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No United States Grand Prix for the Caterham and Marussia teams, burdened by economic problems: this is stated by Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone. In Austin, the seventeenth race of the season will take place with the fewest participants since Monaco 2005: only eighteen drivers took part in that race. In the Constructors' Championship standings, Marussia is in ninth place with two points, and Caterham closes with zero points. For former president Max Mosley, who ended his long reign at the head of the FIA overwhelmed by a sex scandal, it's a matter of fairness in revenue distribution. He thinks Ecclestone still takes too large a slice of the millionaire TV rights cake, and especially that the various teams should share the earnings equally. However, convincing Ferrari that its globally famous brand is worth as much as Marussia's, even while ignoring the sarcasm of former president Luca Montezemolo, who suggested these minor teams, far behind in lap times, should race in a Formula 2, is difficult. It's also challenging to explain to Red Bull that Sebastian Vettel's four World Championships have the same weight as Caterham's tenth row, earned with sweat. There will never be an agreement between small and large teams. Everyone is for cost reduction, but then there is never an agreement on a salary cap. Moreover, two years ago, Red Bull was openly accused of cheating, adjusting expenses significantly upwards to drag Sebastian Vettel to another world championship triumph. Formula 1 is falling apart. On Sunday, November 2, 2014, in Austin, there will be only eighteen cars on the grid, a minimum according to the Concorde Agreement to avoid the obligation of a third car for top teams: the embarrassment of two teams, Caterham and Marussia, forced to surrender due to too much debt, risks turning F1 into a game for a few (very rich) intimates.
A massacre because at the end of 2012, it was Hispania that abandoned, extinguishing the Formula 1 dream of once with pre-qualifying on Saturday, forced eliminations before the race, and the 26 cars on the grid on Sunday after thinning out, which certainly doesn't do good for the show (even if it's not exciting to see cars losing four seconds per lap). A diaspora, due to a World Championship that is increasingly long and costs unbearable: to get to the end of the season, you need at least 500.000.000 euros. A disaster that overwhelmed illustrious names like Richard Branson, who squeezed the Virgin and then handed it over to the Russians, or Tony Fernandes, who owned an airline, Air Asia, and who with Caterham never managed to fly. Also, the names that have bid farewell to the company in the last six years are not minor teams, the Cosworth with its engines in 2012 and before, one season after another from 2009, Honda (which now returns only with engines for McLaren), Toyota, and BMW, tired of so much expense and little return, triumphs and commercial returns. Of course, they didn't do like Super Aguri, which on May 6, 2008, left the World Championship unfinished, but they don't feel the lack of pit stops and Safety cars at all. Attempts to stem the bleeding have also failed, Max Mosley's idea (equal engine for everyone), the new rules (frozen engines, abolition of test development), and Jean Todt's electric motor seem to be of little use. Those who have money don't care. They just want to win, no matter the cost. Maybe it's even easier to do it alone. In addition to that of the small teams, the future of Fernando Alonso also remains a mystery. Ferrari's Spanish driver, on the eve of the United States Grand Prix, does not reveal his future destination.
"With the team, there is no news. My focus remains entirely on the track, and for my future, as I said in Japan, I will make the decision I want. I intend to make the best possible choice for myself and for the team I love".
There's also a comment on his growing beard:
"Even my mother asks me every day when I'll cut it".
However, the fight for the championship is all focused on Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton states:
"I will continue to fight to pursue my goal, which is the most important thing. The lack of reliability and attacks from Rosberg are two significant threats, but the guys have worked to solve the problems. From here to the end of the year, we hope to be able to drive without any issues. I could lose the World Championship even in the last race having better statistics than Nico due to the doubled score in the last race, that of Abu Dhabi. The rule exists, and we have to accept it, but now I don't want to think about it; it puts negative pressure on me".
Daniel Ricciardo reveals a significant detail related to his teammate Sebastian Vettel's weekend:
"For the rules, Seb has to change the engine, and even if he gets the pole, he will start from the pit lane, so he won't accumulate kilometers unnecessarily. I am very satisfied with my season, and Austin is a circuit that I like; it's fun to drive here, and the races become exciting. I would like to achieve a few more good results. Will I be the lead driver next year? Even though I'm young, I'll be the old man of the team, and I don't intend to take my future teammate lightly; he's fast and can give a lot to the team".
Adrian Sutil will race for Sauber next season; the confirmation comes directly from the driver:
"There will be no change; I hope that next year we will have a better car and fewer problems".
Says the German, still at zero points in the driver standings. With Adrian Sutil's confirmation, the future of the Mexican Esteban Gutierrez becomes more complicated. If Fernando Alonso leaves Ferrari, the same cannot be said for Kimi Raikkonen, who instead looks confidently to the future:
"I have the utmost confidence in the team's management and those designing the car. I am sure that we will have a good package: whether it will be enough to be competitive, only time will tell. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but during this year, we have also learned many things. We don't expect to be immediately ahead of everyone and start winning races right away, but we have to take a big step forward and be in a position to at least fight in the top positions. Until we put the wheels on the track for the first laps of the first test, we won't have an idea of our value. However, we know where the problems are, and we know that our team is smart enough to be able to solve them. As the regulations say, there are limits to the changes we can make, but we will certainly improve".
