McLaren team fined $100 million
09-13-2007, 11:14 AM
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ESPN.com
McLaren drivers can still win title despite team's $100 million fine
PARIS -- The McLaren team was fined $100 million and stripped of its points in the constructors' standings Thursday in the spying scandal that has rocked the sport.
McLaren, which leads the current drivers' and constructors' standings, was punished by the World Motor Sports Council for allegedly using leaked secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari.
Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, currently 1-2 in the championship standings, were not punished and can continue to compete for the season title.
"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged,'' the Italian team said in a statement.
The $100 million penalty includes McLaren's expected loss of income, and McLaren still could be penalized for the 2008 championship, FIA said in a statement after a hearing.
McLaren escaped the harshest possible penalty, as FIA could have kicked the team and its drivers out of the 2007 and 2008 championships. In December, FIA will decide on any possible sanctions against McLaren for the 2008 season.
FIA said it did not penalize McLaren's drivers "due to exceptional circumstances'' because they provided evidence in exchange for immunity.
"We believe we have grounds for appeal,'' team chief Ron Dennis said. "But of course we are going to wait for the findings of the FIA which are going to be published. The most important thing is that we go motor racing this weekend, the rest of the season and next season.''
The case broke open in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who later was suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired.
Rookie English driver Hamilton leads the standings with 92 points, followed by two-time F1 champion Alonso of Spain with 89. Ferrari teammates Kimi Raikkonen (74) and Felipe Massa (69) are third and fourth. Four races remain in the season, starting with Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton and Alonso finished 1-2 in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix to extend McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship to 23 points. McLaren had 166, Ferrari 143.
Under Thursday's ruling, McLaren loses all its constructors' points and is ineligible from scoring any more in the season's final races.
The World Motor Sport Council ruled in July that McLaren was guilty of fraudulent conduct for possessing the Ferrari documents but did not punish the team because there was insufficient evidence the material was misused. However, the council warned that McLaren could be kicked out of the 2007 and 2008 series if it is found in the future that the information has been used "to the detriment of the championship."
FIA announced last week it was calling a new hearing of the council after "new evidence'' had emerged.
Among those appearing at the hearing before the 26-member council were Hamilton, Dennis and McLaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa. Alonso did not attend.
Others attending included Ross Brawn, Ferrari's former technical director, and team officials from Red Bull, Williams and Spyker.
FIA president Max Mosley sent letters to Alonso, Hamilton and De La Rosa on Aug. 31, saying the sport's regulator had been told that "one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession ... of written evidence relevant to this investigation.''
Mosley asked the three drivers to cooperate "in the interests of the sport and the championship'' and offered them amnesty in return. Mosley also wrote that "serious consequences would follow'' if they were later found to "have withheld any potentially relevant information.''
The case against McLaren reportedly consists of a 166-page dossier that includes e-mail exchanges between De la Rosa and Alonso, as well as details of phone and text message traffic between Coughlan and Stepney supplied to FIA by authorities in Italy.
Separately, McLaren was notified Saturday that it is being investigated in a separate criminal inquiry in Italy. Dennis and five other team personnel are reportedly under investigation.
Those allegations stem from Ferrari's criminal case against Stepney for allegedly placing a mysterious white powder on the gas tanks of the team's cars before the Monaco GP, in a supposed sabotage attempt.
McLaren drivers can still win title despite team's $100 million fine
PARIS -- The McLaren team was fined $100 million and stripped of its points in the constructors' standings Thursday in the spying scandal that has rocked the sport.
McLaren, which leads the current drivers' and constructors' standings, was punished by the World Motor Sports Council for allegedly using leaked secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari.
Team drivers Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, currently 1-2 in the championship standings, were not punished and can continue to compete for the season title.
"Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged,'' the Italian team said in a statement.
The $100 million penalty includes McLaren's expected loss of income, and McLaren still could be penalized for the 2008 championship, FIA said in a statement after a hearing.
McLaren escaped the harshest possible penalty, as FIA could have kicked the team and its drivers out of the 2007 and 2008 championships. In December, FIA will decide on any possible sanctions against McLaren for the 2008 season.
FIA said it did not penalize McLaren's drivers "due to exceptional circumstances'' because they provided evidence in exchange for immunity.
"We believe we have grounds for appeal,'' team chief Ron Dennis said. "But of course we are going to wait for the findings of the FIA which are going to be published. The most important thing is that we go motor racing this weekend, the rest of the season and next season.''
The case broke open in July when a 780-page technical dossier on Ferrari cars was found at the home of McLaren's chief designer, Mike Coughlan, who later was suspended. Ferrari mechanic Nigel Stepney, who allegedly supplied the documents, was fired.
Rookie English driver Hamilton leads the standings with 92 points, followed by two-time F1 champion Alonso of Spain with 89. Ferrari teammates Kimi Raikkonen (74) and Felipe Massa (69) are third and fourth. Four races remain in the season, starting with Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix.
Hamilton and Alonso finished 1-2 in Sunday's Italian Grand Prix to extend McLaren's lead in the constructors' championship to 23 points. McLaren had 166, Ferrari 143.
Under Thursday's ruling, McLaren loses all its constructors' points and is ineligible from scoring any more in the season's final races.
The World Motor Sport Council ruled in July that McLaren was guilty of fraudulent conduct for possessing the Ferrari documents but did not punish the team because there was insufficient evidence the material was misused. However, the council warned that McLaren could be kicked out of the 2007 and 2008 series if it is found in the future that the information has been used "to the detriment of the championship."
