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Sept 6, 2007 12:36:39 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 6, 2007 12:36:39 GMT
Okay, this has been going for some time and, quite honestly, is boring me, but now things seem to be getting serious, and I'm actually starting to believe there might be penalties imposed after all. I honestly don't think McLaren deserve the punishment that's being threatened, but then it's not up to me, is it? From www.planetf1.comMcLaren and Lewis Hamilton are facing the serious threat of exclusion from the Formula One World Championship as new evidence has surfaced in the 'spy' saga.
McLaren and Ferrari were due to attend a Court of Appeal hearing in Paris next Thursday after the Italian marque appealed the World Council of Motorsport's decision to impose no sanction on their Woking-based rivals.
However, with the emergence of new evidence, this meeting will no longer take place and instead a second hearing will take place a week from today.
None of the parties have yet indicated what the new evidence is, but after the first hearing in July, the FIA did say that the WMSC's decision was far from final.
Their statement at the time read: "If it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite McLaren back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship, but also the 2008 championship."
The second hearing in Paris is dismal news for McLaren as they face the ignominy of being thrown out of this season's Championship as well as next.
This is a major blow for World Championship elect Lewis Hamilton, as the British rookie currently holds the lead in the title race.
However, the status of the Constructors' title is also in the balance, as McLaren's 11-points cushion over Ferrari could be nullified by the sport's governing body. The "new evidence" appears to be (though I'm not 100% certain) this mysterious white powder that has now been found on Stepney's clothes which they believe to be some kind of detergent. The trial will determine what exactly is it and it's effect on a car. What I don't understand is why McLaren are the ones thought to be in the wrong when all the evidence indicates the problem is with Ferrari. Though I do wonder how and why they got Stepney's trousers.
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Sept 6, 2007 15:56:16 GMT
Post by Deleted on Sept 6, 2007 15:56:16 GMT
The second hearing in Paris is dismal news for McLaren as they face the ignominy of being thrown out of this season's Championship as well as next. Oh right, FOCA is going to allow one of its leading teams to be thrown-out of F1 for two seasons. They already struggle to have enough competitive cars on the grid, so this strikes me as load of hot air. Furthermore, should the FIA be pontificating about potential punishments when they'll shortly be sitting in judgement on said party? It's either media bollocks, or someone has overstepped the mark in the FIA.
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Sept 7, 2007 8:35:13 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 7, 2007 8:35:13 GMT
The second hearing in Paris is dismal news for McLaren as they face the ignominy of being thrown out of this season's Championship as well as next. Oh right, FOCA is going to allow one of its leading teams to be thrown-out of F1 for two seasons. They already struggle to have enough competitive cars on the grid, so this strikes me as load of hot air. Furthermore, should the FIA be pontificating about potential punishments when they'll shortly be sitting in judgement on said party? It's either media bollocks, or someone has overstepped the mark in the FIA. I'm in agreement there, especially in light of today's news (to follow.) As far as I understand it, after McLaren were found guilty, Max Mosely thought they should have been punished so he (and the FIA) pushed through the appeal. In light of the new evidence (Stepney and the powder) the WMSC are pursuing this case, and Mosely retracted his appeal, so as far as I can see it's nothing to do with the FIA legally. But read this (from planetf1): Fernando Alonso could be the key witness in the FIA's spy case against McLaren after reportedly revealing the team used Ferrari's set-up back in March.
The FIA shocked the F1 fraternity earlier this week by announcing that, instead of an appeal hearing into McLaren's part in Stepneygate taking place next Thursday, a fresh hearing will be held.
Motorsport's governing body claimed they had received new information, and it now appears that it may have been handed to them by Alonso and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa.
According to The Times, Alonso together with Pedro de la Rosa and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton were approached by the FIA asking them to disclose anything untoward in the spy scandal that they may have knowledge of.
'In addition to appealing to them to co-operate with the FIA's investigation, it is thought to have promised them amnesty from punishment should any disclosures they make lead to sanctions against McLaren,' the newspaper reports.
