Formula One has plunged into murky waters – a world of accusation, allegations of cheating, spying and recrimination – and it’s a crying shame.
Instead of celebrating an unexpected victory by Max Verstappen on Sunday, the sport is immersed in the Racing Point clone war.
Mercedes’ Andrew Shovlin admitted on Wednesday that their tyre issues in the heat at Silverstone cost them victory. ”It would be foolish not to think we will see it again or see it in Spain [on Sunday]. We need to look for solutions.”
Instead of rubbing our hands in glee at the faintest spark that, suddenly, the championship could yet be alive for an Abu Dhabi showdown, we have a complex copying row that threatens to wreck it all. And more besides, in a dispute most fans neither understand nor care about.
But it’s a row that cuts to the very heart of Formula 1, the nature of the competition: how the teams make their cars and how the hundreds of millions in prize money that is their life-blood is divided.
Unresolved it could change the face of the sport.
So let’s recap. Racing Point have judged to have used brake ducts designed by another team (Mercedes) and fined €400,000 (Dh1.73 million).
Back in the day, that was half the wheel-nut budget of a team like Ferrari. And consider a team like Racing Point, at the tail end of the front runners, will effectively spend around €6m per race weekend. Per car.
On January 1 2020 the brake ducts were put on the list of parts teams are required to make themselves to be considered a constructor.
But Racing Point protest they used ducts made before that rule came in and were exempt.
Far from resolving the situation the FIA’s judgement muddied the waters still further.
Despite ruling the ducts were indeed illegal they decided Racing Point could continue to use them.
Imagine the fury of teams being defeated by a copy car with parts publicly ruled illegal.
A copy car, moreover, that will now surely finish in podium places and deprive the rest of the extra points and the prize money that goes with it. That’s hundreds of millions potentially given those same cars, pretty much, are to be used next year.
Renault are particularly angry because they were disqualified last year in Japan for an illegal brake system and removed it. Who protested them? Racing Point.
Now it is the other way around. And they had been joined by Ferrari, Williams and McLaren only for the last two to withdraw on Wednesday.
It is, of course, entirely unconnected that Williams use Mercedes engines and McLaren switch to Mercs next season.
Brackley are so confident they are on the right side of the law they have challenged their rivals to take it to court. So Renault and Ferrari are have done just that.
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Gallery: Max Verstappen wins at Silverstone
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Maranello claim Racing Point’s actions are like “copying a test. There are those who copy the test and those who pass a test to have others copy it.”
But Mercedes compete in a world where Ferrari have strong links to Haas and Alfa Romeo and Red Bull own 100 per cent of AlphaTauri.
Both, though, have separate design teams but you have to wonder how much deeper the alliance goes when you recall Sauber (Alfa Romeo’s old guise) effectively telling Sergio Perez not to continue to chase the leading Ferrari for the win at the Malaysian GP in 2012.
Spying and copying is not new to F1. I have spoken to people responsible for eavesdropping on rival’s radio messages and found a detective agency employed by one team to follow another.
Mercedes claimed a photographer with a special 3D camera was stationed outside their pit earlier this season.
Renault’s stance is clear. Team principal Cyril Abiteboul said: “We’re not against customer teams but we are against customer cars.”
And the sport goes down that road at their peril. Imagine Mercedes supplying two ‘B’ teams, regularly taking the lion’s share of the revenue and eventually killing off the smaller operations and leaving a diminished 10 car grid.
And then there is Mercedes’ position: in any sport the supplier of an illegal performance-enhancing product would, arguably, face the most dire consequences of all.
If these brake ducts weren’t performance-enhancing there would not be much point in them being on the car.
When everyone is sploshes around in the sporting grey areas, the sludge, looking for an advantage the first casualty is usually integrity.
Whoever wins and whoever loses it will leave a nasty taste in everyone’s mouth.
F1 has always had one rule for the rich and another for the richer. The question is: which is which?
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What the law says
Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.
“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.
“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”
If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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PREMIER LEAGUE FIXTURES
Tuesday (UAE kick-off times)
Leicester City v Brighton (9pm)
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United (11.15pm)
Wednesday
Manchester United v Sheffield United (9pm)
Newcastle United v Aston Villa (9pm)
Norwich City v Everton (9pm)
Wolves v Bournemouth (9pm)
Liverpool v Crystal Palace (11.15pm)
Thursday
Burnley v Watford (9pm)
Southampton v Arsenal (9pm)
Chelsea v Manchester City (11.15pm)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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MATCH INFO
Euro 2020 qualifier
Ukraine 2 (Yaremchuk 06', Yarmolenko 27')
Portugal 1 (Ronaldo 72' pen)
Key features of new policy
Pupils to learn coding and other vocational skills from Grade 6
Exams to test critical thinking and application of knowledge
A new National Assessment Centre, PARAKH (Performance, Assessment, Review and Analysis for Holistic Development) will form the standard for schools
Schools to implement online system to encouraging transparency and accountability
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
Our family matters legal consultant
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
