MOTORSPORT: Swings and roundabouts

Friday motorsport reportSeptember 4, 2009

The revival of Rally Australia in Northern NSW's Kyogle and Tweed shires, almost three years after the last Rally Oz in Western Australia, has been underwhelming so far. Hopefully it is mightily enjoyable to the fans who get along to the event today and this weekend, and to those who see it on television.

But the event -- which NSW Sports Minister Kevin Greene was saying this week is "one of the major world sporting events" -- hasn't captured the nation's imagination. It didn't in WA either, but there was always the "theory" that it needed to be on the east coast of the country to do that.

Well now it is -- and it hasn't.

The big hope with this rally this year is that it produces a mega tussle between new Finnish superstar Mikko Hirvonen and France's five-time world champion Sebastien Loeb. There's every chance it will, but even then will it mean anything to anybody in Australia other than the diehard rally fans?

Hirvonen, in a Ford Focus, starts out with 68 points to the 65 of Loeb, in a Citroen C4. Loeb won the first five rounds of this year's WRC but Hirvonen has won the last three, and his countryman and Ford teammate Jari-Matti Latvala another.

Australia has become a crucial 10th round in the championship, with only two more to go after it -- in Spain and Wales.

There are 35 stages in Rally Oz, the first of them already run last night, but the total competitive distance is only about 350km.

"Shorter stages usually mean the competition is closer," says Latvala.

Hope so, and that this new Rally Oz is memorable for that rather than mega crashes or disruptive protests.

The recurring memory of him is of the definitive all-rounder -- the man who could drive/race anything. And did. And who then turned to team management, and was just as good at that. And he will be remembered for the archetypal droll Aussie wit that charmed many, even millions, at home and abroad over all the years of a long, colorful and successful life.

Gardner's achievements have been well documented this week, but this author will remember him particularly for: his three British touring car titles; as the first driver to win 100 races in Fords and a development driver on the classic Ford GT40 sportscar and Porsche 917; as the 1971 Formula 5000 champion in Britain; driving that ferocious Chevrolet Corvair to Australian sports sedan titles in the mid-70s; then fielding Jim Richards and later Tony Longhurst, Alan Jones and Paul Morris in BMWs.

And Gardner drove eight Formula One grands prix and was an associate and hugely respected mate of Australia's triple F1 world champion Sir Jack Brabham.

A great life. A great character. And assured of a great send-off today. Rest in peace, Frank Gardner.

There was a curious statement from the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) during the Belgian GP last weekend that "an investigation is underway regarding alleged events at a previous world championship event".

This, unmistakably, was a reference to the speculation that now-dumped Brazilian F1 driver Nelson Piquet Junior was instructed by the Renault team to crash in the Singapore race to bring out a safety car and assist dual world champion Fernando Alonso to win after starting 15th on the grid.

Ecclestone has made many outrageous statements over the years. Often it has just been is black humor at work, but in saying that "this (the FIA inquiry re Renault/Singapore) is not the sort of thing we need at the moment"; that Renault team boss Flavio Briatore (Ecclestone's partner in the Queens Park Rangers soccer club in Britain) is "well and truly upset"; and suggesting that Piquet Junior's career ought to be over if he is the source of the Globo report; Ecclestone is way out of line.

The comments came in an interview with Edward Gorman in The Times of London. Perhaps they are fresh evidence that Ecclestone has reached his use-by date.

As the undoubted F1 supremo, Ecclestone ought to be concerned that no driver be instructed to crash -- and the viewing and betting public be able to have confidence that be the case.

How pathetic, rather than emphasising that such a serious situation/allegation should be properly and thoroughly investigated, and that if what is suggested is true then something -- and something drastic -- ought to be done about it. Like a two-year disqualification for the team, if it is indeed found guilty by the FIA.

Neither the manufacturer, team, or any personnel -- including drivers Piquet and Alonso -- have yet been found guilty of anything. Nor even officially accused/charged. And we suspect it is going to be hard to find, a year on, evidence that will stick (ie: convict) anyone if there are to be any charges.

But all the same we see Ecclestone's comments as a sure sign that he wants to avoid any disciplining of Renault at a time when its F1 future is already in question.

Apart from what Ecclestone told The Times, we have seen him quoted saying of suspected whistleblower Piquet Junior: "If they [the allegations] are true I would have thought Nelson was in just as much trouble. If I tell you to go and rob a bank and you get caught you can't say, ‘Well Bernie told me to'."

Those who remember Ecclestone's friendship with Great Train Robbery getaway driver Roy James are entitled to a wry grin at that remark.

Piquet Junior's F1 career probably is over anyway, purely because he didn't produce the goods, but he should not be condemned or castigated if indeed he is the whistleblower on something which, if true, would have been grossly improper and highly dangerous.

It also raises the question of whether Alonso was a knowing conspirator, if indeed there was such a conspiracy.

And it is interesting that -- to the best of our knowledge at the time of writing, five days after news of the investigation broke -- there has been no denial from Renault the car manufacturer, nor Renault the F1 team.

Not only is Fisichella unlocked from the Force India team for which he took a shock pole position and second place in the race in Belgium last weekend, but he will remain at Ferrari as its reserve driver next season.

A good outcome, and probably a way of Force India (the latest incarnation of the old Jordan team) going a fair distance in settling a reported US$15m debt to Ferrari for engines from last year, before it switched to Mercedes power this season.

Meanwhile, Massa has been given a good report from his latest medical checks in the USA.

While he wanted to return for his home GP in Brazil next month, it makes sense for him to recuperate fully and prepare for next season.

Ferrari will now have Kimi Raikkonen, Massa and Fisichella under contract. Can there really be room for Fernando Alonso too? Another 10 days should tell.

Power's recovery from the August 22 crash at Sonoma in California is expected to take at least four months. However, he will not require surgery and, while fellow Aussie Ryan Briscoe is on course to win the IndyCar title for Team Penske, "The Captain" Roger Penske has assured Power of a seat next season.

Melbourne has been the season-opener every year since 1996 except 2006, when its race was pushed back until after the the city staged the Commonwealth Games.

The F1 calendar is to be confirmed next month. Wonder whether by that time there might be any announcement of a replacement for departed ING as the Australian GP naming rights sponsor.

"I really believe the championship will go down to the wire," he says.

Let's hope so, and we'd love to see Webber grab the crown, but -- even though Button has foundered recently -- the snag is the renewed competitiveness of Ferrari, McLaren and Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello.

Nineteen Holdens and 13 Fords. Sixty four drivers - 36 not regulars in the V8 Supercar main game, six from overseas, and 16 who have never started a Bathurst 1000.

The full entry list is in this week's Auto Action magazine.

Under the recommendations of the National Preventative Health Strategy, alcohol sponsorship would be phased out of Australian sport over 11 years. Alcohol promotions and the sale of alcohol merchandise would go in the first four years. Alcohol industry sponsorship would be phased out in years five to 11 of the plan.

The report said studies had found that alcohol industry sponsorship of sports people encouraged hazardous drinking, that alcohol promotion "reinforces pro-drinking messages" and that the existing Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code is failing to discourage advertising targeting young people.

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