'The Times understands that the FIA's inquiries and the subsequent responses concerned an e-mail exchange between de la Rosa and Alonso that allegedly included sensitive technical information garnered from Ferrari via Mike Coughlan, the McLaren chief designer who has been suspended.'
The information allegedly dates back to the start of the season in March, once again extending the timetable for the saga beyond the April date when Coughlan is known to have received an 780-page dossier of Ferrari's technical secrets.
And, according to the Daily Mail, the information relates to McLaren making use of Ferrari's set-up for their own cars.
'The precise details of the emails are unclear, but it appears that they relate to Ferrari's car set-up. That would mean McLaren could have gained a performance advantage in their own car - flying in the face of their previous denials,' it reports.
The latest twist in this saga could spell disaster for Alonso's McLaren career, who is already on the rocks following comments about being unhappy from the Spaniard and an on-going fued with his team-mate Hamilton.
However, the Mail claims the Spaniard is 'expected to claim that he had no choice but to comply with the FIA's invitation to respond, though why they thought to question him in the first place remains a moot point.' Looks to me like they've bullied the drivers into a confession, saying they won't personally get punished if they give information. But if Alonso harboured any hopes of staying with McLaren he's well and truly blown it now. And just to add insult to injury McLaren have been fined 50,000 US dollars (£25,000) by race stewards for a gearbox infringement during the Hungarian Grand Prix earlier this month.
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Sept 7, 2007 11:20:34 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 7, 2007 11:20:34 GMT
And the saga continues: Fernando Alonso has strenuously denied reports claiming that he has provided the FIA with the information needed to launch a fresh hearing into McLaren's role in Stepneygate.
In the latest twist in the spy scandal, the FIA has allegedly obtained information against McLaren from an e-mail exchange between Alonso and the team's test driver Pedro de la Rosa.
The e-mails allegedly made reference to McLaren making use of Ferrari's set-up for their own cars as early as March this year. If the reports are to be believed the e-mail exchange could result in McLaren being excluded from this year's World Championship - and bring an end to Alonso's stay at the Woking team.
The Spaniard, though, denies that he has any involvement in the FIA's new evidence against McLaren.
"This is a lie," he said.
Alonso also refuted suggestions that he wants to see McLaren sanctioned in order to be free to leave the team at the end of the season.
"No way," he told Spanish daily AS.
"I believe that if they (the WMSC) sanction the team they sanction me. I am part of the team and we would share the same problem.
"We are here do win the World title for Drivers' and Constructors'.
"We are leading the two and there is no person in the team who thinks that they are going to sanction us or something is going to happen." From www.planetf1.com
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Sept 7, 2007 18:21:43 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 7, 2007 18:21:43 GMT
And here's "The Letter".
31 August 2007
Dear Mr De La Rosa
As you will be aware, the FIA has recently investigated whether, how and to what extent McLaren was in possession of confidential Ferrari technical information. The FIA has subsequently been made aware of an allegation that one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession, or that such drivers have recently been in possession, of written evidence relevant to this investigation.
In the interests of the sport and the Championship it is important that the FIA as the regulator establishes unequivocally and rapidly whether or not this allegation has any basis in fact.
The FIA therefore formally requests that you produce copies of any relevant documents which may be in your possession or power of procurement and which may be relevant to this case. For these purposes "documents" includes all written materials such as emails, letters, electronic communications, text messages, notes, memoranda, drawings, diagrams, data, or other material, stored in any physical, "hard copy" or electronic form.
In particular (though without limiting the generality of this request), the FIA wishes to receive copies of any electronic communications (howsoever conveyed or stored) which may be relevant to this case and which make reference to Ferrari, Nigel Stepney or any technical or other information coming from or connected with either Ferrari or Mr Stepney.
In the event that you are aware of the existence or previous existence of any document falling within the above description but are not in a position to produce it, please describe the content of the document in question, the circumstances under which it came to your knowledge and the reasons why you are unable to produce it.
In the event that you are unsure as to whether any document falls within the above description, kindly submit it (or a description of it) and the FIA will assist in making a determination. You will appreciate that there is a duty on all competitors and Super Licence holders to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula One World Championship.