In the meantime, Sergio Marchionne wants a change of direction for Ferrari: it's time to outclass the competition to bring Ferrari back to the top in Formula 1. The new president of the Maranello team, just seated in place of Luca di Montezemolo, wants to shake things up after a series of unsuccessful seasons. Even if it means resorting to tough methods:
"We have to outclass the competition, and we have to do it quickly. It will take as long as it takes. We could make mistakes, but we have nothing to lose, right? So, let's risk something".
For Marchionne, the prestige of Ferrari comes first:
"A Ferrari that doesn't win on an F1 track is not a Ferrari. There can be unfortunate periods, but misfortune cannot become a structural element of the brand".
This is also a response to Luca di Montezemolo, who, a few hours earlier, had reminded everyone that motorsport is not an exact science:
"It's always remembered that motorsport is not an exact science, that various factors influence performance. Then I went to Monza and saw that the first six cars were not Ferraris or Ferrari-powered, my blood pressure went up. A Ferrari that doesn't win is not Ferrari. There can be unfortunate periods, but misfortune cannot become a structural element of the brand".
Shortly before, the former president of Ferrari, Luca Montezemolo, didn't stop at mere considerations:
"I leave because Ferrari wasn't winning anymore? I remember that from 1999 we won fourteen world titles in fifteen years…".
Montezemolo didn't like the farewell he received from Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, who justified the decision to dismiss him from the position of president of the Maranello factory by citing the lack of results. Montezemolo explains how the decision came about:
"Everything happened a bit quickly in relation to the major event with the listing of Ferrari-Chrysler on the American stock exchange two days ago. There was a need to have Ferrari within a large group, and I believe this somewhat accelerated the times".
Montezemolo reveals that he was particularly bitter about the way he was dismissed:
"I have always had a very strong relationship with the Agnelli family, and I believe I did something important in 2004 when I agreed to become the president of Fiat at an extremely dramatic time. Perhaps I expected one more thank you. I don't hide that I didn't like the way, but it's part of life, and it's right that those who own it can make decisions".
On Ferrari's lack of results over the years, Montezemolo explains:
"Sport, fortunately or unfortunately, is not an exact science. In Formula One, there are cycles. Ours was very long. Then there were two strong years for Renault, then Red Bull came out, and now Mercedes, which, with all due respect, hadn't won in 30 years. We need to open a new cycle, work a lot and invest, considering that today the cars are hybrids. A new phase opens for Ferrari. I heard talk of Ferrari as Magneti Marelli, but with all due respect, Ferrari is something else. It's part of the Italian flag. Ferrari has a different future ahead, which can be even better. But it's a very different phase from the interpretation I had. A Ferrari that is now part of a large group is a source of pride for us".
Montezemolo then gets emotional when asked what Ferrari represents for him:
"Along with my family, it is the most important thing in my life. I have been president for twenty-three years, and even before, as a shop boy with Enzo Ferrari, with whom we won two world championships. Ferrari is a piece of the Italian flag, a combination of beauty, aesthetics, technology, and passion transmitted when driving and when cheering in the stands. I always say that we don't sell a car; we sell a dream".
He then recalls the greatest joy:
"The return to success in the 2000 driver's championship, with Michael Schumacher at the wheel. It was a turning point welcomed with emotion even by the lawyer, Gianni Agnelli. I owe a lot to the lawyer; he's a person I love very much. I have a special memory of him when we won that championship at dawn in Japan, twenty-one years after the last driver's success. I heard Agnelli on the phone, and for the first time, he was moved; I heard him cry. It was a special moment for him, who was not well, for Fiat, and for Italy. We dedicated the 2003 car, GA, which won the championship with Schumacher, to him".
The last chapter is dedicated to the tragic incident that occurred in the Japanese Grand Prix involving Jules Bianchi, who is still fighting for his life in the hospital:
"The problem is that the tractor couldn't and shouldn't have been there. Unfortunately, accidents still happen from time to time, but there have been significant advances in passive and active safety".
On Thursday, October 30, 2014, FCA captivates the stock market by putting 10% of Ferrari on the market. It marks the beginning of the separation of the Maranello factory, an operation that analysts had been requesting for some time, and the board of directors of the new company, chaired by John Elkann, approves it in its first meeting outside Italy, in the new headquarters in London.
"The board of directors, as part of a plan to establish a capital structure appropriate to support the group's long-term development, has authorized the separation of Ferrari from FCA. The separation will be carried out through the public offering of a portion of FCA's stake in Ferrari, equal to 10%, and the distribution of the remaining FCA stake in Ferrari to FCA shareholders. The announced operation will be completed in 2015".
However, the sale of 10% of Ferrari is just one of the three operations decided by the board during the meeting on Wednesday, October 29, 2014, in London. The package approved by the first council meeting in British territory aims to raise €4 billion, as announced by Sergio Marchionne in the traditional conference call with analysts. The money has a specific destination: the launch of the Alfa Romeo relaunch plan, on which much of the future of Italian plants depends. In addition to the Ferrari spin-off, the package includes two other operations: the sale of 100 million shares (market value €800-900 million) and the issuance of a convertible bond of $2.5 billion. These two operations are expected to rebalance the share weights between Wall Street and Piazzaffari. Historians advise taking some time to better understand the reasons for wars. The principle also applies to the clash that took place at the beginning of September between the leaders of Fiat and Luca di Montezemolo. The war between Turin and Maranello now has one more explanation.
