Formula What??? - "Switch Gate"

So starting with probably the most controversial - "Switch-Gate"

At the German Grand Prix two weeks ago Vettel had a bad start, Alonso sort of capitalised and jumped him but who they both missed was Felipe Massa, (who one year previously nearly died at the Hungarian Grand Prix) who went around the outside of the both of them to lead. A great occurrence from a man who seems to have been out of sorts this season since his return to the Red car. The race was OK, but not a classic. Massa and Co pitted and then left in the same order but afterwards Massa was struggling on the new Hard tires in the conditions, while Alonso seemed to make them work.

Then came a garbled radio message (which was half missed by the BBC) but has been cleared up on the brilliant FOM/f1.com (I am not saying by any means the BBC coverage is bad) post race recap videos of Alonso whinging about being faster and being backed into Vettel. I am sorry the best drivers drive in F1 and Alonso has two championships to his name, he should be able to earn his positions, and get passed Massa. He nearly did, but ran wide and then took the wrong line and dropped back again.

Then, after several hurry-up messages from Rob Smedley (Massa’s race engineer), came the most infamous words of the 2010 F1 season...

“Felipe, Fernando is faster than you, can you confirm you understand...”

Felipe limply accelerated out of the hairpin at the back of the track and Alonso went past (if you had any doubt FOM flashed to a replay with the telemetry and what do you know the green acceleration block was a quarter filled). But it was the message after Massa had conceded the position which swayed the stewards post race...

“Ok mate, good lad, just stick with it. I’m sorry”

The race continued and Massa appeared on the podium with an expression that could be best described as p***ed off. Much debate was had and Eddie Jordan’s collaring of Stefano Domenicali on the BBC Coverage was brilliant and what the fans wanted.

Ferrari claimed that they were doing the best for the team - the result change nothing for the team, the team competes for the constructors championship and a result of Massa-Alonso is the same a Alonso-Massa, to the team. I appreciate if the team wants one of their drivers to win the championship, then give them the equipment (which Ferrari have) and let the driver earn his championship. If it takes you until race 11 of a 19 race season to give them the right equipment so be it, have a great last 9 races and win the championships that way.

Now they have been summoned to the World Motor Sport Council in September, to answer charges of breaching Article 39.1 of the 2010 Sporting Regs (using team orders) and Article 151 c) of the International Sporting Code (basically brining the sport into disrepute). Whether they will suffer the same as the last two F1 teams brought to the WMSC for breach of 151c (Mclaren got $100m in 2007 for "Spy-Gate" and Renault a suspended ban last year for "Crash-Gate") I doubt it, but they may get a similar penalty to Renault.

Whether team orders should be banned, I say keep it as it is and let the drivers earn it. If not, they might as well scrap the drivers championship and replace the drivers with autopilots.

Coming Up.... Formula What????

So I may not have blogged recently, but the Formula 1 World Championship has got interesting in the past fortnight. First off was ‘Switch-Gate’, second was ‘Wall-Gate’ and the third probably was missed by most quarters ‘Presenter-Switch-Gate’.

This was going to be one blog but the length of the first bit means it has been broken down and will appear on here in 2 or 3 parts very soon.

What a Weekend

So... we got knocked out but that isn’t the only sport from this weekend. I’ll come back to that later.

So Saturday Andy Murray won his 3rd round match in straight sets and he will be on again later today in the last match on Center Court. I’m not a massive tennis fan (although I did watch an hour and a half of the Court 18 stalemate last week) but is Murray peaking at the right time this year? People question his passion but after his defeat in the Australian Open and his disappointment I don’t think he does. He may have not performed up until the Wimbledon but he seems to want it and without tempting fate seems to be over his slump having not dropped a set so far at SW19. But if anything he has done more than both Tim Henman and the forgotten man Greg Rusedeski.

So while Tennis has been controversial in the past (Rusedeski’s F-Word outburst live on the BBC) it wasn’t this weekend it was the Formula 1 and Football.

Starting with the F1, I read somewhere that Valencia was a “Fan-Favourite” something I cannot agree with the previous races have been processional and dull... this years wasn’t that much better until Lap 8 when Red Bull really did give Mark Webber wing, well the Lotus of Hekki Kovalainen did. But the fact Webber got out of the car says a lot about the quality of the cars design. Who was to blame - most blame seemed to be at the Lotus drivers movement and if (as reports have stated) he broke 80m early maybe Kovalainen was too blame - he also appeared to move one a half times although why did Webber follow him - was always asking for trouble. No action appears to have or is going to be taken and they both walked away.

This brought our first controversial moment of the day - The leaders were just passing the pit area and the safety car was leaving the pits alongside Lewis Hamilton, who hesitated and then went by leaving the Ferrari’s to sit behind and slowly make it back to the pits, ruining their race. But it wasn’t until Lap 25 that Hamilton got a penalty which he took (as he is allowed to) 3 Laps later and after thrashing it around remained in second - Cue much whinging from Ferrari and Alonso. It would have made little difference to the Ferrari’s if Hamilton had been stuck with them behind the safety car then he would have joined them down the back of the field. Then this morning Ferrari have accused the FIA of manipulating the result.. rich from a team who fixed several GPs in the early 00s and from Alonso who benefited from the cheating in Singapore 2008. Had it been anyone else would they have cared?

Drive of the race had to go to Kobayashi who raced on one set of tires, kept at bay (possibly held up) Jenson Button most of the race, and then took both the sulking Alonso and the Toro Rosso of Buemi on the last lap, in probably the most entertainment of the afternoon.

So after the F1 a quick change to BBC HD to watch the England game.

Not much to say really we couldn’t defend and the Germans took advantage but the only time they looked worried was in the mad 10 minutes before half time, when the man who couldn’t defend Upson scored and Frank Lampard hit his screamer, which was then disallowed - Controversy #2 - technology in football.

So they spend lots of time on money with a ball which has been criticised but they won’t come up with a method to implement the technology which is already in use. It took the host broadcaster 25 seconds to show a replay in-line with the goal line showing the ball crossing it and the argument that it would interrupt the flow is rubbish other major team sports use the tech, why not football. But this debate could (and will) run and run! Also why didn’t the German keeper hold his hands up and said it was in, in rugby or cricket the sportsmanship would have meant someone would have put their hands up and said “yeah it was out” or “yeah its a 6”, but maybe sportsmanship in football can wait for another blog.

Also will save discussions about the England management for another day.

So Vettel won the F1, the Germans the football but England beat Australia to end the sporting day although we left it very late and close but we did it and won the series 3-0 with 2 still to play so is a whitewash on the cards, we’ll find out on Wednesday with the 4th ODI from the Oval.