So I posted earlier from day 1 of the race weekend, with some photos. Back then it was all sweetness and light. Then Sunday happened, and it all went horribly wrong. I do have photos from day 2 and 3, and I will post them this weekend. My enthusiasm has however waned…
Who do I blame? Honestly, Bernie Ecclestone. He was the one guy who could have made things happen, but (I can only assume) he thought everyone was bluffing until it was too late. Michelin did the right thing by pulling the tyres, it was a tough call but you have to make it. Should they have brought more conservative spares? Sure, but hindsight is always 20/20. The chicane options were daft, as Max Moseley said, it’s unfair to slow everyone down because some teams had bad equipment. Ideally the Michelin teams should have run with a speed limit on turn 13, but, again, I can see why that wasn’t a popular option.
The real villan in all this, and one which seems rarely mentioned, are the rules. As the years have gone by, Formula 1 has degenerated from a sport which demanded peak performances from both driver and engineering teams, to a “who can get around the rules most creatively” contest. The rules should be there to ensure safety and a level playing field, they should not be there to try and slow cars down, or decrease reliability, both of which are clearly objectives of the FIA. If there hadn’t been the “one set of tires for qualifying and race” rule, this wouldn’t have happened. Back in the day, teams would have many different compounds on hand at the race, and could pick and choose at will. Now, in the name of “making the sport more interesting” we have absurdly restrictive regulations which directly cause farces like last Sunday. And that’s Bernie’s fault.
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