Petition

[manchild]

"FIA President Max Mosley Must Resign to Save F1"

http://www.petitiononline.com/FIAMaxM/petition.html

To: The FIA & Max Mosley

We believe that F1 is in crisis, with talk of a breakaway series, constant bickering between rival factions, last minute rule changes and worst of all the recent events at the US GP at Indy.

We are three F1 fans who are fed up with the current state of F1. We believe that all parties (The FIA, the teams, the engine manufacturers and Bernie Ecclestone) are all partly to blame, however the FIA as governing body of F1 should take the overall responsibility. As the head of the FIA, Max Mosley must be held accountable. We believe he is involved in the power struggle currently affecting the sport. The FIA should and must be independent. It is not and Max must go.

We call upon all F1 fans to support this petition and demand the resignation of Max Mosley. Please read our reasons below for getting rid of Max. Please pass this onto any F1 fans you know. Sign the petition.

Our reasons are as follows:

1) Politics, back biting and sniping get more headlines than the on track F1 action.

2) The FIA meetings about the future of the sport are boycotted by 9 of the 10 teams, that should tell the FIA something!!

3) The qualifying system has changed 3 seasons running, it's condemned by the public, TV execs and the team bosses - it now even has been changed mid season as final qualifying wasn't being televised.

4) FIA changes the engine regulations every year (V10s, V10s - 1 weekend rule, V10s - 2 weekend rule, next year V8s) this leads to massive development costs. How is this supposed to be cutting costs - a key FIA objective.

5) The US GP Indianapolis 2005. Michelin screwed up. The FIA basically said race with unsafe tyres and manage the safety yourself. No-one involved was blameless at Indy, but it seems the FIA wanted the situation to end up as it did. 9 teams, the track owner and Bernie were happy to add the chicane. Max wasn't. You know what happened.

6) The teams that didn't race (on grounds of safety) are now to be penalised for taking safety more seriously than the FIA. Michelin deserve to be penalised, but the FIA is on a power-trip and no-one can keep them in check.

7) The BAR 'hidden fuel tank' issue. OK maybe BAR were cheating. Maybe not. But when the FIA has to question the decision of it's own scrutineers, something must be wrong. Also regardless of the actual truth, when a significant number of people question the FIA's motives and suspect that the FIA went for BAR to get at the engine manufacturers group something must be wrong.

8 ) New FIA imposed downforce regulations make it harder to overtake, not easier. How is that good for the sport?

9) Cost cutting measures were only implemented after Prost, Arrows and Jaguar went to the wall. Duh!!

10) The cost cutting measures that were put in place lead to Minardi and Jordan having to redesign their car to comply with the new regulations. The new regs hurt the teams they were meant to help because the FIA dilly-dallied too long before putting them in place.

11) When team bosses start to organise a break away series alarm bells should go off, surely.

12) We all know Bernie runs the sport like his own personal playground. That isn't good for the future of F1, however the only reason he can get away with it is because he knows Max doesn't have the backbone to stand up to him.

Thanks for your support.


Sincerely,

The Undersigned

It is in the news too http://www.datasport.it/leggi.aspx?id=3889343

[Tom]

I take the mic out of Max a lot but I don't believe that anyone else will make it anybetter, as long as we all stay in this together and don't 'rock the boat' F1 will make it through this rocky political patch amidst a fantastic season.

What does it mean about Indy?

[Scuderia_Russ]

Sorry to be blunt, but what a load of crap! If I could be bothered then I could pick holes in nearly all of their arguments. I don't think these three half wits have really though it through, and if they were in this room now I would have no quarms about telling them that to their face. People were whining about the same sort of things in the eighties and nineties. I laugh in the face of your petition, and I have no doubt that Max Mosely would do the same! There, I've said it.

