[F1] F1 nieuwtjes topic deel 24: Met voorlopige kalender '08

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FIA roept McLaren opnieuw op het matje

13 september dient niet het hoger beroep dat Ferrari in de spionagezaak heeft aangespannen, maar moet McLaren zich opnieuw bij de FIA komen verantwoorden. De autosportbond beschikt over nieuw bewijs.

Het was de bedoeling dat Ferrari in de week voor de Belgische Grand Prix alsnog de kans kreeg om haar kant van het verhaal te vertellen, maar de zitting van het International Court of Appeal gaat niet door. In plaats daarvan komt de World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) opnieuw bijeen.

Reden daarvoor is dat er nieuw bewijs boven tafel is gekomen, meer details wilde de FIA niet vrijgeven. De spionagezaak is nooit geheel gesloten geweest. McLaren werd in juli schuldig bevonden aan het in bezit hebben van illegale documenten, maar niet bestraft omdat de bewijsvoering daarvoor te mager was.

McLaren voerde ter verdediging – met succes – het argument aan dat slechts een individueel teamlid in de fout was gegaan.

Wel voegde de WMSC aan deze uitspraak toe dat de zaak heropend zou worden zodra er meer bewijs zou komen. Indien schuldig bevonden riskeert McLaren uitsluiting van seizoen 2007 en '08. Sowieso komt er in dat geval een zware straf, dat heeft de WMSC al laten weten.

Het komt er op neer dat het muntje in principe twee kanten op kan vallen. Is het bewijs ontlastend, dan is het positief voor McLaren en leidt dit misschien wel tot vrijspraak, maar is het bewijs tegen Ron Dennis en de zijnen, dan moet McLaren rekening houden met serieuze sancties. Waaronder dus uitsluiting.

Dat zou dan weer koren op de molen zijn van Ferrari, dat na de eerste uitspraak van de WMSC hevig ontstemd reageerde. Ook in Turkije liet teambaas Jean Todt nog weten dat de waarheid wat hem betreft nog niet aan het licht was gekomen, en dat dit half september wel zou gebeuren.

McLaren heeft in een korte reactie meegedeeld dat het bericht heeft ontvangen van de FIA over wat er de dertiende te gebeuren staat. ,,Wij blijven volledig meewerken aan het onderzoek van de FIA”, is de belangrijkste zin in het statement.

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McLaren under investigation by stewards

McLaren are under investigation by the race stewards at the Italian Grand Prix over their running of a new lightweight gearbox in Hungary that had not been crash tested, autosport.com can reveal.

Paddock sources have confirmed that discussions are currently taking place at Monza to decide whether anything needs to be done about McLaren's actions in Hungary.

It is understood that the Woking-based team ran their new lightweight gearbox at the race at Hungaroring without a new crash test taking place prior to the event.

Although the new gearbox did not require an altered crash structure from the one already approved by the FIA to be put in place, it is understood McLaren's actions could have breached article 16.1.2 of Formula One's technical regulations.

The rules state: "Any significant modification introduced into any of the structures tested shall require that part to pass a further test."

The issue of the gearbox only came to light after the Turkish Grand Prix, when McLaren passed a crash test with the new version - with the team having reverted to their older unit at the Istanbul Park event.

Sources have made it clear that McLaren did not deliberately try and hide the fact that they had raced with the lightweight gearbox in Hungary.

It is not clear whether the matter will result in action being taken. And should McLaren be found to be in breach of the rules, it is hard to predict what punishment could be handed out.

Previous precedents, like the fuel controversy involving the Williams and Benetton teams at the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix, resulted in the team losing their constructors' championship points.

But the Hungary matter is complicated by the fact that McLaren have already lost their constructors' championship points from that event because of the qualifying controversy between Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

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Ferrari will attend new spy hearing

Ferrari say they are confident the "truth will come out" after the FIA said it had found new evidence in the espionage case involving the Italian squad and McLaren.

The governing body announced on Wednesday that it had reconvened its World Motor Sport Council for a hearing in Paris on September 13 to consider the development.

The Italian squad responded to the announcement on Thursday, saying they will attend the new hearing.

"Ferrari notes the FIA's decision to call an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council to examine new evidence that has emerged with regards to the accusation that Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has violated article 151c of the International Sporting Code," said Ferrari in a statement.

"Ferrari will be present at the Council meeting on the 13th September in Paris and wishes to reaffirm its own strong wish that all the elements in this case are brought to light. Ferrari is confident that the truth will out."

The Monza paddock has been full of intrigue about the nature of the new evidence that has led to the calling of the FIA hearing, with world champion Fernando Alonso not commenting on Thursday at suggestions that he has been involved in providing new evidence.

Paddock sources have suggested that the matter revolves around an email exchange between Alonso and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa about setting up of this year's car.

Autosport.com understands that the FIA became aware of new evidence last week and wrote to all F1 teams, as well as Alonso, de la Rosa and Hamilton, on Friday to make it clear that it was their duty to provide the FIA with any information regarding that matter.

It is also believed that the letter to the drivers promised them an 'amnesty' from any punishment if they fully cooperated with the ongoing investigation.

How much involvement Alonso had in the matter is unclear, and the FIA has refused to confirm or deny the nature of the new evidence, or the letters.

"We can make no comment at all," said a spokesman.

Alonso himself also kept quiet when McLaren prevented him from answering questions about the matter during a pre-Italian Grand Prix media briefing at Monza on Thursday.

