F1 World Championship 2007 Thread

[Glassed Silver]

new "rumor" (they cast it as "according to our information" news) is that mclaren mercedes has to pay €100m + lose their points in the constructor's championship '07 (meaning they are not disqualified and the drivers still earn points)

this is whats being broadcasted on n-tv, a german news channel.

Glassed Silver:mac

[Fergie]

new "rumor" (they cast it as "according to our information" news) is that mclaren mercedes has to pay ?100m + lose their points in the constructor's championship '07 (meaning they are not disqualified and the drivers still earn points)

this is whats being broadcasted on n-tv, a german news channel.Glassed Silver:maci>

Just heard that on BBC news (TV) too.

[ahmz]

McLaren hit by constructors' ban

McLaren have been stripped of their points in the 2007 Formula One constructors' championship after the outcome of the 'spygate' row.

The team was also hit with a record $100m (?49.2m) fine but drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will be allowed to keep their points.

The team must also prove there is no Ferrari 'intellectual property' in its cars next eyar before they can race.

McLaren team chief Ron Dennis is due to speak at a 1915 BST news conference.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport...one/6991147.stm

============

McLaren loses all constructors' points

Thursday, 13, September, 2007, 18:38

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has disqualified McLaren from the 2007 constructors' championship and fined the team $100 million, but Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can continue to battle for the drivers' crown.

After a day of deliberations at the hearing in Paris, the governing body decided to punish the team for breaking the sporting regulations by possessing confidential Ferrari data.

But while the decision to exclude McLaren from the constructors' contest hands that title to Ferrari, McLaren's drivers have not received any penalty.

Hamilton and Alonso's battle for the world championship will therefore continue unaffected in the remaining four rounds.

The team's $100 million fine is the largest in motorsport history.

McLaren will also have to present its 2008 car for examination by the FIA before the start of next season.

The team is due to address the media in Paris within the next hour.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40651

Edited September 13, 2007 by Ahmz055

[Fourjays Veteran]

What I expected.

It makes a bit of a mockery of the application of rules however. In 2004, Toyota not only stole (not given, stole) Ferrari documents, but ran races with cars largely created from the documents! Punishment? None.

If this had been Spyker and Super Aguri, I doubt if we'd have even heard about it, let alone seen a punishment. :-/

[.mcman]

fuh, I'm just glad McLaren haven't been excluded from 2008 wc... :|

[Glassed Silver]

What I expected.

It makes a bit of a mockery of the application of rules however. In 2004, Toyota not only stole (not given, stole) Ferrari documents, but ran races with cars largely created from the documents! Punishment? None.

If this had been Spyker and Super Aguri, I doubt if we'd have even heard about it, let alone seen a punishment. :-/

your wtf +1

i call this punishment ridiculous...

ive always hated the FiA... FiA, RIAA, MPAA, GEMA are in one row for me for the most annoying org's that i know of...

Glassed Silver:mac

[kyro]

:lol: .......haaaahaaa.........its like Mclaren is being run by Zorro .

now somebody edit out the Constructors poll :rofl:

[Fergie]

If this had been Spyker and Super Aguri, I doubt if we'd have even heard about it, let alone seen a punishment. :-/

Thats what Ecclestone said to ITV on Sunday.

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

100 million... OUCH!! unfair ! i know i am a mclaren fan boy but that is a bit extreme

[digitalsoft]

I heard about this earlier today but i just watched a McLaren funding segment on ITV news, they spend $300 a year so $100 is a hell of a lot really... (i know it is a lot of money anyway but i always thought they spent more than that in F1)

[.kvn]

McLaren and Ron Dennis will not let this ruling pass them by. The whole episode stinks of corruption.

Edited September 13, 2007 by .kvn

[Fourjays Veteran]

Thats what Ecclestone said to ITV on Sunday.

He pretty much did. As far as I remember, he was only referring to the media attention. I doubt if the FIA would even get involved if it happened. Which is what annoys me most about the ruling - the rule hasn't been fairly applied to all teams.

McLaren has raised questions about the rival Renault team with Formula 1?s governing body, it emerged on Tuesday, as its own fate hangs in the balance ahead of Thursday?s FIA World Motor Sport Council hearing into the espionage case.

Rumours have been gathering pace since the Italian Grand Prix that the Woking squad is planning to argue as part of its defence case that if it is considered culpable and deserving of punishment then so should several rival teams.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40629

A few days old, but interesting nonetheless. Hope something comes of it.

[bayrider]

Looks like this ruling is only going to open a can of worms

[kyro]

yes, all nasty mclaren worms.

[arrrgh]

Eh, they were lucky to get only fined, banning Mclaren from F1 for this and next season would have been possible too and was very close according to Ecclestone's comments.

Comparing this to the Toyota scandal is apples/oranges deal, Toyota used several years old data and it did abysmally that season, clearly not gaining any benefit from stolen data. Mclaren got their hands on fresh data and even information about planned pit stops..

[Fourjays Veteran]

Comparing this to the Toyota scandal is apples/oranges deal, Toyota used several years old data and it did abysmally that season, clearly not gaining any benefit from stolen data.

They were still in possession of the data from another team (which is what McLaren are being punished for), so Toyota should have at least been disqualified and fined $100 million. Considering they actually built the car from them, they should have been banned for 2 years as McLaren were threatened.

Article 151c:

c) Any fraudulent conduct or any act prejudicial to the interests of any competition or to the interests of motor sport generally.

They may not have been fighting Ferrari for the championship, but the prize money goes all the way down to 10th. Unless all the teams around them in the championship also duplicated Ferraris, it could only be "prejudicial to the interests of any competition". Not to Ferrari, but to those around them fighting for the prize money still worth many millions.

[Glassed Silver]

They were still in possession of the data from another team (which is what McLaren are being punished for), so Toyota should have at least been disqualified and fined $100 million. Considering they actually built the car from them, they should have been banned for 2 years as McLaren were threatened.

Article 151c:

They may not have been fighting Ferrari for the championship, but the prize money goes all the way down to 10th. Unless all the teams around them in the championship also duplicated Ferraris, it could only be "prejudicial to the interests of any competition". Not to Ferrari, but to those around them fighting for the prize money still worth many millions.

QFT

Glassed Silver:mac

[.mcman]

I hate what they did to bus stop.

old -

new - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLvw3YVLdzY

[Andre]

How the heck could Hamilton and Alonso still be allowed to battle for the world championship when they drive cars that use technology that was apparently spied on. Not that I have anything against these two, but it doesn't make any sense.

[.mcman]

^ There is no proof that they are using information which some crazy idiot from Ferrari gave to his stupid friend in McLaren.

[.mcman]

Belgian GP Qualifying Results

[Nicholas-c Veteran]

a ferrari 1,2 - seems quite different than last week ;)

[Rafyelzz]

Look at the differences between times from 1st to 3rd, 0,1 secs. Alonso > Hamilton. Not differences between cars in this champ

[Fourjays Veteran]

How the heck could Hamilton and Alonso still be allowed to battle for the world championship when they drive cars that use technology that was apparently spied on. Not that I have anything against these two, but it doesn't make any sense.

The use of information was not pertaining to parts on the car, but rather information about how to Ferrari got the most out of the Bridgestone tyres. Which McLaren designers/engineers used to get the McLaren working well on the Bridgestone tyres earlier in the season than they should have been able to.

Hamilton and Alonso were not punished as the drivers were offered immunity for giving evidence. Basically, being allowed to compete for the championship is the drivers "reward" for giving evidence.

[profets]

a ferrari 1,2 - seems quite different than last week ;)

not so different than 2 races ago..