FIA announced last week it was calling a new hearing of the council after "new evidence'' had emerged.
Among those appearing at the hearing before the 26-member council were Hamilton, Dennis and McLaren test driver Pedro De La Rosa. Alonso did not attend.
Others attending included Ross Brawn, Ferrari's former technical director, and team officials from Red Bull, Williams and Spyker.
FIA president Max Mosley sent letters to Alonso, Hamilton and De La Rosa on Aug. 31, saying the sport's regulator had been told that "one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession ... of written evidence relevant to this investigation.''
Mosley asked the three drivers to cooperate "in the interests of the sport and the championship'' and offered them amnesty in return. Mosley also wrote that "serious consequences would follow'' if they were later found to "have withheld any potentially relevant information.''
The case against McLaren reportedly consists of a 166-page dossier that includes e-mail exchanges between De la Rosa and Alonso, as well as details of phone and text message traffic between Coughlan and Stepney supplied to FIA by authorities in Italy.
Separately, McLaren was notified Saturday that it is being investigated in a separate criminal inquiry in Italy. Dennis and five other team personnel are reportedly under investigation.
Those allegations stem from Ferrari's criminal case against Stepney for allegedly placing a mysterious white powder on the gas tanks of the team's cars before the Monaco GP, in a supposed sabotage attempt.
09-13-2007, 01:47 PM
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09-13-2007, 08:47 PM
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So I guess McLaren still have an incentive to "win" the manufacturer's championship, since their would-be prize money is used to reduce the US$100m fine.
09-14-2007, 08:33 AM
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Wow, this is huge!
It's still not over as the FIA Council will still decide on any possible sanctions against McLaren in December regarding the 2008 season.
Ouch! Very, very, OUCH!
I hope Lewis Hamilton jumps ship next season. There's other teams that could use his talents.
It's still not over as the FIA Council will still decide on any possible sanctions against McLaren in December regarding the 2008 season.
Ouch! Very, very, OUCH!
I hope Lewis Hamilton jumps ship next season. There's other teams that could use his talents.
09-14-2007, 11:36 AM
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I would suspect that, if McLaren are banned from the 2008 season, they'll sell the 2008 car design to Prodrive, lend them Lewis and a bunch of engineers/mechanics for a season, then sit back and enjoy watching a brand new team beat Ferrari.
09-14-2007, 03:06 PM
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If the rumors about Alonso trying to blackmail Mclaren and Ron Dennis are true, then he will have no credibility in the F1 garage ever again. These allegations are almost crazier than the $100 million fine. Supposedly he tried to blackmail Mclaren into making him the head driver, he even went as far to try and make Mclaren release Hamilton. I knew Alonso was arrogant, but this is crossing the line.
09-14-2007, 10:03 PM
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Originally Posted by JetBlack5OC' post='469587' date='Sep 14 2007, 04:06 PM
If the rumors about Alonso trying to blackmail Mclaren and Ron Dennis are true, then he will have no credibility in the F1 garage ever again. These allegations are almost crazier than the $100 million fine. Supposedly he tried to blackmail Mclaren into making him the head driver, he even went as far to try and make Mclaren release Hamilton. I knew Alonso was arrogant, but this is crossing the line.
09-14-2007, 11:58 PM
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Wow, Mc Laren!
English mafia, right ?
Did Mercedes need to spy FIAT (Ferrari belongs to Fiatgroup, that produces Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia etc.) ?
And the pilots ?
They are winning with irregular cars, congrats!
And they are english, they are honest, they never steal .
At news I heard the mails and the calls between De La Rosa and Alonso : they usually talked about Ferrari brakes, weight distribution, etc.
Now the funny verdict by FIA :
Exceptionally, because primary responsibility must rest with McLaren, ****in
the interests of the sport**** (lol) and also because McLaren's drivers were
offered immunity from individual sanction by the President of the FIA in his
letter dated 30 August 2007, the WMSC does not consider that it is
appropriate to impose any sanction on them individually or impose sanctions
on McLaren which would affect these drivers' individual Championship
standings. As such, both McLaren drivers will retain all the drivers'
Championship points they have won so far in the 2007 season and will be
permitted to win drivers' Championship points and attend the podium in the
remaining races of the 2007 season.
English mafia, right ?
Did Mercedes need to spy FIAT (Ferrari belongs to Fiatgroup, that produces Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Lancia etc.) ?
And the pilots ?
They are winning with irregular cars, congrats!
And they are english, they are honest, they never steal .
At news I heard the mails and the calls between De La Rosa and Alonso : they usually talked about Ferrari brakes, weight distribution, etc.
Now the funny verdict by FIA :
Exceptionally, because primary responsibility must rest with McLaren, ****in
the interests of the sport**** (lol) and also because McLaren's drivers were
offered immunity from individual sanction by the President of the FIA in his
letter dated 30 August 2007, the WMSC does not consider that it is
appropriate to impose any sanction on them individually or impose sanctions
on McLaren which would affect these drivers' individual Championship
standings. As such, both McLaren drivers will retain all the drivers'
Championship points they have won so far in the 2007 season and will be
permitted to win drivers' Championship points and attend the podium in the
remaining races of the 2007 season.
09-15-2007, 12:48 AM
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Originally Posted by swajames' post='469653' date='Sep 14 2007, 11:03 PM
I hadn't heard these rumors. If they're true, you'd think Ron would just stop Alonso from competing (for the rest of the season or at least a race or two). He can't score any points for the team and he's realistically the only one with any chance of catching Hamilton so the only beneficiary of Alonso racing would be himself. Interesting times...!