It is therefore imperative that if you do have any such information, you make it available to us without delay. I can confirm, given the importance of this issue, that any information you may make available in response to this letter will not result in any proceedings against you under the International Sporting Code or the Formula One regulations. However, in the event that it later comes to light that you have withheld any potentially relevant information, serious consequences could follow.
We are sending identical letters to Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for your co-operation.
Yours sincerely
Max Mosley
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Sept 8, 2007 9:16:55 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 8, 2007 9:16:55 GMT
Finally, a sensible rule: Formula One's qualifying format will be changed slightly next season as the F1 teams agreed to drop the fuel-burning stage in Q3. Renault's head of engineering Pat Symonds revealed on Friday that F1's Sporting Working Group had met earlier this week to discuss changes to qualifying. The one alteration agreed by a majority vote was to drop the fuel-burning phase by reducing the time of the final qualifying segment and stopping the current system of giving fuel credit back to the drivers. "The Sporting Working Group met here in Monza on Wednesday and among the items on the agenda was a proposal that just slightly modified the qualifying procedure, but in so doing got rid of the fuel-burning laps," Symonds said. "The way it did it was to have a more limited time in Q3 in the final part of qualifying and to still re-fuel before that so you still had to put in the fuel that would do your qualifying and your race, but because the qualifying was shorter and because you got no credit back on Sunday morning, you simply put in what you needed for qualifying and the race. "That achieved a majority vote in favour of it and it will therefore go to the World Council for their October meeting for application next year." From www.planetf1.com
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Sept 9, 2007 10:20:40 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 9, 2007 10:20:40 GMT
From www.planetf1.comMcLaren have been served notice they are under investigation by Modena prosecutors in relation to the 'spygate' affair. McLaren officials were visited by officers of the court at the team's £10million brand centre in the Formula One paddock at Monza on Saturday night ahead of Sunday's Italian Grand Prix. The incident came within hours of McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton locking out the front row of the grid for the race. A McLaren spokesman confirmed: "The team was informed on Saturday evening by Modena magistrates they are involved in an ongoing investigation." Criminal proceedings are active against Nigel Stepney, who was sacked by Ferrari from his role as head of performance development in July. Stepney is being investigated for allegedly sabotaging the team's cars ahead of the Monaco Grand Prix in May. A mysterious white powder was apparently discovered around the petrol caps of the cars driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen days before the race in Monte Carlo. Stepney is also accused of passing on a 780-page technical dossier to McLaren's suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan, although he has strongly protested his innocence in both cases. McLaren face a second World Motor Sport Council hearing in Paris on Thursday after new evidence recently surfaced into the fact they were caught in possession of the technical information. The team were found guilty of fraudulent conduct, but no penalty was imposed due to insufficient evidence. The latest allegation reportedly centres around an email exchange between Alonso and test driver Pedro de la Rosa.
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Sept 13, 2007 15:07:00 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 13, 2007 15:07:00 GMT
Mike Coughlan has finally spoken publicly about the Stepneygate scandal, saying he did receive Ferrari's secrets from Nigel Stepney and he did tell McLaren CEO Martin Whitmarsh about it and even drew drawings for Paddy Lowe, McLaren's engineering director.
The hearing is today with the outcome expected late this afternoon, but reports are there has already been heated debates today. Hamilton is acting as a character witness for Ron Dennis, but while the rest of the McLaren team are in Paris, Alonso is testing at Spa.
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Sept 17, 2007 11:43:36 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 17, 2007 11:43:36 GMT
India will be a new addition to the GP circuit in 2010 with two potential sites being named in New Delhi - Sohna, which is south west of the capital, and Greater Noida, to the east of the city.
The first race has been finalised and they are hoping for a 10 year deal.
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Sept 18, 2007 20:31:52 GMT
Post by schumi on Sept 18, 2007 20:31:52 GMT
What's going on in the sport?
Honda allegedly attempted to sabotage Super Aguri's Belgian GP but giving, what is effectively their B-team, the wrong front wings.
According to reports, Honda are struggling to deal with the fact that Super Aguri have outscored them so far this season despite racing last year's Honda.
With three races remaining on this year's calendar Honda have bagged just two points while Super Aguri have double that amount.