What is known is that the new evidence gathered by the FIA has not come from the two men at the centre of the controversy - Mike Coughlan and Nigel Stepney.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica quoted on Thursday from a letter that Stepney had sent to the FIA confirming he had met with Coughlan to discuss technical data.

Neither Coughlan nor Stepney are scheduled to appear at the FIA hearing on September 13.

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The full letter from Mosley to the teams

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, established unequivocally and rapidly whether this allegation has any basis in fact.

The FIA therefore formally requests that you produce any documents which involve, relate to or were sent by or to any McLaren driver 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 material such as e-mails, 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 previous existence of any document falling within the above description and 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 of those involved in our sport to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula 1 World Championship. It is therefore imperative that if do you have any such information, you make it available to us as soon as possible.

We look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience. Thank you very much for your cooperation.

Max Mosley

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Full letter from Mosley to McLaren drivers

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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Espionage saga pulls in Alonso and de la Rosa

With Ferrari and McLaren seemingly locked in a private war for speed and success on track today at Monza, off the circuit controversy surrounding the so-called 'spy story' that has overshadowed much of the season, reached new heights.

In this, according to the latest reports in Italian media, McLaren, it is claimed, have been not only in possession of many of Ferrari's technical secrets this year, but also using them to their advantage. This, it is said, is the conclusion drawn from the latest evidence presented to the FIA.

It is alleged that not only did Ferrari, through their now-dismissed 'rogue mechanic' Nigel Stepney - who the team have also accused of sabotage - suffer the loss of a 780-pages dossier of information, which was given to McLaren's former chief designer Mike Coughlan, now suspended, but they also saw some of the key components of that dossier made use of by their rivals.

In the latest reports surrounding this scandal, it is claimed that Coughlan supplied information about Ferrari's work, notably with Bridgestone tyres and car set-ups, to the McLaren team test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who in turn passed it on to fellow-Spaniard Alonso. In both cases, it is said the communication of this data was done by email.

This allegation was confirmed on Friday when a letter sent by FIA President Max Mosley to all teams was revealed to reporters at the Italian Grand Prix by an unidentified source who wished to remain anonymous.

In this letter, Mosley made clear that it was the confirmation of this evidence - email exchanges between the two Spanish McLaren drivers - that had led him to cancel next week's appeal hearing and to call another meeting of the full FIA world motor sport council to consider the matter.

It remained unclear on Friday who had alerted the FIA to the existence of these email exchanges, despite widespread suggestions that it was either Alonso or his former team boss at Renault Flavio Briatore, who has made no secret of his admiration for the Spaniard and his desire to bring him back to Renault.

According to sources in the paddock, Mosley wrote to all the teams last Friday to inform that the two Spanish McLaren drivers had been in possession of 'written evidence relevant to this investigation.'

In this letter, he made clear to the teams that it was their duty to provide any evidence relating to the spy affair.

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Op vrijdag 7 september 2007 22:51 schreef voyeur het volgende:
Na wat speuren vond ik nog het volgende:
"Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday published an e-mail exchange between Alonso and De La Rosa, which suggested the drivers knew confidential information about Ferrari's car designs.

"Do you know that I've found out how Ferrari is able to get its tires to work to perfection?" Gazzetta quoted De La Rosa as asking Alonso via e-mail. "Nigel Stepney told Mike Coughlan."

"I don't believe it," Alonso reportedly replied."

Dat zou veel verklaren en dan hangt McLaren natuurlijk echt.

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Japanese Grand Prix to alternate between Fuji and Suzuka

The Fuji Speedway and Suzuka circuits are to host the Japanese Grand Prix on alternate years starting in 2009, it was announced on Saturday. Fuji will stage the 2007 and 2008 events, with Suzuka returning to the calendar the following season.

The new arrangement is the result of discussions between the two circuits and Formula One Administration Limited (FOA), and is designed to promote the continued success of Formula One racing in Japan.

"We have concluded an agreement on the alternation of the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix between Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit, to ensure the progress and success of keeping Formula One in Japan over the long term,” commented FOA CEO Bernie Ecclestone.

“I am very happy that Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit made this possible. It also makes me very pleased that we will retain Suzuka as it has supported Formula One for 20 years and the large amount of our fans."

This year’s Japanese Grand Prix will be the first at Fuji since 1977, the circuit having also hosted the race in 1976, while Suzuka was home to the event every year between 1987 and 2006.

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Op vrijdag 7 september 2007 22:51 schreef voyeur het volgende:
Na wat speuren vond ik nog het volgende:
"Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport on Friday published an e-mail exchange between Alonso and De La Rosa, which suggested the drivers knew confidential information about Ferrari's car designs.

"Do you know that I've found out how Ferrari is able to get its tires to work to perfection?" Gazzetta quoted De La Rosa as asking Alonso via e-mail. "Nigel Stepney told Mike Coughlan."

"I don't believe it," Alonso reportedly replied."

Dat zou veel verklaren en dan hangt McLaren natuurlijk echt.

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There are suggestions, however, that the FIA has been provided with information from Italian authorities, courtesy of the Polizia Postale e delle Comunicazioni, suggesting that there were 'hundreds' of telephone and SMS contacts between Coughlan and Stepney that go beyond what has so far been acknowledged - and may even include conversations on grand prix weekends and tests.