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Paul Stoddart gives his personal account of events surrounding the 2005 United States Grand Prix ... Click here for the full Statement

A reminder for those wishing to respond. Please keep it clean and remember that this is an account of one of the parties involved over what happened. Over the next few days and weeks we are likely to hear other accounts.

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I am sure that this is as honest a recollection that we can get from an involved party, personally Mr. Stoddard have lost all credence with me, however with the number of named persons, he can not be passed of as spinning completely.

His statement is obviously clouded by his stance in the matter, but I knowing the slant of a story, makes it admissible.

I am VERY surprised to learn that Michelin tires were not discussed until Sunday morning in meetings that Stoddard was privy to, that sound strange since I have personally commented on this since Friday. What kind of insular world has F1 become??

It seem that Stoddard for better and worse, have become the mouthpiece for the GPWC teams, they must obviously see more in him than I do, and his track record in business indicate a shrewd business brain. But is it really a sound stage to paint before June 29th?? Personally I think that the FIA are fuming mad corporately speaking, and they want an ounce of flesh from someone. They can only go after the teams, and BAR are in a VERY precarious position, already being under a suspended ban. And they will be on the chopping block come June 29th.

Ed wrote:A reminder for those wishing to respond. Please keep it clean and remember that this is an account of one of the parties involved over what happened. Over the next few days and weeks we are likely to hear other accounts.

Thanks

Damn, there goes all the fun

If BAR get sacrificed I doubt the 6 other teams will watch than happen

I think the FIA have to very careful here otherwise some races will be boycotted and F1 will collapse

Graham Ross wrote:If BAR get sacrificed I doubt the 6 other teams will watch than happen

I think the FIA have to very careful here otherwise some races will be boycotted and F1 will collapse

Yes, these are very tense, delicate times. The thought of having Mosley involved at such times really worries me

K-D wrote: I am sure that this is as honest a recollection that we can get from an involved party .. however with the number of named persons, he can not be passed of as spinning completely.

Well, do recall (as Stoddart himself says) that he and Max have had a major blowup, and he's also calling for Max to go, so it's in his interest to make Max look as bad as possible.

But yes, his account has the ring of truth to it... there are so many things you just couldn't make up, and it dovetails with what we know from others (e.g. the interview with Bernie E.).

K-D wrote: It seem that Stoddard for better and worse, have become the mouthpiece for the GPWC teams .. Personally I think that the FIA are fuming mad corporately speaking, and they want an ounce of flesh from someone.

Interesting speculation about Stoddart. The others are all staying mum, they have more to lose. So perhaps he is the "designated public Max-hate-gatherer"!

As to the second point, Max is definitely out for blood. One only has to look at how badly he leaned on poor Tony George (who had *nothing* to do with all this) - threatening to pull the FIA sanction from all US racing events if they turned the race into a non-Championship event! To penalize yet more people who had nothing to do with this dispute, so that he can "win" here, just shows how power-crazed he has become.

ED, now that people are beginning to be a tad rational about Indy, perhaps we could have a poll, listing the involved parties ?
eg
Max
the FIA...and I would have seperate entities
Charlie Whiting
Michelin
The "M"Teams
Bernie
Ferrari...
Perhaps even combinations as well?

And the question is ? That is the trick, the question!

Who stuffed up, who is to blame, what was the right thing to do, etc ....

julian mayo wrote: perhaps we could have a poll, listing the involved parties?

Well, you may need more than one poll question, too.

E.g. there's the issue of should the Michelin teams have gotten any points, and if not, who's to blame for that. (Clear answer: i) no, and ii) Michelin, 100% - although some people will probably say that the teams bear some of the blame, perhaps for pushing Michelin too hard).

Then there's the question of "why didn't the fans get to see a race", and that's the one where I think there will be disagreement...

julian mayo wrote: Perhaps even combinations as well?

For the latter question I posed, most definitely...

Ed wrote:And the question is ? That is the trick, the question!

Who stuffed up, who is to blame, what was the right thing to do, etc ....

sigh, okay I will do your job...again
questions COULD be
who do you blame?
max?
max and the FIA?
MAX?
michelin?
MaX?
The "M" teams?
mAx ?
Charlie Whiting?
Max?
Bernie?
or
MAX?

julian mayo wrote:

Ed wrote:And the question is ? That is the trick, the question!

Who stuffed up, who is to blame, what was the right thing to do, etc ....

sigh, okay I will do your job...again
questions COULD be
who do you blame?
max?
max and the FIA?
MAX?
michelin?
MaX?
The "M" teams?
mAx ?
Charlie Whiting?
Max?
Bernie?
or
MAX?

How many times can i vote for MAX in this pole