Those in Glass Houses should not throw stones

[Rossi # 46]

In regards to Ferrari's Jean Todt warning he may protest this years results should Ferrari lose the championship, Frank Williams has responded by saying 'Those in Glass houses should not throw stones'.

Does he know something that we dont? or is this comment in regards to Bridgestones latest tyre controversy?

What do you think?

[Sato san]

i hope he does....It just seems like sour grapes on Ferrar's behalf .

[Aysedasi]

I wish they'd both shut up and just get on with it.

[RWC]

That comment is about the cover-up earlier this year where ferrari are thought to have beeen substituting different compound front tyres .
This is clearly illegal
At monaco some teams asked the fia to look into it.They suspected something was awry because the bridgestone runners could seem to make their fronts last much longer than they should be .
The fia 'looked into it' and said nothing...but since then bridgestone teams have been flogged by michelin.

So it LOOKS like they were blatantly cheating but the fia covered it up.

That's what it looks like anyway.
and since monza i've even read comments by someone that they thought the ferrari fronts looked suspiciously grained-probably nothing in it but the trouble is that the fia wont say anything OR say how they are checking the compounds(if they are)

[RWC]

And yes i agree...they should all now clam up and get on with it-they were both obviously stretching the rules
I just hope that the feeble brains at the fia have come up with ways to avoid this kind of situation next year

[BootsOntheSide]

If any protests are made against the results,a dn we don't know the champion once the seaosn has finsiehd, it could be the final nail in F1's coffin. After a thrilling, unpredictable, exciting season, people want it all to be decided in a courtroom. Incredibly destructive and quite infuriating.

Ferrari are really being made to looklike bad losers. Bridgestone cheated, pure and simple, completely, explicitly defined by the rules, and the FerrarIA swept it under the carpet. Michelin interpreted an ambigious rule in a different, admittedly crafty, way to them, and they're trying to destroy the championship because of it. Enzo must be turning in his grave at the thought of all this.

[pole2pole]

I think that Michaels entire career has been filled with controversy its just been one thing after another. Everytime something comes up you cant fail to notice that the outcome has always been to Michaels advantage.

[Francesca]

not always. really though most drivers careers have a history of controversy and we lap it up!

[DSM]

Not only lap it up, we invent most of it!! It's the only way to generate interest.

[Gt_R]

Quote:"The fia 'looked into it' and said nothing...but since then bridgestone teams have been flogged by michelin.
So it LOOKS like they were blatantly cheating but the fia covered it up."

So i guess the same could be said of Michelin...their domination just collapsed once FIA looked into their tyres... Blatantly cheating? LOOKS like it huh?

Funny...

When Bridgestone was challenged in Monaco, the critics branded Ferrari/Michael were cheaters.When Michelin cheats, it's called "crafty interpretation". And when Michelin cheats, Ferrari points that out...the blame isn't on Michelin who "craftily interpretes" the rule, but on Ferrari for being sore losers... Double standards? No doubt..

Funny thing the critics...but i'm quite amused at how this "controversy" would impact JPM/Kimi should they win the WDC. Most probably swept under the rug by the critics.

[Knowlesy]

Yes Gt-R, but Michelin were really within the rules, until the rule-change a couple of weeks ago. The rule was the tread width can only be such-and-such BEFORE the race. Therefore Michelin were within the rules. Only just mind you.

If Bridgestone were mixing compounds on the Ferraris then that is blatant cheating as it ,supposedly, specifically says in the rules that you can't mix compounds.

[Jordi]

Whiting measured tyres after the race, but until Monza, there was no rule saying tyres had to be a given size AFTER the race. So, which rule did Michelin break, Gt_R?

[joe rossi]

Originally posted by knowlesy
[B]Yes Gt-R, but Michelin were really within the rules, until the rule-change a couple of weeks ago. The rule was the tread width can only be such-and-such BEFORE the race. Therefore Michelin were within the rules.

Thats not true, the rule wasn't changed. The measurement was always done before, not before and after, but the rule just states that the tread must be 270 mm. All that has changed is the implementaion of the existing rule, ie, when they measure the tyre.

Just another good old FIA fudge!

[Heebeegeetee]

Originally posted by BootsOntheSide
Enzo must be turning in his grave at the thought of all this.

Agree with all you said, Boots, apart from this bit. Enzo played every trick in the book and then some, during his career. Not calling him a cheat you understand, and he didn't take liberties with peoples lives, unlike some of his rival manufacturers at the time.
But he would be doing exactly the same as Todt, Brawn etc today if he were alive.

But I do think that for the FIA to 'reinterpret' the rules, with 3 races to go, stinks, unless I'm missing something.

[Gt_R]

Quote:"Yes Gt-R, but Michelin were really within the rules, until the rule-change a couple of weeks ago. The rule was the tread width can only be such-and-such BEFORE the race.Therefore Michelin were within the rules. Only just mind you.If Bridgestone were mixing compounds on the Ferraris then that is blatant cheating as it ,supposedly, specifically says in the rules that you can't mix compounds."

The rule states the thread, not when the tyres need to meet the requirement. I place a big fault in FIA for their usual vague rules. And it seems like u are already concluding that Bridgestone had cheated....despite using the word "IF" at the start.

Eitherway, this controvery sucks. I'm sure the critics won't be that forgiving/understanding if Michael and Bridgestones were in the situation facing Michelins/Williams

[Smokey 6 litre]

Part of F1 is streaching the rules, finding gaps/loopholes and exploiting them until the holes closed, Ferrari should take it with good grace now that the holes been closed and shut up!
If Bridgestone have cheated in the past Ferrari must have known and i would love Frank Williams to throw this back in their faces.

[RWC]

Originally posted by Heebeegeetee
Enzo played every trick in the book and then some, during his career. Not calling him a cheat you understand, and he didn't take liberties with peoples lives, unlike some of his rival manufacturers at the time.
But he would be doing exactly the same as Todt, Brawn etc today if he were alive.

Interesting thoughts HBGT.I haven't been watching the sport long enough to know much about enzo.I have read alot about his strange ways of trying to get the most out of his drivers,contract neg and the rediculous 'layers' of politics in the team etc,so i'm not really surprised