244 replies to this topic

[SophieB]

Jon Noble‏ @NobleF1  2m2 minutes ago

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Surprise news from FIA as F1 technical department chief Marcin Budkowski resigns.

 

Marcin Budkowski, the head of the FIA's F1 technical department, has resigned with immediate effect, leaving the governing body with the challenge of replacing him.

 Budkowski was regarded as a rising star in the FIA, and was a key part of the new generation who will eventually replace the likes of Charlie Whiting and Jo Bauer.

He has now been placed on three months of gardening leave by the FIA. It is not known what his immediate plans are.

 

 

 

 

[Requiem84]

Sounds like he was a naughty boy. 

[SophieB]

Adam Cooper‏ @adamcooperF1  6m

6 minutes ago

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Departure of FIA technical boss Marcin Budkowski is significant - he was being groomed for a big future. FIA has to start looking again

[thegforcemaybewithyou]

Did he try to steer the technical rules into the "wrong" direction?

[SophieB]

My total guess is that he's set to join (or rejoin) one of the teams in due course.

[OO7]

My total guess is that he's set to join (or rejoin) one of the teams in due course.

And with all that insider knowledge, from the teams running technical concepts and current workings by him.

 

So, JJCale, do you think he was a plant?

Edited by OO7, 26 September 2017 - 09:21.

[Graveltrappen]

Wonder if he’ll pop up as part of Ross Brawns crew with liberty... bigger pay cheques

[Joseki]

He's going to be at Mercedes soon. 

[teejay]

Odds are he will be back in a team as of 01/01/18

[Buttoneer]

FIA Presidency candidate?

[pokwa]

He will be at Williams together with Kubica ;)

[f1rules]

well they(williams) could definitly need it, their deroute is remarkable this year, maybe he will rejoin under Paddy Lowe

[RedBaron]

FIA Presidency candidate?

 

He must know being part of the FIA that there's little pointing standing against Todt, would be a waste of his time.

[Nonesuch]

 

"... a key part of the new generation who will eventually replace the likes of Charlie Whiting and Jo Bauer."

 

What's the point of that? These guys are doing such a bang up job.

 

Oh well.

[Dennista]

What's the point of that? These guys are doing such a bang up job.

 

Oh well.

 

Charlie Whiting should have been sacked a decade ago.

[learningtobelost]

And with all that insider knowledge, from the teams running technical concepts and current workings by him.

 

So, JJCale, do you think he was a plant?

 

Most industries that I have worked in have a revolving door of staff between the top companies in that sector and the regulator / rulemaker for that industry. I suspect this plays a large role in the general ineffectiveness of regulators. 

[CoolBreeze]

Great. Now just Whiting and Todt left to get out.

[FullThrottleF1]

Great. Now just Whiting and Todt left to get out.

Not a chance, they'll hold their positions until they have brought f1 to it's knees

[andrewf1]

What if he protested Todt's Halo contraption and got fired for it?

[pacificquay]

As Sophie says it's pretty obvious he will be joining a team.

Poachers always pay more than the gamekeeper.

[kevinracefan]

yeah, and only 3 months gardening leave means he'll be bringing current ideas to whoever's bought him..

[Risil]

He must know being part of the FIA that there's little pointing standing against Todt, would be a waste of his time.

 

As Joe's Award likes to point out, leaders in non-democracies tend to look strong right up until the point when their challenger calculates they have enough private support to displace them. Then they're gone and everyone scrambles to say that the writing had been on the wall.

[RedBaron]

As Joe's Award likes to point out, leaders in non-democracies tend to look strong right up until the point when their challenger calculates they have enough private support to displace them. Then they're gone and everyone scrambles to say that the writing had been on the wall.

 

Has anyone else thrown their hat into the ring yet?

 

Todt did so way back in May; there's only 3 months until the election in December.

[Risil]

Has anyone else thrown their hat into the ring yet?
 
Todt did so way back in May; there's only 3 months until the election in December.

 

I guess Mr Budkowski had better get a move on then!

[RedBaron]

I guess Mr Budkowski had better get a move on then!

