FIA Tribunal hearing in Paris

[TheFaQQer]

So they introduced rules that in court either won't stand up

All sports have rules which don't stand up in court.

, or if they do stand up then two huge companies walk out in a huff and leave F1 starved of tyres, engines and money, which seem to be three essential things for racing cars.

That's their prerogative. But to say "now that we've been caught breaching the rules we're not going to play any more" might smack of pettiness a little.

[Mich the Tester]

Well, you could say the disintegration of the scrummagging laws in the Southern Hemisphere are ruing the sport.

At the end of the day, it's still one of the top 3 tests of endurance. These guys are handling G forces far in excess of most other athletes, whilst controlling cars on the edge of their adhesion.

It's a fantastic sport. If you dont like it, cool, but it's a sport, make no mistake.

Would you argue cycling isn't a sport as no one knows who's drugged up and who isn't.

Ah, you're missing my point; I do like watching Formula 1, but I get a feeling it's all a bit shadowy.

And yes, if the Southern Hemisphere unions want to continue devaluing the scrum then they should do so; in their own game with their own association, and not in rugby union.

[Mich the Tester]

That's their prerogative. But to say "now that we've been caught breaching the rules we're not going to play any more" might smack of pettiness a little.

It might, but why would Mercedes or Pirelli care? How many people that buy cars or tyres really care about what happens in Formula 1?

[Old Hack]

Ah, you're missing my point; I do like watching Formula 1, but I get a feeling it's all a bit shadowy.

And yes, if the Southern Hemisphere unions want to continue devaluing the scrum then they should do so; in their own game with their own association, and not in rugby union.

Amen.

its always been a bit shadowy, part of its attraction to me

[Old Hack]

It might, but why would Mercedes or Pirelli care? How many people that buy cars or tyres really care about what happens in Formula 1?

No, they're saying it doesn't apply to us, as you have proven from previous actions.

[TheFaQQer]

Judgement tomorrow.

[d000hg]

I can't believe Mercedes would have done this without having a good reason to think it was legal. I'm not saying they're above cheating, but rather they would have tried harder to keep it a secret if they were knowingly breaking the rules.

WHS. It was described in such a way to seem incredibly blatant and surely they wouldn't have imagined nobody would notice.

Trying to hide the fact their two race-drivers were getting to spend an extra 1000km driving the cars, without even the limited tyres for pre-season testing, looks dodgy to me. It seems unlikely they wouldn't learn something considering they practically turn up to race without having driven the car normally.

[TheFaQQer]

It might, but why would Mercedes or Pirelli care? How many people that buy cars or tyres really care about what happens in Formula 1?

Mercedes have just pumped a shed load of money into the sport through buying the team and paying Schumacher and Hamilton a fair wedge. So they aren't going to throw their toys out of the pram and strop off, any more than Mclaren were likely to when they were caught cheating and got no points that season.

There's too much prestige for the teams. Pirelli I have no idea about - they've not had the best of press from being in F1 anyway, so it might make a nice excuse for them.

[d000hg]

And Mich - those two companies are not doing F1 to help F1 or for fun, but because they see it as profitable. They're not going to leave in a huff, if it would lose them real or perceived business advantages. They don't spend £hundreds of millions a year without a good reason.

[TheFaQQer]

Small telling-off for Pirelli, since they aren't regulated by the FIA.

Disqualification from the constructors championship for Mercedes, but the drivers get to keep their points and can continue for the rest of the season if they want.