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How were the new teams chosen? Dragons' Den style
The politics of Formula One took another twist yesterday. A juncture that should have put an end to the mess that has dragged on since June last year, has simply aggravated the situation. We now have increasingly entrenched teams, and a new deadline but I digress...
There are three confirmed new faces on the grid for 2010, Team USF1, Campos Grand Prix and Manor Grand Prix. Yep, Manor Grand Prix - don't worry I hadn't heard of them before either.
What interests me - perhaps due to the despair of the rest of the situation - is how the FIA chose those 3 lucky teams.
A question and answer document was published shortly after the list at lunchtime and it divulges some interesting snippets.
The FIA received a total of 15 applications, of which 3 were immediately dismissed. Goodness knows what those entries were, my money is on Jackanory Grand Prix, SuperSpongebob and Noddy Racing :)
That left 12, the document then goes on to say that 9 were invited to interview, with no indication how a further three were eliminated, perhaps it was something to do with the tube strike or the magic 8-ball, again I jest...
So 9 entered the Dragons' Den for only 5 to get through - Britain's got Tallent style? - and their names go before el Presidente Max Mosley. Oh and don't think he wasn't prepared - I quote -
...a short summary report on the top five was sent to the FIA President
.There are no details beyond this, but to me - and perhaps I'm wrong - it is implying that the final decision was one based on short summaries by one man that had little - if any - part in the rest of the process, all be it the unbiased and impartial Max Mosley. Oh...
Now the result, USF1, Campos and Manor. It did strike me as a little odd, what happened to the likes of Lola, Prodrive? Joe Saward perhaps shed a little light on the matter, which prompted me the write this post. And I agree with him, Prodrive, Lola and even Epsilon Euskadi arn't out of the running yet.
So where are we now? As I said to @Welshracer on Twitter,
nothing much [has] changed, just Ferrari are a little more angry, oh and a new deadline, next Friday!
When will this rubbish end?
FIA truck at Silverstone 2008 © Robert Stokes
The so called "due diligence process" just goes on showcase the autocratic way in which the FIA is being run now. No wonder F1 finds itself in the mess that it is currently in. Do the powers be realise that they are alienating the fans and the sponsors alike? It is disgusting to see that egos rather than reason rule the roost!