 

His 3 month gardening leave would scupper that 

[Risil]

His 3 month gardening leave would scupper that 

 

You've heard of a front-porch campaign? Well, this is a patio campaign.

[Tenmantaylor]

Can't believe they only have 3 month gardening leave. Most major talents in motorsport engineering have 6-12 months. I suppose there isn't much chance of him taking the FIA's ideas elsewhere 

[Timstr11]

He's going to be at Mercedes soon. 

 

Oh please no!

 

The Mclaren suspension blockers were designed under his supervision when he was head of aero at Mclaren.

 

Edited by Timstr11, 26 September 2017 - 17:02.

[ArrowsLivery]

Oh please no!

The Mclaren suspension blockers were designed under his supervision when he was head of aero at Mclaren.

classic McLaren

[kevinracefan]

Can't believe they only have 3 month gardening leave. Most major talents in motorsport engineering have 6-12 months. I suppose there isn't much chance of him taking the FIA's ideas elsewhere 

but he's been in a position to see EVERYBODY else's ideas..  the juicy morsels will be spreading, probably..

[Tenmantaylor]

I would imagine NDAs signed by employees at the FIA, given the fines handed out to McLaren by the FIA, are pretty comprehensive.

[DeKnyff]

but he's been in a position to see EVERYBODY else's ideas..  the juicy morsels will be spreading, probably..

 

I imagine he can have seen everybody else's ideas, but probably not truly in depth.

[New Britain]

I would imagine NDAs signed by employees at the FIA, given the fines handed out to McLaren by the FIA, are pretty comprehensive.

Yes, but of the proprietary ideas that he would have seen, the approved ideas either are now in use and therefore probably no longer confidential or were tried by the applicant and found wanting. The refused ideas are irrelevant because they were ruled illegal.

If there is any scope for him to apply his insider knowledge to his new employment, it would be in devising variations to the proprietary ideas that he saw. With variations, it would be difficult to enforce an NDA.

[MastaKink]

Anytime you sign someone you're getting their knowledge gained from the last job and I don't think this will be any different or he'll be held to a different standard than a Ferrari employee joining Mercedes or vice versa.

 

Wonder where'll go though?.   

[New Britain]

Anytime you sign someone you're getting their knowledge gained from the last job and I don't think this will be any different or he'll be held to a different standard than a Ferrari employee joining Mercedes or vice versa.

 

Wonder where'll go though?.   

Indeed, sometimes the only reason they are being hired is because of the knowledge gained from their last job!

[oetzi]

Yes, but of the proprietary ideas that he would have seen, the approved ideas either are now in use and therefore probably no longer confidential or were tried by the applicant and found wanting. The refused ideas are irrelevant because they were ruled illegal.
If there is any scope for him to apply his insider knowledge to his new employment, it would be in devising variations to the proprietary ideas that he saw. With variations, it would be difficult to enforce an NDA.

I think that's the point

[New Britain]

I think that's the point

That is what I was trying to suggest: that in this case an NDA is probably worth even less than it usually is, which is usually not much.

[weston]

FIA Presidency candidate?

 

Like the idea.

[teejay]

Taking all these ideas to a team in 3 months isn't going to be a massive help given most teams already have a car on paper - unless he has a game changers tucked in his deck of cards. 

[Neno]

I wonder which team. I am asking this because I read interview a while ago from Renault, I even forgot was it  Abiteboul or someone else when they spoke about process of hiring top people in F1. And how hard is it to pry top engineers and staff  from other teams. To a point where given UK rules and gardening rules and how protected contracts are, even though they hired someone for example last year, that person still till this day isnt working in Enstone and will officially join a team soon. (We still dont know in this case who Renault hired.)

 

So I wonder did someone maybe pry this guy a year ago or even year and half, but we are officially now getting news about this guy joining someones team. Just saying this likely was hire which happened sometime ago and not 3 months before season starts. 

Edited by Neno, 27 September 2017 - 01:49.

[Al.]

Can't believe they only have 3 month gardening leave. Most major talents in motorsport engineering have 6-12 months. I suppose there isn't much chance of him taking the FIA's ideas elsewhere 

 

................which is why I suspect this...............

