McLaren Boss Addresses F1 Corruption Allegations
The way the safety car period in Abu Dhabi was handled has been a controversial topic with many people feeling that it wasn’t fair or in accordance with the rulebook. Some even went as far as saying that F1 has become corrupt. McLaren CEO Zak Brown has analysed this assertion as quoted by Racer
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Has Formula 1 Become Corrupt?
Brown began by suggesting that with time those hurt by this controversy will get over it
“I think with all controversies in sport, in time as soon as the next season starts, the wounds start to heal”
He, however, feels that the FIA needs to show intent in its investigation
“I do think the FIA need to come out with a ‘Here’s what happened; Here’s why we think it happened; Here’s what was right; Here’s what was wrong’ – whatever they’re going to come out with in the report and then show they’ve taken action to make sure it doesn’t happen again”
He then gave his thoughts on whether the sport is corrupt
“Personal opinion, I don’t think this was a malicious decision. So for those that might have a view of ‘The sport’s corrupt’, etcetera, I don’t agree with that”
He signed off by suggesting that the decision-making could have been better but what happened wasn’t malicious
“Do I think potentially a different decision could have been made? Yes, probably, but I want to wait to see what the FIA comes out with. But, I don’t think it was malicious and therefore I don’t think it’s corrupt”
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Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott accepted that the Novak Djokovic controversy “is a massive global story and therefore it’s brought focus on Melbourne” [Sydney Morning Herald]
He further pointed out that since the 2020 Australian GP was cancelled “there have been 41 [F1] events around the world staged, and in every one of those jurisdictions there have been different stages of the pandemic and different border entry conditions”
“In every one of those, Formula 1 has been able to operate and retain business continuity. It’s a mandatory requirement for the sport and the travelling contingent to be compliant at the points of entry, and they’ll be compliant at the point of entry in Australia and Melbourne”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has stated that “when it comes to racing, I prefer to let [brother Arthur Leclerc] find his own way and to make progress on his own, which I think is very important in this sport” [Ferrari Magazine]
“Sometimes, during a race weekend, when he’s following my F1 race on TV he spots things that maybe I’ve not noticed from inside the cockpit, and he lets me know, to try and help me”
“Which is always nice. So, the support goes both ways”
Pirelli’s head of F1 and car racing Mario Isola has revealed that the F1 teams said that the fixed tyre allocation “system is quite good, we want to keep it for the future. So it was not our decision at the end to continue with this fixed allocation“ [Press Conference]
“The teams told [Pirelli] that if they have a fixed allocation, and it is the same for everybody, there is no advantage for one or the other”
“They can start planning on this fixed allocation instead of spending time and resources and people to think about one set more of medium, or one set less of soft”
Alpine’s Fernando Alonso feels that “in terms of adaptation, [he doesn’t] think there will be a big difference” [F1]
“It’s just some hard work, harder than any other winter, because we will have to spend some more time in the simulator and together with the team”
Has the decision-making during the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix damaged F1’s reputation?