[Anonymous]

I haven’t seen too many articles about this, but apparently it was first reported five days ago: Joe Saward and David Tremayne are named in Companies House records as being on the Caterham Cars Group Limited board of directors:

http://skiddmark.com/2012/03/joe-saward-and-david-tremayne-become-directors-of-caterham-group/

http://skiddmark.com/2012/03/where-experience-counts-in-f1-joe-saward-and-caterham/

(No need to take anyone’s word for it, though — you can go to the Companies House site and see for yourself.)

I can count on no hands the number of times I’ve seen an F1 journalist declare a potential conflict of interest in an article, and I’m guessing no one is likely to start now. Besides, according to that second post I link to above, we shouldn’t care: any F1 journalist worth reading has some sort of commercial involvement with the sport. Okay, then!

[BasCB]

I must say I was a bit surprised by that one as well @aka_robyn,

Besides, according to that second post I link to above, we shouldn’t care: any F1 journalist worth reading has some sort of commercial involvement with the sport.

I did get a hunch about both of them being close to Fernandes when Tremayne was named as one of the witnesses to testify in favour of the then Team Lotus. I think it does matter and should be clearly stated.
Its like one of the quality newspapers I read, every time they write something about someone or a party that is somehow connected (same owners, working for those, etc.) they state that fact in the opening of their article.

[Anonymous]

Yes, exactly! If the only way you can know enough to write knowledgeably about the sport is to be commercially involved,* as that post I linked to said, then I think the least we should be able to expect is a disclosure statement when it’s relevant. I really can’t remember ever seeing a single one.

*And I don’t really buy that.

[Alianora La Canta]

I think there are so many personal and commercial ties in F1 that if everyone did a completely useful declaration of interests, it would end up longer than many of the articles that are produced. Commercial interests should be declared where relevant to the article though, since that is a journalistic standard to which other branches of the profession subscribe.

[Anonymous]

Commercial interests should be declared where relevant to the article though, since that is a journalistic standard to which other branches of the profession subscribe.

I really don’t think that’s too much to ask for, and I just don’t understand why it’s rare to nonexistent in F1 journalism. Is it because it’s “just a sport” and the stakes are therefore not very high? Well, I suppose that’s true, but I still find it annoying. I like to have a clear idea of whether I’m reading straightforward reporting, some form of PR, or something in-between.

[Author]

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