"With this plan in mind, it is evident why Turin was in such a hurry to replace the president".
That’s what friends of Montezemolo say, when commenting on the news from London. But the defense of Ferrari's autonomy wasn't one of the cornerstones of the former president, one of the reasons of the conflict that led him to declare:
"Do they want to turn us into an American company?"
And what could be more autonomous than the spin-off of Ferrari from FCA? Marchionne repeats:
"We will preserve the Italian character of Ferrari".
Things might be less straightforward. Montezemolo would not have been against the demerger of the company but rather against the fact that the new company would be listed in New York, like FCA, with all the transparency obligations imposed by the American Stock Exchange, which might not sit well with a Formula 1 company. The other reason for the conflict could be in the overall design that concludes the open game yesterday. With the demerge of Ferrari, Sergio Marchionne becomes the link between the three companies born from the old Fiat: FCA, of which he is CEO, CNH Industrial, of which he is president, and Ferrari. With the announced operation, the manager shows that he wants to use Ferrari as a lever to extract value and use it in the service of FCA's ambitious relaunch plan, presented in May in Detroit. The rebirth of Alfa Romeo is also part of that plan. But selling 10% might be just the first step in a larger project. By selling 10% of the 90% it currently owns and distributing the remaining 80% in proportion to the shareholders, Exor (which owns 30% of FCA) will end up with 24% of the new Ferrari shares.
Combining that stake with the 10% in the hands of Piero Ferrari would create a controlling stake in Ferrari around 33-34%. It is not yet clear whether the new Ferrari shares will have double voting rights like the long-term shares of FCA. In this case, Exor and Piero Ferrari would easily control the company without fear of takeovers. Even by buying another small stake, the Agnelli financial group could control the company on its own over time. And transform this participation into the main asset of the Turin financial company in the automotive sector if, in the coming years, FCA realizes the strategic merger with another manufacturer that Marchionne spoke about in recent weeks. Diluting (aligning) in FCA and strengthening in Ferrari could be the strategy of the Agnelli in the medium to long term. In the short term, however, it is urgent to complete FCA's model plan. To do this, the sale of 10% of Ferrari is essential. But how much is that package worth? Making a simulation based on the calculation announced yesterday by Marchionne, it could be worth around €1.2 billion. But the CEO also takes into account the proceeds from an extraordinary dividend that the Maranello company would pay to shareholders before the listing. Essentially, the overall value of Ferrari could be around €10 billion. The value of the entire FCA, based on the current quotation, is slightly over €11 billion. It is imaginable that the market may end up attributing a value to Ferrari of less than €10 billion, just as it can be predicted that with the arrival of new models and the cash generation linked to sales, the value of FCA could rise significantly. But it is a fact that currently Ferrari represents well over half of the value of FCA. It is understandable why the Agnellis want to hold on to it tightly. However, in the meantime, Friday, October 31, 2014, Hamilton lapped fastest in the first practice session - which took place on a damp track that later dried - at 1'39"941; his session 18 minutes ended early due to a gear shift problem. His teammate Rosberg, Jenson Button, Daniil Kvyat, Kevin Magnussen, Fernando Alonso, Vettel, Nasr, Nico Hülkenberg and Verstappen occupied positions two to ten. Ricciardo was only able to drive the first 3⁄4 of an hour because his energy recovery system failed and was restricted to five timed laps. In the second session, where it was difficult for teams to alter their car's race set-ups because of strong crosswinds, Hamilton set the day's fastest lap at 1'39"085 on super-soft compound tyres; Rosberg was three-thousands of a second slower in second and had the fastest time until Hamilton's lap.
Both Mercedes cars had reliability concerns with Hamilton reporting another gearbox problem and his session ended early with a minor hydraulic issue. Rosberg had a downshifting concern which he attributed to hitting the clutch pedal after lifting his leg. Alonso was third-fastest, followed by Ricciardo, Felipe Massa - who locked his brakes lightly and later spun his car - and Kimi Räikkönen. Kvyat, Magnussen, Button and Hülkenberg followed in the top ten. Romain Grosjean and his teammate Pastor Maldonado both lost control of their tight-handling Lotus cars and drove onto the run-off area several times. Hamilton was fastest in the third session, which was held in chilly but bright weather, with a time of 1'37"107; Rosberg had a brake issue until the final minutes and went faster in the first two-thirds of the lap but an untidy final third of the lap caused by a glazed left rear brake disc only allowed him to go quicker by one-thousands of a second and placed second. Massa, Bottas, Alonso, Ricciardo, Hülkenberg, Adrian Sutil, Räikkönen and Button completed the top ten. Upon switching settings on his steering wheel, Hamilton spun under braking at turn 12, and Rosberg ran wide at turns 11 and 12. Vergne's session ended early when his engine cut out. It's a crossroads for Ferrari as they face the United States Grand Prix, the second race of the Marchionne era and the first since it was announced that the future of the Maranello team and that of Fiat are destined to separate after the listing on Wall Street. The Ferrari team looks around, scrutinizing this Texan horizon, uncertain smiles on their faces. This could be the new home race, they joke, the new Monza. Certainly, from a sporting perspective, such a revolution could have happened at a happier time. The F14T, slow as it is, has turned this end of the season into a somber workshop for the next one, with the races reduced to test days for some 2015 experiments, nothing more. Presenting themselves in these conditions in front of what could be the new fans - fans less inclined to acts of faith and emotional outbursts than the Italian ones - is not ideal. However, or perhaps precisely because of this, the sporting perspective doesn't matter to anyone today. Because what matters is the future. Will the prophecy launched by Luca Montezemolo in the heated days of farewell come true? Will Ferrari really become an American company? This is the doubt that worries everyone. A doubt that Marchionne himself had dispelled first, announcing the demerger:
"We will preserve the Italian nature of the company".
