Politics on the fast lane

As Jenson Button make...

Wha? Oh...you think I was going to talk about politics? The 'real' politics (how ironic seeing not much is real in politics)? Nah, I was going to talk about the politics on the fast lane...the Formula One lane that is. So as I was saying...

As Jenson Button makes the headlines all this week, thanks to his presumed illegal switch to English based Williams, I stop and wonder 'does F1 has politics too?'. One editorial at Planet F1.com (read Did Jenson remember the Webber factor?) gave me a few hint about the thought. And yes...there is politics. It's been at my face the whole time, only I was to 'fresh' to realize. And yes...there is.

One example, which I have been dreading for long, is the fact that two driver of a team cannot be an equal partner. One must be the #1, while the other must be #2. Although the most debated example of this subject is those of Ferrari, I would not go there. Instead, I would take the example those of Renault. The news of Jarno Trulli leaving Renault was not as publicised as Jenson Button leaving BAR, but the reason is a good example of this subject. Why did Jarno Trulli decide to leave? Despite holding the number 7 and winning the Monaco Grand Prix, he is second to Fernando Alonso. This fact is not loudly acknowledge, but it is silently.

The editorial I mentioned above also has some saying about the subject of "#1 and #2". Before Jenson Button make his switch, Mark Webber already become the proud driver of Williams. Mark Webber, as pointed by the main man of Williams, will be the #1 driver (he has class bla bla bla). If Jenson does move to Williams, he would be #2. I read in one of the article, somebody at Williams said that Mark Webber need a partner to 'beat', someone who 'will not pose a threat' (that somebody also said something like 'someone like Jarno Trulli'...up yours, man!). Like the the editorial's writer, I would ask the same question 'why on earth does Jenson Button want to play second fiddle for Williams?'. Being #2 driver isn't that bad if you have Micheal Schumacher as partner (read How To Love Michael Schumacher). But if somebody important already said those things...why would you be the second driver? And drop all the glory of #1 driver at the other end of the tug o'war (read Jenson - The Tug Of Love Driver). This is complicated.

It is even more complicated than football. *Phew* I only had two paragraph and I'm beat already. So why did I turn on Formula One, you may ask? Well, despite it has an ugly part of political havoc and mayhem, it's still the most exciting one-seated motor racing ever.

(But I'll be back to football as soon as the Italian Serie A starts their first kick-offs. Politics schmolitics.)