First we had conspiracy theories regarding the dramatically improved performances of the Force Indias, the Toyotas and the BMWs during Saturday qualifying, which produced an unusual-looking grid for Sunday's race.
Now we learn that the FIA, F1's governing body, is investigating claims that Renault allegedly tried to fix the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.
Well, call me naive but I'm not buying it. In the case of the weekend just gone, the unusual performances can be explained by virtue of the fact that these latest F1 cars, which are the result of the biggest rule changes in the sport in over a quarter of a century, had never before visited Spa, a circuit of unique characteristics. It's like Andy Murray going from grass to clay – you need time to adapt and time is the one thing F1 teams don't have any more with in-season testing banned.
Besides, how would you actually go about fixing a grid in such a manner?
Stickier tyres? Higher revving engines? Less/more ballast? Those scenarios would require the complicity of Bridgestone, mechanics/team personnel, the FIA. It would be impossible to keep such subterfuge under wraps. Not everyone would be comfortable working as part of a charade and a whistle-blower would quickly emerge.
The Renault allegations are far more credible, although once again I find them very hard to stand up. From a driver's perspective, it is certainly technically possible. It's not hard to crash a car and if you hit the barriers side-on, as Nelson Piquet did in Singapore, then it would be fairly low impact and not too dangerous for him.
Morally, though, it is off the scale. In order to keep the safety car out for any length of time Renault would have needed to choose a place on the track where the marshals could not get to quickly.
It would also have needed the complicity of a number of people – the only evidence I can envisage would be radio communications, which are openly available to the FIA and the team. Someone would surely have said something by now. As I say, I don't buy it.
In any case, it is a shame that such speculation is detracting from what was another incredible weekend. Jenson Button's 'yips', as I described them last week, continue and there is no question now that his performance levels have dropped. Rubens Barrichello is showing him what the Brawn car can do; Jenson just isn't delivering at the same level.
I don't know why that is. It may be that Rubens' vast experience in terms of feedback to engineers is coming to the fore now. Or it may be that the pressure of leading is subconsciously distracting Jenson from his best.
I found Ross Brawn's comments in the aftermath of the race instructive. He said Jenson needed to get used to dealing with the pressure. Now I was never in the position Jenson finds himself in so I can only surmise what it must feel like to see your championship lead tumbling with each passing race, but I can certainly understand how frustrating it must be to have your motivation or ability questioned by journalists.
But pressure is the name of the game and Jenson must rise to it. Let's not forget, his drives early in the season bore comparison with Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. He has not lost that ability overnight and he can regain it in Italy.
Monza presents another unique set of problems. It is a very low downforce circuit, it will be hotter... God knows who will finish on top there, but I wouldn't rule out another race like the one we just saw with the likes of Force India and Ferrari on top.
Mind you, that would not necessarily be bad news for Jenson, who just needs to keep finishing in the points. With five races to go it could not be more fascinatingly poised.
By: David Coulthard
Source
" I wonder if this would still crop up as controversy if Piquet still happens to be Alonso's teammate. "
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