Formula One: Once Again, Ferrari Wins, Others Lose

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Formula One: Once Again, Ferrari Wins, Others Lose

So FIA President in disgrace Max Mosely gets a strong vote of confidence, and once again, Ferrari walks scot-free in Formula One. A bizarre couple of weeks in the champagne and caviar world, but I want to focus on events on the track.

What the Hell is wrong with the coneheads running F1?

I don't get it. Seriously. I don't.

How quick the stewards were to issue penalties to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg today following the pit-road collision that took Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen out of the Grand Prix of Canada.

Mind you, I question why there is a red light at the end of the pit road at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, being the pit-out is rather long and empties into a safe position past the apex of turn two.

Cue the South Park song "Blame Canada."

But I digress.

It was apparent that Lewis Hamilton wasn't anticipating two cars to be stopped in front of him as he left the pits (after coming in leading the race) but he made an effort to steer clear to the left before crashing into the back of Raikkonen's Ferrari.

Go directly to jail! Do not pass Go, do not collect $200.

A ten grid-spot penalty for the start of the French GP was given to Hamilton and Rosberg for making a mistake. Mind you, the finicky clowns who make these decisions in the World Driving Championship have a history of issuing similar punishment in cases of driver error.

Unless your name is Kimi Raikkonen and you drive a Ferarri.

Ask Adrian Sutil from the Force India team how this works out.

Two weeks ago at Monaco Raikkonen lost control of his car while braking for the chicane, slamming into the back of Sutil's car. At the time Sutil was running fourthpoised for a career and team breakthrough finish, before the Ferrari took the lesser car out (yet was able to continue after a nose replacement).

And there was greater chance of injury to Sutil in the impact. Yet after the race F1 officials wanted nothing of Force India's protest but to see their driver, for "passing violations" under yellow. The cost of the collision for Force India could mean MILLIONS of dollars come the end of the season.

If things were equal in the F1 series, Raikkonen would have started 13th on the grid today at Canada.

But no, he was third.

In fact, if you look at it from the Causality perspective (or the Matrix Revolutions way), the FIA not issuing a penalty to Raikkonen actually set up the events of today that cost Hamilton and Rosberg.

Cause: Consistency by the FIA would have started Raikkonen in 13th, thus he wouldn't have been in a position to be hit by Hamilton.

Effect: Hamilton and Rosberg would not be punished in France.

And there's plenty more to this story of favoritism for Ferrari.

Refer back to 2006. Fernando Alonso and Renault had won the 2005 Championship, and were well on the way to repeating. Until the mass damper device enclosed in the nose of the Renault was deemed to be an "Aerodynamic Aid", even though it was not in the airstream.

Michael Schumacher stormed back and threatened to win his eighth championship until his engine failed in Japan. Alonso would hold on the take the title.

Last season Kimi Raikkonen, having moved from McLaren into Schumacher's seat at Ferrari, had an issue with his winning car in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. Yet there were no repercussions.

Then Stepneygate occurred, where Ferrari's top engineer Nigel Stepney took the team "Bible" and put it in the hands of Mike Coughlin, designer at McLaren. There was no evidence the information was used to improve the MP4-22, but McLaren was excluded from the Constructor's Championship and fined an unprecedented amount.

Raikkonen would go on the win the driver's title after then-rookie Hamilton slid off the pit road entrance in Chinacosting him the chance to lock out the WDC with a race to go.

But even in this, questions abounded after fuel-temperature irregularities were found at the season-ending Brazillian GP, which would have given the championship to Hamilton. Yet the stewards found a way to overlook the problems, and thus ensure Raikkonen and Ferrari's title.

So the Hammer of Thor is dropped on McLaren, and Ferrari slides on by, time and again.

I was happy to see BMW-Sauber take one-two at Canada, and the "Old Man" David Coulthard standing on the podium. A little variety in the series is nice.

But F1 needs to get their act, and story straight, on issuing penalties to drivers for making mistakes.

Either do, or don't. But stop the blatant favoritism of Ferrari.

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