[manchild]

I agree, arguments are crap (bad English and too much frustration rather than anything else I think) but the cause is noble

[DaveKillens]

The arguments are flimsy, opinionated, and emotional. It's a shame, because like the authors, I believe Max should be removed. But the history of motorsport is always about controversy, unfairness, and personal politics. Heck, the Concord Agreement was born out of severe differences of opinion within Formula One. Those were dark days, but the sport survived. And maybe that's the lesson, that if you have good drivers, good cars, and interesting racing, the sport survives. Even though some of the people who make decisions can, and usually do make dumb choices.
Max is a politician, he continually makes decisions in order to hang onto power. Some of his ideas actually make sense. Lower costs, in order to make it easier for more teams to survive. But his execution, the attainment of those goals is his weak point. It seems that more often than not, his decisions end up costing the teams more, and make life difficult for everyone, and that indicates to me a person who really doesn't think things through, and understands what is really going on.
Even if Max suddenly had a moment of rational altruism and suddenly retired tomorrow, that wouldn't solve all the problems, it would not cure all the ills of Formula One, or even the FIA. But it sure would be a good step in the right direction.

[Ciro Pabón]

Actually, the problem with FIA system is the election system and, probably, the duration of the post of president. If I'd want to "fix" something, I'd learn about the system and propose changes.

What I do not like about FIA is that it is suspiciously similar to FIFA: people is elected by a bunch of friends with money. Do you want a noble cause? Design a noble system.

I'd say that first and foremost, a noble system is one that is not owned by anybody, opposed to what the current system works hard to do: keep money flowing to FOMA and the Ecclestones.

Another point comes to my mind: FIA does not mean "FORMULA ONE International Association", as maybe the petition authors imply. It means "Autoracing International Federation". Formula One is just a bit of the racing bussiness. I gues WRC, GP and the rest should have a saying on this. What would you think if somebody at the WRC asked for Mosley resignation because of some tyre incident at the Greek rally?

Mosley, personally, made a very good point about Michelins at Indy: Michelin accepted they did not know what was happening: then, why a chicane? What exactly are you trying to fix? A tire exploded on turn 5... do you need another chicane there?

Second Mosley's point: why in heaven did you brought a replacement tyre with the same construction as BOTH tyres proposed originally for the race?

I'd say that the moron that did THAT was the one that impeded the race... and probably put in motion a series of events that finally took Michelin out of F1.

[RH1300S]

I wouldn't put my name to that - not signing.

Badly constructed arguments, poor use of the language and I'm not so sure that Max is actually the problem.

Part of Max's problem is that he is doing things to the sport for the sake of a bigger picture. Sometimes he brings in arguments that are at best spurious - often seemingly inane. In fact downright frustrating for a fan. But, I think he knows that....he's playing the political game. I ferevently hope that he is playing the game to get F1 to a sustainable position for the future.

Having said that, I think Indy 2005 was his low point.........the one person who could have made the race happen and strengthened his position at the same time. He read that situation wrongly.

Otherwise some of the "daft" stuff he has thrown around in the last few years, you have to accept he was flushing people out, de-stablising groups - building his power base.

[manchild]

Ciro, do you really believe that 9 out of 10 teams and all their experts from various areas of science have less IQ and worse ability to judge what is safe and what isn't than Max Mosley? You know that not allowing chicane and any other option 9 teams suggested was his own decision - not FIA's (as 99% other decisisons officialy signed by FIA).

He was in deal with Bridgestone long before Indy 2005 and he only used it to make another deal with Bridgestone as sole tyre supplier. Please take look at FIA and formula1.com site design. Almost all main Ferrari sponsors are their sponsors too - Bridgestone, AMD, Olympus... How can that be? Pure accident?

Take a look at what kind of insults was he throwing at Michelin and 9 teams in period from Indy 2005 till Michelin teams were found not guilty. He is nothing but politician and greedy corrupted one. I'm not saying that anyone who would come on top on FIA instead of him would sort things out in a flash since Max was making mess for over a decade but we need to have a change because even latest 2006 changes have failed to bring what Max promised - AGAIN, so as an underachiever and as a constant one he must go.

If someone thinks that Max is irreplaceable than better prepare tombstone for F1 because you'll need it for either my reasons or your reasons - if Max is irreplaceable when he dies F1 will die with him... I say, F1 will die because of him and he'll be sitting in his villa counting money and laughing at all of us. I really see his personality as destructive one that only destroys without being able to make anything good. Would any of you after so many failures keep you jobs for 15 years as Max does?

