10/04/2007
NEWS STORY
Former Jordan Technical Director, Gary Anderson, now dividing his time between assisting with Team Ireland's A1 GP entry and his work as commentator with (Irish) broadcaster Setanta, has called on F1's 'powers that be' to resolve the on-going customer car row.
With the matter having gone to arbitration, the paddock was stunned when Spyker protested Toro Rosso's entry at Sepang last weekend. After considering the matter overnight however, race stewards ruled that since the case had already gone to arbitration - a process that could take up to a year - they were unable to make a ruling.
Although many within the sport believe that there is a case to answer and that both Toro Rosso and Super Aguri have gone against the Concorde Agreement, they also fear that should the case rumble on it will have a negative impact on the sport. At a time when it looks as though we have a genuine title fight on our hands, not to mention the British media's reactions to Lewis Hamilton, the last thing F1 needs is legal challenges and uncertainty regarding race results and the championship standings.
Anderson is of the opinion that the whole matter should have been sorted out over the winter, with F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone taking the initiative.
"F1 is about designing and building your own car, he told Setanta.com, "and whenever you have someone like Red Bull or Honda, who own two teams, it's a problem for the regulations. The regulations as they stand say a team should have two cars and that they should own the property rights for those cars, and I think that's correct."
Referring to the legal action, which thus far only involves Spyker, even though Williams is also deeply unhappy, the Irishman said: "I don't think that Spyker or Williams should have to do the fighting, it should be the FIA and Bernie doing it.
"With the way the regulations are now, some of the cars are blatantly contravening the regulations," he continued. "It's not a technical regulation or a sporting one, it's a contractual regulation between the teams, so, in reality, it's a Bernie job to sort it out."
However, now that the season is underway, and with Toro Rosso clearly taking the p***, referring to Spyker's allegations - albeit in a round about way - as bullshit, Anderson doesn't hold out hope of a quick solution.
"Two races in and I don't think anything can be done," he admitted. "What are you going to do now? Do you not allow people to race anymore? You can't do that.
"It should have been sorted out over the winter and it shouldn't be getting as much columns inches as it has been."
That said, Pitpass is still of the opinion that the situation will be resolved, though it will take a sizeable pay off.
Then again, at a time when the sceptics widely regard many of those involved in F1 as whores - it's merely about establishing the price - perhaps Spyker, and maybe Williams, will continue fighting for what they believe in.