F1 FIA versus McLaren Fiasco Thread

[450SEL6.9]

“The government has lost its virginity over the Olympics. The grand prix is far more important. If Britain loses it, the government will have to take the blame,” he said.

That is so true. I believe motorsport employs more people in Britain, part and full-time, than football. Yet it does not seem to get as much support when needed. Silverstone and the British GP could easily have become the Substitute your favorite oil-rich country GP by now.

Max has also made some great comments about a certain retired multiple time WDC, calling him a halfwit!

 

[Imhotep Evil]

>



> And Mosley also banned the active ride cars witch lead to the accidents and deaths of 94 (for witch I'd launch criminal procedure against him).

Then he f***** up the onset flow thru regulation to the wings and rear diffuser
and he destroyed mecanical grip with the narrow track grooves regulations (the active suspension ban influenced both mecanical and aerodynamics).

Basically he's the worst thing to happen in the history of Grand Prix racing.

On the Stewart comment I agree tough. I would also add Lauda to that.

But I also agree with Stewart's comment
"It seems some of the most powerful people (in F1) are more aligned to Ferrari. There are more Ferrari representatives on the World Council than anybody else."

 

[PanterroR]

Todt slams Stepney as spy saga sizzles again

''We all have some personal responsibilities''

Mere hours after Nigel Stepney threatened to sensationally re-open the espionage affair, Ferrari boss Jean Todt says the sacked employee 'lost his head'.

Michael Schumacher's former chief mechanic Stepney is accused of triggering the spying affair with deliberate acts of espionage and sabotage, but - as the saga calmed down in the wake of McLaren's $100m fine and championship exclusion - he revealed this week that Ron Dennis' team may not be the only guilty party.

Stepney told the website Grandprix.com that the transfer of information between Ferrari and McLaren had not been one way, and that he received from Mike Coughlan details about McLaren's pit strategies, test programmes, fuel levels, weight distribution, and various other aspects of the MP4-22.

After the revelation, Ferrari boss Jean Todt described the Briton as a 'difficult character' whose unhappiness increased when he did not receive the promotion he wanted following the departure of Ross Brawn.

"I was never expecting the guy to lose his head," Todt said in an interview with The Times.

"He lost his head, that's all.Unfortunately, sometimes you have people who lose the sense of things and it's a shame because we all have some personal responsibilities.

"You should have some limits, some discipline, and he did not know how to place limits on himself and the problem is that there is a high price to pay."

Todt insists, however, that Ferrari has no reason to fear Stepney's accusations, despite news recently that the Briton's planned autobiography was quickly pulled from publication without explanation.

Todt said: "I have read so many times 'wait until you know all what Ferrari has been doing', but I'm quite (happy with) my conscience over the past 15 years and, believe me, if Ferrari had been (doing anything wrong), after all these controversies, it would have come out."

Source: Formula 1 : News FERRARI - F1-Live.com

 

[RikfromBelgium]

>



> And Mosley also banned the active ride cars witch lead to the accidents and deaths of 94 (for witch I'd launch criminal procedure against him).

Then he f***** up the onset flow thru regulation to the wings and rear diffuser
and he destroyed mecanical grip with the narrow track grooves regulations (the active suspension ban influenced both mecanical and aerodynamics).

Basically he's the worst thing to happen in the history of Grand Prix racing.

On the Stewart comment I agree tough. I would also add Lauda to that.

But I also agree with Stewart's comment
"It seems some of the most powerful people (in F1) are more aligned to Ferrari. There are more Ferrari representatives on the World Council than anybody else."

enough with the bloody ferrari crap, it's Mclaren that went out of line time and again, not Ferrari.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

Ferrari too, not just McLaren.

Last time I've check the flexi-floor (used in the first 2 races) and current wheels covers were illegal. Ferrari are masters of cheating and getting away with it.
I wish they'd punished just like McLaren.

 

[RikfromBelgium]

last time I checkd, the floor was in terms the regulations at the time and mclaren obtained that info illegaly. Sorry, but shut up.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

The floor was illegal as it deformed beyong regulations and acted as as mass damper. And it was banned and testing regulations modified.
And wheel covers are illegal acording to regulations.
Sorry but shut up.

 

[PanterroR]

Guys, keep it cool, ok?

Thanks.

 

[450SEL6.9]

The floor was illegal as it deformed beyong regulations and acted as as mass damper. And it was banned and testing regulations modified.
And wheel covers are illegal acording to regulations.

But if the cars keep passing scrutineering, that makes them legal in the view of the stewards. If you think Ferrari cars are absolutely illegal, I am sure some teams would love to hear from you.

 

[Poverty]

lets just put it like this.

Ferrari love to push the limits of F1, often breaking rules in the process. They are also the luckiest team on the grid on the basis that they so often get away with their less legal activities.

 

[Bartek S.]

McLaren Spygate fine cut to £25 million

McLaren will have to pay over £25 million to the International Automobile Federation, which will use the money to promote safer motorsport worldwide.
"Following the judgement of the World Motor Sport Council on 13 September, a sum in excess of $50 million (£25 million) will be paid in December to the FIA," the body said after a meeting of its world council in Paris.
"This will be used to establish the FIA Development Fund, which will assist the work of National Sporting Authorities in promoting the development of safer motor sport worldwide, especially in countries where the motor sport infrastructure is in need of support," the FIA said.
The money represents a fine handed to McLaren in September as a result of a spying controversy.
The FIA had imposed on McLaren a $100 million fine and the loss of their 2007 constructors' points.
The body then said the size of the fine could be halved ultimately, with revenues and prize money deducted from it according to where the team would have ended up at the end of the season with the points scored prior to the hearing.
Reuters

 

[Centurion]

^^
Good news=)

 

[NarutoRamen]

lets see if McLaren will drop the appeal cuz they have to pay 50million less.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

They won't pay less really, the overall loss is still 100 millions.