 

Wonder if he’ll pop up as part of Ross Brawns crew with liberty... bigger pay cheques

[jjcale]

And with all that insider knowledge, from the teams running technical concepts and current workings by him.

 

So, JJCale, do you think he was a plant?

 

No idea ...never paid attention to this guy before.,,, and I like a little bit of evidence/information before I get going,... cant "cant connect the dots" if there are no dots that I am aware of. 

 

With that in mind, and realising that we are dealing with a real person and not some undefined "they" - and the very real guy has a very real reputation - I think a small bit of our speculation is a little bit too lurid and suggestive of bad motives/intentions eg being a plant or steering things in a wrong direction ..... as far as I can see we have not much idea what is going on. I dont see a link to an article or any other source except a couple of tweets.

 

So I did a google search and found some articles with no more information than we have in the thread - the only relevant info is he is he used to work for teams as an engineer, has access to sensitive info in his role, and he has been placed on 3 months gardening leave. I can understand why folks would say this suggests he is going to join a team. And that having served 3 months gardening leave he will have no contractual or other difficulty..... I would find that surprising/disappointing as we have seen senior personnel moving between teams tend to serve at least 6 months gardening leave.... I do note the timing of the resignation + gardening leave means that he will have very little to do with designing 2018 ... but, obviously, I have no idea if that is fortuitous or something that has been worked out - though I instinctively suspect the latter as, if the speculation that he is joining a team is right, then the timing is very convenient in terms of avoiding controversy.    

 

The other way of looking at it is that 3 months is shorter than what we have seen for senior personnel so this is possibly just a minimum contractual or agreed period (to make sure all concerned are safe and not sorry in the future) and he is in fact not going to be joining a team.  

 

Impossible to say at this point which speculation is right.

 

Beyond that I dont know what can be said at this time - but I am sure there are folks here who are much better informed (and probably just more clever) ... and so can speculate to a greater degree. But I prefer to wait for more info before going any further. Especially as we are focusing on a single individual and his employment - and he is not a famous person - so it is important to be more careful than usual when doing so. 

 

Sorry to be a wet blanket.

Edited by jjcale, 27 September 2017 - 06:03.

[JonnyJ]

"Looks like FIA tech director Budkowski, who knows all the secrets, was hired by Renault. Other teams worried."

https://twitter.com/...9218571264?s=09

[AustinF1]

As I'm sure some of you know after watching Sky's coverage of FP1, there was a meeting in the Williams team building right after the session ended. In attendance were Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe, Bob Fernley, Christian Horner and Maurizio Arrivabene. I could have sworn I heard Ted say someone from McLaren was in attendance, but I can't find a photo that confirms that.

Apparently it was pretty important, because Horner skipped a scheduled Sky interview in the paddock in order to attend.

So, what was it all about? Speculation ranges from $$ distribution, to a $$ cap, to the new engine formula...

I'll hang up and listen for now.

[AustinF1]

Ah, I was just thinking about this...

 

Tobi Grüner   @tgruener

Looks like FIA tech director Budkowski, who knows all the secrets, was hired by Renault. Other teams worried.

 

Jason Swales @Jason_A_Swales

Probably why quite a few of the team principals met after FP1????

[Marklar]

Oh god. This is hilarious

Merge with this?

http://forums.autosp...s/#entry8113424

Edited by Marklar, 29 September 2017 - 06:08.

[Yoshi]

I assume as well its related to Marcin Budkowski. Based on AMuS and their information from an paddock expert, he will take an uper management role within Renault. They are scared because he knows all the requets which the teams made for 2018.

Edited by Yoshi, 29 September 2017 - 06:08.

[AustinF1]

Oh god. This is hilarious

Merge with this?

http://forums.autosp...s/#entry8113424

Not yet, imho. That may be what the meeting was about, but we don't really know.

[peroa]

Well, it is completely unacceptable that he is allowed to work with a current team after just three months of gardening leave.

Edited by peroa, 29 September 2017 - 06:12.

[Yoshi]

Well, it is completely unacceptable that he is allowed to work with a current team after just three months of gardening leave.

I would also agree it should be 12 months. But with the swiss laws the max is just three months.