the appeal, the penalty is over turned.

We’ve heard it enough times as well. Bernie always adds fuel to the fire. He always comes out with a vast array of potential penalties, and it is very rare that any of these fabricate. In light of Renault’s race fixing he commented that they could get thrown out of the sport. Didn’t we hear this before about McLaren after the spygate emerged? It’s publicity for sure, but is all publicity really good publicity?

Even when the penalty fits the crime I can sometimes understand why the FIA doesn’t always go through with the penalty. Race fixing to the extreme of asking one of your drivers to crash, in my opinion , warrants being thrown out the sport. Yet, as I alluded to at the start of today’s rant, the FIA can’t really kick them out as it deprives the racing. Formula One is hardly in it’s finest hour, and loosing a major team like Renault would hardly help take the sport in the right direction.

Personally, I think teams should be fined. but they also need a penalty that will effect them where it hurts-on track. I think this will generate more respect for the FIA because there is a penalty visible to the viewers and a penalty that is actually affecting the team on track.

I think a good idea would be that, depending on the offence, a team has to start from the back of the grid for so many races. This way we and are not deprived of racing, it may even add to the racing because we get to see how the drivers get on trying to work their way through the field.

Consistency is key. There are only a few Formula One crimes with a consistent punishment. Speeding in the pit lane always gets a drive through penalty. Yet there are many grey areas.

I shall watch with interest to see what sort of penalty Renault get.