"It wouldn't have been like this in Max Mosley's day," has been a familiar refrain over the years since the more passive Jean Todt took up office as FIA president.
Never has a remark been more apt than over the course of the past few months, as the FIA has performed more u-turns than a stunt driver involved in the making of a Fast & Furious movie.
We've seen a volte face on the qualifying format, radio restrictions, track limits and the halo cockpit protection device. It leaves you wondering - and not for the first time - who really controls Formula 1: the teams or the FIA?