[Ciro Pabón]

Ciro, do you really believe that 9 out of 10 teams and all their experts from various areas of science have less IQ and worse ability to judge what is safe and what isn't than Max Mosley?

No, I do not Manchild. Actually, I am not saying anything about the petition. All I'm saying is that "the problem", if there is one, is with the way people like Max Mosley, Kofi Annan or Joseph Blatter are elected. They clearly does not represent the base of their respective organizations, they are totally alien to the people that, in theory, are represented by them. This robs them of any confidence the people could have in them.

I'd say: make it an open election. Why should national federations elect electors, who in turn elect other electors until you arrive to elect the president of whatever? What is this: a feudal system?

I strongly believe (I have no facts to support it, actually, besides years of study of corporate organizations) that the move behind any change of president at FIA has to be the constructors move.

Some people have argued that car manufacturers fighting for FIA with FOMA is a long story, a story of two or three decades: a story that has inclined towards manufacturers as costs have increased.

If the "personal" system created by Ecclestone (as is normally the case with starting enterprises) fall into corporate hands... you know, this could be worst than the United Nations type "cronyism": we could be looking for an ENRON type management.

I'd say: all right, change Mosley (I've never liked his father, but this is another business). But, as a condition, take the elective power (and probably, the legislative and, over all, the judiciary power) away from the hands of the rich people in the sport. They should keep only the executive power, I'd suggest. I wonder if Ecclestone has the amplitude of views required for such a move: until now he seems to fight only for the money.

A pathetic example is the "judiciary" system of FIFA, that kept the football players as "economic slaves" for decades and kept a blind eye toward heavy betting.

Mosley is just a footnote in the history of F1. How many of you remember who was his predecessor?

You are right, he is more than replaceable: actually, a good system, like the Roman Empire, or the Catholic Church, takes in account the weaknesses of the people that will work in it... you know how people are. Of course, being a little cynical myself, I think Rosseau was right: "As we cannot change people, we do not cease to change the laws..."

But I'm terrified at the prospects of changing the power base without changing the rules: actually I think everybody is, and this is the reason this uncomfortable situation seem to have no end.

I also agree with you on the entire being unfair... why don't we seize the opportunity and make it a fairer system? Instead of petitions and surveys, I'd prefer to vote directly for FIA president. This way, probably, I should be interested in having a FIA member card.

You know: why fight over who commands you? Power to the people!

[RH1300S]

Mosley is just a footnote in the history of F1. How many of you remember who was his predecessor?

Balestre..........

Blimey - makes Max look very good indeed

[DaveKillens]

Jean-Marie Balestre. But that's another story.

Many of us have the opinion that more often than not, Mad Max is detrimental to Formula One. But I like playing the devil's advocate, and it's hard to fire the boss when the company is making money hand over fist. Spectator attendance is high, TV revenues make Bernie smile, and despite most of the crap and politics, things are going quite well. It's hard to slam a racing series that has such impressive TV and spectator attendance, draws in such large and impressive companies, and is considered the peak of motorsports. True, this wonderful status is because of the worthy actions of many people, from drivers, to organizers, to fans and anyone else. Max doesn't have the right to claim he is solely responsible for all the success. But he's the prez, and somehow makes it happen.
But I sure would like to see people like Max and Bernie pushed aside and a more rational governing system put in place.

[Ciro Pabón]

Ups. Repost while editing...

[Scuderia_Russ]

I say, F1 will die because of him and he'll be sitting in his villa counting money and laughing at all of us.

He won't be counting money he recieved for his work at the F.I.A. because he doesn't get paid!!

[Tom]

JM Balatrese, the only triple president, outstripping such mortals as the president of the USA.

I never understood him to be that bad, he did wonders for the WRC and he was a huge factor in helping circuit safety (partly because Prof Sid Watkins was the only man who stood up to him and JMB respected him immensly for that)

Can someone fill in the gaps? I don't know much about this guy.

[Ciro Pabón]

A little opinion on Max Mosley by no other less than Paul Stoddard, posted on pitpass.com:

All Max-ed Out

No good for Mosley, in case MC needs arguments (I'm not saying he needs more, I'd just love to see more democracy, not just other guy... )