But the championship witch means TV revenues and so on and price of transportations means overall 50 millions, they're only left with ~50 million.



McLaren's main money sources are:
- MB brigade = MB engines/money + SAP + Henkel
- Alonso's sponsors = Vodafone + Santander + MM
- championship points = revenues + transport payment savings

McLaren was still in dept before they signed the Santander deal, and would have been without a main sponsor without Vodafone.

Just to compare, Williams went from a 29.6 million sterling pounds profit in 2005 to a 28 million sterling pounds loss in 2006 because they lost BMW and HP.
And Williams were in much better shape as they were debt free as opposed to McLaren.

So without at least the MB brigade, to say the least, McLaren would have followed the likes Lotus or Brabham in the long list of once prestigious F1 garagistes gone bankrupt. And without the Alonso sponsorships they would have still been in debt.



So the fine is no big deal really.

 

[450SEL6.9]

Just to compare, Williams went from a 29.6 million sterling pounds profit in 2005 to a 28 million sterling pounds loss in 2006 because they lost BMW and HP.
And Williams were in much better shape as they were debt free as opposed to McLaren.

Good post. It makes me wonder about Williams. Some people are expecting Williams to really get a grip on the "small" engines they will be using. It is supposedly giving the aerodynamics crew huge room to play with the aero of the car. I'd like to see a Williams resurgence.

Tellingly, Williams did not even appeal the 1994 finale. It was Schu, who after he himself thumped the wall, hit Hill and bent his wishbone. A Williams was directly involved and Williams was a British team with a British driver. Still no appeal. Contrast that with the Team of Utmost Integrity. Their car wasn't even involved in anything directly and they are still appealing, dragging out the title.

 

[Imhotep Evil]

I was a big fan of Williams in their Renault days (were my favorite team) and again in the BMW days. In fact far more of the team then their drivers.
But I couldn't take it anymore, Mansell, Prost, Hill, Villeneuve, Renault, BMW none in the best of relations with them.
Williams though they're starting to change are stucked in some outdated garagiste methality and will be so as long as there are still Frank Williams and P. Head. Ofcourse Frank Williams isn't as bad as RD, but i think Head is.

Will the team make till that happens is the question ?!

 

[Bartek S.]

Season 2008 - Hamilton facing more penalties?

Lewis Hamilton and McLaren could be forced to start next season's Formula One World Championship on negative points if they are found to have used any Ferrari information on their 2008 car.
That is the opinion of Max Mosley, president of the sport's rulemakers the FIA.
The British team were fined £50.2 million and thrown out of this year's Constructors' Championship after being found to have knowingly possessed confidential Ferrari technical documents leaked to their suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan from Ferrari.
Additionally, they were told that the sport's governing body the FIA would thoroughly probe their 2008 machine to ensure that no ideas from the Italian team will be used in the future either.
Mosley told the BBC what penalties McLaren could expect if found in breach of this rule.
"You're not going to find on the McLaren a part that was designed by Ferrari," said Mosley.
"But what you may find are ideas and at this level of technology at this level of motorsport, if the idea is given to the chief designer he will make a component utilising that idea which bears no relation at all to the component perhaps being used by the other car.
"So we will be looking for the ideas. The investigation will be thorough, it will use outside experts and we will do everything we possibly can to make sure that either of the McLarens has no element of Ferrari intellectual property in it or if it does we will then have to consider taking some sort of action.
"That would not necessarily be preventing them from running. It would be more likely that they would be given a negative point allocation."
Mosley would not confirm whether or not any penalty would be confined to the team, like the spy scandal penalty was, or whether Hamilton and his team-mate, whoever that may be, would also be punished.
Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport

 

[PanterroR]

FIA begins probe into 2008 McLaren



Next year's MP4-23 under scrutiny

FIA inspections probing the legality of McLaren's next Formula One car have now begun, according to a report.

Britain's Daily Mail described the activity at the team's Woking headquarters over the last two days as a 'raid' carried out by a 'high-powered squad of independent legal and technical experts.'

McLaren in September was excluded from the 2007 constructors' championship and fined $100m for possessing Ferrari secrets.

Part of the ruling was that the team's 2008 car, the MP4-23, must be inspected by FIA officials to either clear its legitimacy or face further sanctions, possibly including a negative initial points score.

The newspaper reports that the FIA inspectors this week examined computers and design records, and took away boxes of data for further analysis.

Their findings will be released at the World Motor Sport Council hearing in Monaco on Friday 7th December.

A spokesman for F1's governing body said: "We will not comment on the details of an ongoing investigation."

A McLaren spokeswoman added: "We have no comment other than that we will cooperate fully with the FIA."

Source: Formula 1 : News MCLAREN - F1-Live.com

 

[Gene]

Formula 1 : News MCLAREN - F1-Live.com

I feel sorry for McLaren fans. Prior to the 2007 season, McLaren Mercedes were regarded as a respectable team. Admittedly I never liked them, but still you had to respect them as previous WCC Champions.

This year has come and gone and they are the absolute laughing stocks of the F1 Paddock - both on the track and off it. I mean they had the fastest car, best reliability, two outstandingly fast drivers - yet no WCC or WDC. On top of that their reputation went down the gurgler over this spy row and the various controvesial things they did, and now officially they are hypocrites.

Oh and their 22 year old driver of one F1 season has a biography Thats hilarious.

 

[Matt530i]

The FIA just announced it's verdict ... they ruled the appeal is inadmissable. So that means nothing changes and Kimi keeps his title!

International Court of Appeal - Decision