A clear message that the new president of Ferrari wanted to reaffirm personally within the company walls, almost sensing the doubts and fears that persist and multiply in the hearts of his people. Carefully chosen words by Marchionne, who wanted to explain how the demerger of Ferrari is, in fact, an opportunity for everyone. A risky move, for sure, but then the history of Ferrari is certainly not made up of easy choices. The goal is to take another step up in quality with excellence as inspiration.
"We will be up to the level of our rivals and even a step above".
A rhetoric made up of tones and words now familiar to the workers in Maranello, to whom Marchionne seeks to ensure maximum substantive continuity in management:
"The corporate structure will change, but the reference points will not change, which will still be Exor and Piero Ferrari".
Piero Ferrari is presented as a seal of guarantee. The theme of Italian identity has also been addressed multiple times: the president pointed out that there is no more effective way to defend that value. After the listing, the Exor (24%) and Piero Ferrari (10%) alliance will hold a 34% stake in Ferrari, more than enough to control the company. And in the end, Marchionne bets, for Ferrari, America will be just a second home. Once again, while waiting to better understand the developments within Ferrari and FCA, on November 1, 2014, the dominance of Mercedes is evident in the third and final free practice session: Lewis Hamilton precedes Nico Rosberg for the third time, this time by 0.8 seconds. Felipe Massa follows, ahead of his teammate Valtteri Bottas, and Fernando Alonso, hampered in his best lap by a braking lock-up. Sebastian Vettel, using the sixth power unit of the season and starting from the pit lane, sets the last time, focusing on a lightweight setup, ideal for the race. At the end of free practice, the engine on Vergne's car is replaced; however, as a previously used power unit is employed, the Frenchman will not be penalized. A few hours later, in the first phase of qualifying, Lewis Hamilton is again the fastest driver: the Englishman, however, is preceded by the Williams duo, composed of Felipe Massa and Valtteri Bottas. Rosberg finishes Q1 in fourth place, using only one set of soft tires. Sebastian Vettel, who had announced his intention not to participate in qualifying since he would have to start from the pit lane due to the replacement of the sixth engine of the season, still makes only one attempt, which does not qualify him for Q2. Besides the German, Jean-Éric Vergne, Romain Grosjean, and Esteban Gutiérrez are eliminated.
In the second phase, the best time is set by Nico Rosberg, with a time lower than the pole position in the 2013 edition. Behind the German is Lewis Hamilton, one second behind. Pastor Maldonado, the two Force India cars, and Daniil Kvyat are excluded from the final phase. Nico Rosberg is unbeatable even in the final stage and secures the thirteenth pole position of his career. The front row is completed by Lewis Hamilton (penalized by a wheel lock in the second attempt), while the second row is taken by the Williams duo. Daniil Kvyat will be penalized with a ten-position grid penalty for using the seventh different engine during the season. In Austin, it's still Mercedes domination: the German driver, with a champion's performance, dominated the qualifying, preceding his teammate and the Championship leader, Lewis Hamilton, who had performed much better than him in the last free practice session. For Rosberg, it's the ninth pole of the season (thirteenth in his career). The second row is all Williams, with Valtteri Bottas ahead of Felipe Massa, while the third row is occupied by Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull and Fernando Alonso from Ferrari. Jenson Button secures the seventh position, ahead of the other McLaren of Kevin Magnussen. However, the British driver will lose five positions on the grid due to a gearbox replacement and will start twelfth. Magnussen, Kimi Raikkonen, and Adrian Sutil gain one position each, rounding out the top ten. Pastor Maldonado closes the fifth row.
Fernando Alonso is aware that he cannot aspire to the podium, which, after qualifying, seems reserved for the two Mercedes and the Williams behind them.
"I will try to do my best. Looking at the times throughout the weekend, we can compete with Ricciardo and maybe a bit with Vettel, who tested long runs with little fuel, maybe even with McLaren, but the top four seem too distant".
Ninth on the track, eighth on the grid thanks to Jenson Button's penalty, Kimi Raikkonen is certainly not happy with his performance.
"We've struggled all year, nothing has changed on this track. There's always a bit of understeer, and when you slide, it's hard to push through the corners".
And on the possible strategies to use on Sunday to try to recover positions, he adds:
"I don't know yet; we'll see tomorrow".
