Highlights

Accusations, insults fly as showdown looms

(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-09-15 10:24

The accusations and insults are flying, a sure sign that Formula One's title battle is reaching boiling point.

Renault's world champion Fernando Alonso accuses his Ferrari title rival Michael Schumacher of being the most unsporting driver in the history of the sport, as well as the most successful.

Schumacher's manager Willi Weber says the Spaniard's behaviour is "pitiful" and his comments "totally below the belt".

Renault team boss Flavio Briatore tells reporters that Schumacher lacks star appeal, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo says Briatore talks too much.

Like boxers growling and grimacing at a weigh-in, the posturing is all part of the build-up to the big fight.

Yet there is also genuine bad blood building up between the title contenders.

Alonso is just two points ahead of Schumacher, the seven times champion who is three races away from retirement. Ferrari are three clear of champions Renault in the constructors' standings.

Nothing will be decided at the next race in China but everything will be at stake in Japan and the Oct 22 season-ender in Brazil. Meanwhile, there is controversy and suspicion.

TYRE SUSPICIONS

Renault were aggrieved that their performance-enhancing 'mass damper' system was outlawed in July after being used for more than half the season and questioned the timing of the ban and who triggered it.

In the four races since then, Alonso has taken just 12 points to Schumacher's 27.

They were outraged, along with many others, that Alonso was penalised for allegedly impeding Ferrari's Felipe Massa in qualifying at Monza -- the 25-year-old demoted from fifth to 10th on the starting grid.

Alonso's penalty seemed unfair -- former champion Niki Lauda said it was the craziest decision he had seen in all his years in the sport -- and while Briatore later declared complete faith in the governing body and the race stewards, it was only after he faced possible disrepute charges.

"This is a world championship which has already been decided at the table," he had said.

"They have decided to give the world championship to Schumacher and that is what will be."

Renault's tyre suppliers Michelin, who are leaving the sport at the end of the season after the decision to move to a single supplier in 2008, have also taken issue with Ferrari's partners Bridgestone.

After raising suspicions at Monza, the French company revived them on Wednesday when they circulated a photograph from Saturday of a Bridgestone technician wearing protective clothing -- gloves and apron with ear protectors and face mask dangling around his neck.

He was also eating an ice cream, although that was clearly not the worry.

"Normal working practice for a tyre company at an F1 race consists of fitting, inflating and demounting tyres," Michelin observed in a note. "For these procedures we would not use this type of equipment.

"As regards the practice of dissecting and analysing tyres at the track, this also does not call for this type of equipment.

"According to our own environmental experts, this type of equipment would be required in the case of products giving off fumes or toxic by-products. We do not use any such substance at an F1 race or test track."

The implication was that Bridgestone may have been illegally treating their tyres, a notion that the company emphatically rejected.

"Bridgestone fully cooperated with the FIA and explained the contents of the photo and the safety reasons behind the clothing," a spokesman said.

The FIA said it had no reason to doubt the Japanese tyre maker's explanation. "We are aware of the image and have absolutely no concerns," said a spokesman.

INTENSE SCRUTINY

Such accusations are to be expected when there is so much at stake and everything is under intense scrutiny, anything suspected.

There was a fair amount of needle between Renault and McLaren at the end of last season and two years ago the gloves really came off as Schumacher, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya fought for the title.

Then, it was the legality of the Michelin tyres that was called into question, just as Williams threatened to take Ferrari's title.

Michelin want to go out on a high, just as Schumacher does. He wants the title that Alonso took from him last season and the Spaniard is just as determined to keep it. There is plenty of 'previous' between all sides.

The battle lines are well and truly drawn.