Martin Brundle has hit out at the FIA following confirmation on Friday that the sports governing body is to start legal proceedings against
The Sunday Times following its reporting into the
F1 spying saga.
The row concerns an article dated September 9 - the day of Italian Grand Prix - wrote by Brundle, which is now noted by
The Times on its website
www.timesonline.co.uk as being subject to a legal complaint.
In it Brundle wrote that the FIA was engaged in a 'witch-hunt against the McLaren-Mercedes team'.
Responding in his latest column in the British 'paper today [December 9], the ex-
Formula 1 driver said that French writ was clearly 'a warning sign to other journalists and publications to choose their words carefully' over the latest spy ruling reached against
Renault, which he believes 'makes no sense'.
"The timing of the writ is significant, in my view, given the
FIA's decision to find Renault guilty of having significant
McLaren designs and information within their systems, but not administering any penalty," he wrote.
"It is a warning sign to other journalists and publications to choose their words carefully over that decision. I'm tired of what I perceive as the “spin” and tactics of the FIA press office, as are many other journalists.
"I expect my accreditation pass for next year will be hindered in some way to make my coverage of F1 more difficult and to punish me. Or they will write to
ITV again to say that my commentary is not up to standard despite my unprecedented six Royal Television Society Awards for sports broadcasting. So be it."
Brundle also went on to add that he is well qualified to talk about Formula 1 given he raced in the sport from 1984 to 1996 and given he has now been commentating on it for so long.
"As a former
Formula One driver, I have earned the right to have an opinion about the sport, and probably know as much about it as anybody else," he added. "I have attended approaching 400 grands prix, 158 as a driver.