Niki Lauda against Bernie Ecclestone. The clash is monumental. The beautiful thing is that it's entirely unintentional since neither of them, at the crucial moment, knows about the other's statements. Otherwise, they probably would have abstained. Bernie Ecclestone is the first to open fire, celebrating the funeral of Caterham and Marussia - the teams that withdrew due to lack of funds before the end of the championship - and he shoots big:
"The blame is on these useless engines that serve no one. This is not Formula 1. And next year, we risk losing a couple more teams (Lotus and Sauber, editor's note)".
Few words but harsh and very clear. However, just a few meters away, Niki Lauda responds, furious.
"Okay, Caterham and Marussia dropped out. But it's not a matter of today. Formula 1 has always been like this in the last fifty years. Teams come and go. Eighteen cars on the grid are few? Then let's write the rules and put three cars for each team. Just decide and do it. But let's analyze everything. There's no money, no sponsors. It makes no sense to put in more teams to share a cake that is not enough already. And then let's reflect on the causes of the situation. If we did, we would discover that the blame is all ours. We spent the whole year complaining. We complained about the engines, we complained about the cars, the noise. And now we complain that sponsors don't invest in us. Maybe if we had told them the truth, that this year has been the most beautiful and spectacular season ever, maybe we wouldn't be in this situation".
Lauda's anger then turns against Ferrari, leading a concerted attack on his Mercedes. Rivals want to change the regulations for the next season and have managed to bring everyone onto their side, including Jean Todt (FIA) and even Ecclestone himself. The issue is simple. The regulations, as written, allow teams to modify the engine during the winter by no more than 48%. In that 48%, Mercedes' rival engine manufacturers will have to try to close the gap that has been abysmal this year. According to Ferrari and its allies, it would be better to distribute that work on the 48% throughout the year so that power units can be continuously updated, representing a small advantage for the pursuers who could work more rationally and targeted. But Lauda disagrees. The current situation sees his Mercedes with a technical advantage, and he has no intention of giving gifts to the opponents.
"We will never allow it; it is irrational and senseless and would increase the cost of engines by at least ten million".
The cost of engines is officially used by Mercedes as the argument, but Lauda does not want to hide behind official arguments. The reason for his position is competitive.
"It's ridiculous. Mercedes wins a championship after a hundred years, and they want to change the rules. So what should we have done in past years when Red Bull won for four consecutive years? No, we will never give in. Ferrari can already intervene on 48% of the engine: there's nothing to defrost. It's already defrosted".
The best and worst of the Circus, all in one Grand Prix. It's the great carousel of Formula 1 showcasing the two precious pieces of its classic arsenal: the on-track duel, the thrilling one between Hamilton and Rosberg, who will play a significant part in the fate of the World Championship on Sunday, and the brawl in the paddock, where team principals, terrified by the withdrawal of Caterham and Marussia, begin to accuse each other, with the heads of the small teams seriously threatening to boycott the race. On the track, it was Nico Rosberg's day. In one fell swoop, he shook off uncertainties and fears, clinching pole position from his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. An important move at a crucial moment. The destiny of this World Championship, needless to say, revolves around the last Grand Prix, that of Abu Dhabi. Everyone knows that Bernie Ecclestone sold the last race of the season to his Emirati friends for a huge amount of petrodollars. And to squeeze more money out of them, he came up with doubling the points for that single race. A real American gimmick that is turning the whole meaning of this end of the season upside down. Under normal circumstances, at this point in the year and with the advantage he has, Lewis Hamilton could have afforded to manage his 17 points. A slight push on the accelerator, and off to win the second World Championship. The doubling of points in Abu Dhabi, however, forces him to desperately try to close the deal earlier to avoid nasty surprises, throwing an enormous pressure on him and motivating Nico Rosberg to stay in the game until the end. Something the German is doing excellently. Off the track, the situation is chaotic to say the least. The exit of the two teams has fueled the anxieties of the less wealthy teams (Force India, Lotus, Sauber, and Williams), who have seized the opportunity to demand a review of the current distribution criteria of F1 revenues. Not surprisingly, Ferrari is targeted, which, due to its historical role in F1, receives more money from Ecclestone than all the others. In reality, even the other top teams receive a higher share compared to the small ones. Now they threaten not to take to the track. The consequences would be dramatic. But Bernie Ecclestone assures:
"Rest assured that there will be no problems; in the end, they will all do their duty. As for the redistribution of revenues, I am willing to review them, but it requires unanimity among the teams and their willingness to do the same, and there isn't".
In short, the blame lies with the big teams. And accused Ferrari, through its team principal, Marco Mattiacci, clarifies and relaunches:
"This is not about redistributing the current revenues differently but about generating new ones by exploiting that enormous communication platform that is F1".
The psychodrama of Formula 1, besieged and hungry from an unprecedented financial crisis, unfolds in the afternoon on the second floor of the FOM building, a stone's throw from the circuit. Outside, under the Texan sun, the paddock hustle and bustle continues unabated, as if nothing is happening, with Hamilton and Rosberg glaring at each other, Raikkonen eating his ice cream lost in his Baltic thoughts, Alonso joking and laughing with Spanish journalists, as he always does when facing difficulties, and Vettel packing his bags. No one, looking at the scene, would have suspected that inside that nearby white building, the apocalypse is happening.
