Briatore Insults Retiring Schumacher
By Dale Calkins - September 11 2006

Renault's Flavio Briatore has insulted Michael Schumacher, Ferrari and the FIA after his team lost the Constructors' Title lead after Schumacher's victory in the Italian Grand Prix. Flavio was furious with all concerned parties, insisting that the FIA is fixing the World Championship so it will be won by Ferrari. This is what the Flavio had to say: "Fernando's still in front and when we talk about the sport, the engine failure is just part of the sport we accept it. The other stuff, the interference in the sport is something we don't accept. We go to China and we'll fight as the sport, but we can't do anything about that other stuff, the interference.

Schumacher's had a lot of help this year, he's been very lucky and I won't miss him at all." Briatore is correct on one front, the penalty handed out to Fernando Alonso in Italy was utterly preposterous. In the end though, this unfair penalty had no impact on the end result of the race. Alonso claimed that the engine failed because he had to push it too hard to get back to the front from 10th on the grid. This is just a lie. Alonso was knocking on the top 5 within a few laps so it is not like he had to push really hard to get there. If Alonso did not receive a penalty and started in 5th, he would have had to push the car as much, if not more, to try and get to 1st or 2nd place. The engine in the back of Fernando's Renault was going to fail, regardless of where he started. Sure, the penalty was unfair, but in the end, it did not affect the outcome of the race, despite what Alonso or Briatore say.

As for the FIA fixing the World Championship, they are not. At Monza yes, they acted poorly, though every other time the FIA has acted against Renault or Alonso has been justified. Renault seems to be the victim of several FIA rulings against the usage of certain parts, though this is because the Renault car employs the most questionable parts. If there was noting questionable on the Renault, then they would not be punished.

As a matter of fact, Ferrari has been scolded by the FIA about as much as Renault. Ferrari used flexi-wings, they were banned. The same situation with Renault and mass dampers. There is no evidence of Championship fixing here.

Then with regards to Schumacher being lucky, this seems unlikely. Michael has been given just as many penalties as Alonso. In fact, Michael and Fernando have been punished a reasonably equal number of times. If anything, Schumacher has been less lucky than Alonso, especially during the first half of the season.

So is Renault being treated unfairly? No. Is Ferrari having to much of an advantage? No. If Schumacher and Ferrari win the World Championships will be be because of the FIA? No. All of these things are due to Renault's falling off in pace in comparison to Ferrari since the Canadian Grand Prix.

Ferrari is simply faster right now, there is nothing else going on. As for Briatore's comments about Michael, well, Flavio is just an ass hole in general so we do not really need to read into these comments too much.

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