And Honda are reportedly fighting back.
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Sept 18, 2007 21:50:09 GMT
Post by donsking on Sept 18, 2007 21:50:09 GMT
What's going on in the sport? Honda allegedly attempted to sabotage Super Aguri's Belgian GP but giving, what is effectively their B-team, the wrong front wings. According to reports, Honda are struggling to deal with the fact that Super Aguri have outscored them so far this season despite racing last year's Honda. With three races remaining on this year's calendar Honda have bagged just two points while Super Aguri have double that amount. And Honda are reportedly fighting back. Nothing's going on that hasn't always gone on, it's just that now, in the media intrusive world we live in, we get to hear it about. If there's a downside to the internet, it's that there are thousands of places like this, where you can overhear a conversation, see something happen, or hear a rumour from what you think is a reliable source, and be spreading it all round the world in minutes. I did something on my radio show a couple of weeks ago that, a few years ago, just the radio listeners in my area would've known about; now, because of the net, loads of people heard it, and it was on it's third page on a public discussion forum before I even got home. It's very hard to keep a secret these days, so, quite often, it's not worth the effort of trying. Oh, and of course it creates column inches and, as they say, all publicity is good publicity when it keeps you in the public eye.
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Sept 19, 2007 11:10:58 GMT
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2007 11:10:58 GMT
Oh, and of course it creates column inches and, as they say, all publicity is good publicity when it keeps you in the public eye. And let's face it, F1 shenanigans are hardly stuff of national security. I think some figures in F1 have a vastly inflated sense of their own importance in the grand scale of things.
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Oct 1, 2007 15:30:53 GMT
Post by schumi on Oct 1, 2007 15:30:53 GMT
Stewards have deemed that Toro Rosso's Vitantonio Liuzzi overtook under yellow flags in Fuji and have demoted him one place, meaning he and the team lose their only world championship point which goes to Spyker and Adrian Sutil. Toro Rosso are going to appeal.
More disappointment for the team because Vettel has received a ten place gird penalty for the next race for causing the accident with Mark Webber behind the safety car.
Ralf Schumacher has confirmed he won't be at Toyota next year, but we all knew that anyway, whilst Alonso and Jean Todt have denied Fernando will drive in the Ferrari. In fact, Todt says there is 0% chance. Bernie has suggested McLaren may hold him to his contract but not employ his services, effectively making him unemployed for a year, though he would be paid, but Alonso denies this.
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Oct 4, 2007 7:56:58 GMT
Post by schumi on Oct 4, 2007 7:56:58 GMT
McLaren have reportedly identified Nico Rosberg as Fernando Alonso's replacement for next season. The Spaniard is almost certain to depart the team at the end of the current campaign after his relationship with the Woking-based outfit collapsed. With McLaren thus requiring a new team-mate for Lewis Hamilton, The Daily Mail claims that 'Williams' own golden boy Rosberg is McLaren boss Ron Dennis' No 1 choice. 'He fits the bill: his German nationality makes him the perfect replacement for McLaren's engine suppliers Mercedes. Nicknamed 'Britney' by fellow drivers, he is also highly marketable.' However, the newspaper says that 'one obstacle could be his father Keke, who might prove reluctant for his son, impressing in his second season in Formula One, to link up with Hamilton who had the measure of him in karting.' Another could be his contractual obligations to Williams. Team boss Sir Frank Williams recently described Rosberg as a "a fixture for next year" and vowed to retain the 22-year-old. 'Another option is Renault's Heikki Kovalainen, second to Hamilton in last weekend's Japanese GP. The Hamilton camp would welcome the 26-year-old Finn and he could yet form part of Alonso's severance deal,' says the Mail. According to the rumour mill, Alonso would move back to Renault with Kovalainen moving in the opposite direction. Nelson Piquet junior would then be appointed Alonso's team-mate. From: wwwplanetf1.com No sign of Button then.
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Oct 4, 2007 12:32:43 GMT
Post by Genghis on Oct 4, 2007 12:32:43 GMT
No sign of Button then. Schumi - not YET, no!!! ;D ;D
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