And yet, you just need to push the panic bar and open the door to see Bernie Ecclestone wandering through his offices like a caged lion, terrified at the prospect of losing more teams for the next year much more than the idea of witnessing an improbable strike by the teams at the start of the United States Grand Prix. Fewer teams, less money, less money, end of the show. Failure. From that door, beggars of all kinds continue to enter and leave, representatives of teams, suppliers, contract hunters. And he flatters and mistreats them depending on the case and convenience. But they all leave worried and agitated, with a Wall Street-like face two hours before Lehman Brothers' bankruptcy. At a certain point, two Japanese gentlemen in suits and ties show up, two poor envoys from Honda, which, from next year, is returning to be part of the Circus in partnership with McLaren. From their mismatched faces, it is evident that they still haven't understood anything. The climax of the drama is reached during the unusual press conference convened by Bernie Ecclestone in the midafternoon. Gathered around the presidential table, a few selected journalists take the honor of seeing Bernie Ecclestone speak and apologize.
"The crisis is my fault".
Journalists can't believe their ears. Indeed, their ears are not wrong, not because Ecclestone didn't really utter those words. But because the meaning of those words goes far beyond, and upon closer inspection, it's not exactly a mea culpa.
"I divided too much money, and perhaps I did it poorly. That's why now I'm ready to review the agreements and even reduce my share in the distribution of Formula 1 revenues (an £800.000.000 pie in the unlikely scenario that the data provided by the big boss is true, editor's note). The problem is that none of the four top teams agree to reconsider the agreements, and so at this point, I don't know what to do".
In essence, in blaming himself for the genesis of the crisis, Ecclestone shifts the responsibility for the lack of an exit strategy onto the big teams, which are Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, and McLaren. They don't want to earn less. And so, they block everything. Not exactly a sin for Bernie, who will continue to receive 40% of the total in this way. A sort of play of parts. The play reaches levels of great theater when, halfway through the press conference, all the team principals of the aforementioned top teams burst into the room (only that of McLaren is missing, but at some point, the two Japanese arrive). And the scene is immediately taken over by Niki Lauda. The old Austrian driver is particularly fit these days. And after criticizing Ferrari on the engine unfreezing issue, he expresses his opinion on the financial crisis of the small teams. And he does it with his usual courtesy:
"The problem is not the distribution of revenues. The problem is that those teams are managed by incapable people. The crisis is the fault of the incapable. Take Lotus or Marussia. They are managed very poorly. We can now even decide to give €50.000.000 to Lotus, but what would they do with it? They would halve the debt they have with the banks, and then after two months, they would be back at it again".
Lauda's speech becomes an excellent assist for Marco Mattiacci, who, asked a bit too aggressively by an English reporter, explains in equally simple words what Ferrari's train of thought is on the issue of revenue redistribution:
"The problem with Formula 1 is not redistributing profits better but generating more profits. We need to grow the pie, make it bigger, not cut it differently".
And while Mattiacci talks about growing pies, the more attentive reporters see a strangely bright light ignite in Bernie Ecclestone's eyes. All this happens while Jules Bianchi clings to the machinery of a Japanese hospital's resuscitation, a new device to automatically slow down cars if there is a problem on the track, and too much eagerness to quickly forget what happened.
This is what remains, not even a month after the tragic events in Suzuka, of Jules Bianchi, a Formula 1 driver. Now that time has erased the looks of circumstance from faces, it is quite disconcerting to see how an unbearable fog has descended to conceal that long chain of responsibilities, which, from here, from this distant Texan afternoon, can only be guessed at. The last information available on the subject is that from a new analysis of the telemetry of Jules Bianchi's Marussia, the investigators of the commission wanted by Jean Todt (which also includes Ross Brawn and Stefano Domenicali) have isolated an anomaly. With control already lost, Bianchi's car would have accelerated instead of slowing down. As if the driver had pressed the accelerator instead of the brake. A glaring error that no one can explain. But perhaps it could have something to do with the malfunction of the brake-by-wire, the technology introduced this year to replace the traditional braking system. The brake-by-wire of Bianchi's Marussia had already been the focus of the FIA in the hours following the accident. But superficially, since the wreckage of Marussia was returned to the team immediately after the data retrieval, and it was not seized by either the Japanese authorities or the FIA.
"Now it is in our possession in a reserved location".
The statement made by the team's external relations officer in Sochi was explaining that nobody can cross-reference the anomalous telemetry data with the actual conditions of the car, which may have been contaminated in the meantime. Whether she realized that these words meant that no one would ever be able to cross-reference the anomalous telemetry data with the actual conditions of the car is unclear. Meanwhile, the mystery of the missing car is not the only one affecting the team; there is also the mystery of radio communications. The German newspaper Bild publishes an internal communication from the FIA stating that Marussia had ordered Bianchi to push despite the yellow flags and the downpour. The Marussia team, outraged, denies this. Still, the team's order is on record, although it remains to be verified whether it was given before or after Sutil's accident, the one that caused Bianchi to crash into the yellow tractor. In addition to the alleged driver error and the role of Marussia, the list of possible responsibilities also includes the FIA. It was unprepared: it was discovered that there is no established procedure in the event of a serious accident. Therefore, the car was not impounded, and the investigative committee was not automatically formed but only after the accident and on the orders of a possible suspect, namely the president, Jean Todt (who could be responsible, albeit indirectly, for any inefficiencies in his structure). Not to mention the key piece of information in all this. Between Adrian Sutil's accident and Jules Bianchi's, two minutes passed. An eternity during which the race continued normally, with a tractor on the trackside. On Sunday, November 2, 2014, in addition to thoughts about the race, Lewis Hamilton also dedicates one to Fernando Alonso before the start of the United States Grand Prix at the Austin circuit:
"Alonso has dedicated a lot of time to Ferrari. Some say you never get bored trying something new. I'm happy for him if he tries something different. Does he want my seat? I'm sure Fernando is pushing hard for that, but I won't give up. I love my car. Rosberg? When we were in karts, we were more friends, but there were different dynamics there. It's very different now; it's about business, kill or be killed. It's serious stuff. So now we are teammates. I don't want to lie, saying that things are going great. We move on; there's no need to look at what has passed. I won't".
When asked if he could one day drive for Ferrari, Hamilton replies that all drivers would like to have the opportunity, more or less concrete, to drive a Ferrari.
"It would still be a great feeling to be called to drive one of their cars. Lauda? He's very strong. When I met him for the first time, I don't think he was a big fan of mine. He wasn't very positive about my driving style, how aggressive I was, the decisions I made. I think he had his legitimate opinions. But then we met, and he realized: Wait a minute. He's just like me. He loves racing; his approach is very different from what I expected. And from that moment on, our relationship has only gotten better".
The United States Grand Prix started before 107.778 spectators at 2:00 p.m. The weather was dry and sunny, with an air temperature of 23 °C and a track temperature ranging from 31 °C to 34 °C. Except for Vettel, Kvyat, and Hülkenberg, all drivers started on the soft compound tires, while the trio opted for the medium compound tires. A strong crosswind at turns three and five caused oversteer issues for cars. At the race's outset, Rosberg maintained the lead into the first corner, with Hamilton staying in second. Bottas fell behind Massa due to wheelspin. Alonso tried to pass Bottas for fourth but faced a slowdown. Ricciardo had wheelspin and dropped behind the Ferrari and McLaren cars. He managed to overtake Button, Räikkönen, and Magnussen before turn 12. An incident occurred between Pérez and Sutil, leading to the safety car deployment for debris removal. Several pit stops, including McLaren cars, Hülkenberg, Gutiérrez, and Vettel, were made during this period. The safety car withdrew at the end of lap four, and racing resumed with Rosberg leading Hamilton. Rosberg and Hamilton pulled away from Massa in third, who was defending against Bottas. Alonso and Ricciardo engaged in battles, with Ricciardo narrowly avoiding hitting Bottas. On lap seven, Vergne, Maldonado, Button, and Gutiérrez were investigated for speeding behind the safety car. The Mercedes duo closely followed each other, with Hamilton conserving fuel. Hamilton faced difficulties entering the DRS activation zone, and his left-front brake was cooler due to the safety car. Grosjean attempted to pass Vergne on the tenth lap but was blocked. Button faced no further action. Red Bull brought Ricciardo into the pit lane on lap 14, and Bottas passed him after his pit stop. Rosberg made a pit stop on lap 15, falling behind teammate Hamilton. Bottas attempted to overtake Ricciardo using DRS but was unsuccessful. Hamilton made a pit stop on lap 17 for a front wing adjustment, rejoining with a larger lead over Rosberg. Ricciardo defended against Bottas, but on lap 18, Hülkenberg retired due to engine power loss. Alonso overtook Vettel for ninth on the next lap. Hamilton closed in on Rosberg, using DRS by lap 22. On lap 24, Hamilton attempted a pass on Rosberg but did not succeed. Rosberg's attempted power boost on lap 24 failed, and Hamilton overtook him on lap 25. Hamilton forced Rosberg onto the run-off area but avoided a collision, maintaining the lead.
Alonso overtook Button for seventh, and Grosjean passed Vettel for ninth. Massa made a pit stop on lap 32, facing delays and promoting Ricciardo to third. Hamilton made his final pit stop on lap 33, rejoining behind Rosberg. Vettel overtook Grosjean for tenth, and Maldonado incurred a penalty for speeding in the pit lane on lap 41. Alonso made a pit stop on lap 43, joining a battle for sixth to eighth. Vettel passed Magnussen for ninth on lap 46. In the closing laps, Hamilton extended his lead over Rosberg. Despite traffic slowing Hamilton on the final lap, he secured the victory, with Rosberg in second and Ricciardo in third. Massa faced issues in his pit stop, finishing fourth. The top ten included Bottas, Alonso, Vettel, Magnussen, Maldonado, and Vergne (after a time penalty). Grosjean, Button, Räikkönen, Gutiérrez, and Kvyat completed the classified finishers. No luck for Nico Rosberg even with the pole position; he couldn't get ahead of his formidable teammate Lewis Hamilton, who, by winning the United States Grand Prix, further increases his lead in the championship. His march is impressive: the fifth consecutive victory, the tenth of the season. Daniel Ricciardo also steps onto the podium, author of yet another excellent race, while Fernando Alonso finishes where he started: sixth. Kimi Raikkonen, on the other hand, finishes thirteenth, the author of his usual lackluster race, as announced by Fernando Alonso himself; a podium was unthinkable for Ferrari. Felipe Massa, on the other hand, really hoped for the third step of the podium but had to settle for fourth place, still ahead of Valtteri Bottas. Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull finishes seventh, followed by Kevin Magnussen's McLaren and Jean-Éric Vergne's Toro Rosso. Pastor Maldonado's Lotus closes in the points. Lewis Hamilton reaches 316 points, leaving Nico Rosberg at 292 points, thus truly securing the World Championship title. Speaking of standings, some things should not be forgotten: firstly, in third place, we have Daniel Ricciardo, then Valtteri Bottas, and only in fifth place, the poor Sebastian Vettel, overshadowed by his young teammate. And Fernando Alonso? Only sixth, but the drama for Ferrari is represented by Kimi Raikkonen, who is only twelfth, behind Jenson Button, Felipe Massa, Nico Hulkenberg, Kevin Magnussen, and Sergio Perez.
"Austin is truly a fantastic place; I received tremendous support from the fans, the team was extraordinary, the car was amazing today. It was a privilege to represent my country here and also to lead the driver standings. The car performed great today".
Lewis Hamilton, on the top step of the podium in Austin, comments on the victory in the United States Grand Prix, his fifth in a row, consolidating his position at the top of the World Championship with a 24-point advantage over Rosberg. Toto Wolff, at the end of the United States Grand Prix, where Mercedes achieved another one-two with Lewis Hamilton first and Nico Rosberg second, says:
"It was a great race. For Hamilton, it's a small psychological advantage; everything will be decided in the last race in Abu Dhabi".
Niki Lauda, non-executive chairman of Mercedes, adds:
"Lewis is incredible. I am very happy for him and for the beautiful team we have created at Mercedes".
One shot, fired calmly and at the right moment, gives Lewis Hamilton the Texan duel, fitting the Western rhetoric with which they presented the race against Nico Rosberg in the United States. It happened just before the halfway point, when after a couple of laps spent in a light approach dance, Hamilton passed Rosberg in a curve, with a maneuver as classic as it was precise. The rest was a sweet ride to the top step of the podium. The World Championship title would now be within reach for the Englishman. If it weren't for the devilry invented by Bernie Ecclestone to earn a few more dollars from the Emirs of Abu Dhabi, namely the double points in the final race that, in fact, still leaves everything open, despite Hamilton's lead over his rival increasing to 24 points after the victory. Much, of course, will depend on what happens in Brazil, the penultimate race of the season, the last with the ordinary scoring. It is useless to deny that the big favorite remains Hamilton. The Englishman has dominated the entire season (winning eleven times compared to Rosberg's four), but the German has been more consistent, scoring points once more than his rival. The management of the psychological aspect of such an anomalous situation as that determined by the story of double points will be decisive. Regarding the duel at Mercedes, Ferrari only had news via radio, as it took place far from the cars of Alonso and Raikkonen. It can be said that after Marussia and Caterham, Ferrari was the third missing team in the American race. A symbolic absence summarized in the incredible gaffe made by Raikkonen just before the start. The Finn managed to skip the national anthem ceremony, to which Americans are quite attached: he was the only absent driver. It may seem like a detail, but it says a lot about the confused state reigning in the team. On the track, things did not go much better. Raikkonen, with the sole alibi of being bumped at the start by Perez's Force India, hid in the group, and there he languidly remained until the checkered flag, finishing third to last.
Alonso did a little more. The Spaniard, now with his mind elsewhere, placed his car in sixth position, more than a minute behind Massa (fourth) and Bottas (fifth). Things went decidedly better from a political point of view since Marco Mattiacci obtained a good result on the front of engine unfreezing for 2015. The regulation provides that manufacturers can intervene, before the start of the next World Championship, on 48% of the engine, which must then remain frozen until the end of the season. Ferrari had asked for this rule, inspired by cost containment, to be modified: manufacturers, according to Maranello, should be able to intervene on engines always only for 48%, but throughout the season. Mercedes was against it: theoretically because it was against cost containment, in practice because it considered this a competitive advantage for rivals. For a few weeks, strong words were exchanged. Finally, thanks also to the pressure from Ecclestone and the FIA, the Mercedes team surrendered. The direction is towards a compromise: interventions will be allowed in multiple pre-established stages. However, before awarding the point to Ferrari, the decision, preliminarily accepted by the Mercedes team, needs to be finally approved by the headquarters in Stuttgart. Mercedes had opposed it: theoretically because it was against cost containment, in practice because it considered this a competitive advantage for rivals. For a few weeks, strong words were exchanged. Finally, thanks also to the pressure from Ecclestone and the FIA, the Mercedes team surrendered. The direction is towards a compromise: interventions will be allowed in multiple pre-established stages. However, before awarding the point to Ferrari, the decision, preliminarily accepted by the Mercedes team, needs to be finally approved by the headquarters in Stuttgart.