Three Race Ban to Troubled McLaren

The FIA finally bring this issue to an end by handing a three race ban to McLaren F1 Team for bringing the sport into disrepute after they were found to have misled race steward at the Australia GP.

However three race ban will be allow to be executed in the period of 12 months.

McLaren – Still the same old McLaren

From spy scandal to false report… McLaren Mercedes reputation is falling, I believe lots of people will lose interest in this team. Myself is one of them, the way they do things is just unethical. The current world champion so what? There are rumours saying Lewis wanted to quick racing with them… Ferrari is dirty? You have not seen McLaren….

They are invited to WMSC by the FIA, below are the statement release by FIA:

"Vodafone McLaren Mercedes has been invited to appear before an extraordinary meeting of the FIA World Motor Sport Council in Paris on Wednesday, 29 April, 2009, to answer charges that, in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code, it

- on 29 March, 2009, told the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix that no instructions were given to Hamilton in Car No. 1 to allow Trulli in Car no. 9 to pass when both cars were behind the safety car, knowing this statement to be untrue;

- procured its driver Hamilton the current World Champion, to support and confirm this untrue statement to the stewards;

- although knowing that as a direct result of its untrue statement to the stewards, another driver and a rival team had been unfairly penalised, made no attempt to rectify the situation either by contacting the FIA or otherwise;

- on 2 April, 2009, at a second hearing before the stewards of the Australian Grand Prix, (meeting in Malaysia) made no attempt to correct the untrue statement of 29 March but, on the contrary, continued to maintain that the statement was true, despite being allowed to listen to a recording of the team instructing Hamilton to let Trulli past and despite being given more than one opportunity to correct its false statement;

- on 2 April, 2009, at the second stewards' hearing, procured its driver Hamilton to continue to assert the truth of the false statement given to the stewards on 29 March, while knowing that what he was saying to the stewards was not true."

In response, McLaren issued the following press release:
"McLaren acknowledges receipt of an invitation to appear at an FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting in Paris on April 29, received this afternoon. We undertake to co-operate fully with all WMSC processes, and welcome the opportunity to work with the FIA in the best interests of Formula 1.

"This afternoon McLaren and its former sporting director, Dave Ryan, have formally parted company. As a result, he is no longer an employee of any of the constituent companies of the McLaren Group."

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/4/9159.html

Hamilton Disqualified – Trulli Retain Third Place

This was the story: (All these happened under the safety car period)

The Toyota driven by Jarno Trulli went wide at the second corner Lewis Hamilton overtook him.  The McLaren Team gave an order to Hamilton to allow the Toyota through.

Hamilton obey the team order, allow Trulli to pass.  Hamilton was confused and realized that he need not let him past he should be able to take that position back, if Trulli made a mistake.

The team ask him to hold position and get ready to overtake when the safety car light if off as the KERS is fully charge at that point.

 

When the race end, the FIA steward penalized Trulli for overtaking under the safety car.  They question both the drivers and teams. 
Trulli mentioned: “Lewis slow down and allow me to pass, I have not choice but to pass him”.

 

During the hearing, held approximately one hour after the end of the race, the Stewards and the Race Director questioned Lewis Hamilton and his Team Manager David Ryan specifically about whether there had been an instruction given to Hamilton to allow Trulli to overtake. Both the driver and the Team Manager stated that no such instruction had been given. The Race Director specifically asked Hamilton whether he had consciously allowed Trulli to overtake. Hamilton insisted that he had not done so. 

 

Trulli telling the truth, McLaren and Lewis Hamilton are lying.  They shouldn’t have done that, Hamilton could be at the podium or in worse case a forth place. After all these lies, he and the team were disqualified.

 

"Nonetheless, the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team now regrets that it did not do so, accepts the Stewards' decision and will not appeal."

 

The new results (Full Australia GP Result):

1. Jenson Button
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Jarno Trulli
4. Timo Glock
5. Fernando Alonso
6. Nico Rosberg
7. Sebastien Buemi
8. Sebastien Bourdais

Heikki Memory Loss

McLaren driver Heikki Kovalainen will leave hospital on Monday evening following his accident in Sunday’s Spanish Grand Prix. Kovalainen will stay in Spain for a few days’ relaxation, before returning home to start a light training programme in preparation for the next race in Turkey.

The Finn was taken to the Hospital General de Catalunya in Sant Cugat del Valles immediately following the crash, where CT scans confirmed he had no head injuries and no broken bones. He was kept in overnight for observation, but further tests and scans on Monday morning all went positively and showed no problems.

“I have a slight headache and a stiff neck, but apart from that I am feeling well and in good spirits,” said Kovalainen. “My focus is on getting better as soon as possible so I can pass the FIA medical inspection required to allow me to race in Turkey.

 

“I don’t remember anything from the accident or what happened afterwards but would obviously like to thank all the circuit emergency staff, the FIA medical team at the track and the doctors at the hospital for all their efforts in looking after me. Also thank you for all the messages I have received - they all mean a lot.”

McLaren have established that Kovalainen’s speed was approximately 240km/h when his front-left tyre deflated and about 130km/h when he hit the tyre barrier. He experienced a 27g deceleration. The team suspect a wheel-rim failure was to blame, but have yet to establish the exact cause.

 

Here's the video.

Alonso's seat filler or another flying finn?

(Picture: Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) Renault celebrates 2nd place with his team. Formula One World Championship, Rd15, Japanese Grand Prix, Race Day, Fuji Speedway, Fuji, Japan, Sunday, 30 September 2007)

This time last year, Heikki Kovalainen was preparing to make his Formula One race debut after taking up Fernando Alonso’s vacant seat at Renault. Twelve months later it seems to be a case of history repeating itself as Kovalainen adjusts to another seat left empty by Alonso - this time at McLaren.

While McLaren’s engine partner Mercedes would undoubtedly have liked a German in the empty MP4-23 (Nico Rosberg was touted as a replacement), the British team’s long standing tradition of Finnish drivers seems to have played right into Kovalainen’s hands. He was signed up to a long-term contract in December, but will it prove the right move for the 26 year-old - and for McLaren?

At first glance the affable Finn may seem to lack the ice-cool composure of McLaren forebears Mika Hakkinen and Kimi Raikkonen, but he has already proved he has just as much speed flowing through his veins. He has impressed in early tests with the team, even topping one recent Jerez session, and arrives having learnt some valuable lessons from his maiden season - one which featured a steeper than expected learning curve.

Over the opening five races of 2007, Renault’s bright young hope looked out of his depth. A similarly shaky start this year could spell disaster for McLaren’s title aspirations, but that looks decidedly unlikely, given that by the middle of ’07 Kovalainen was enjoying a much firmer footing. He went on to clinch the French team’s only podium, eclipsed veteran team mate Giancarlo Fisichella, and finished seventh in the driver standings, scoring 30 of Renault’s 51 points - a great end to his debut season.

With his speed and ambition not in doubt, much of how Kovalainen builds on that debut could depend on McLaren’s 2008 form. The team were championship runners-up in all but name last year, and before the Ferrari ‘spy scandal’ were in prime place to take a historic ninth constructors’ title. But in Formula One racing performance one season is no guarantee of a similar level the next - a maxim the Finn knows better than most, having experienced Renault’s fall from grace in 2007. And there is always a chance that McLaren’s promise to suspend development on certain parts, in the aftermath of the ‘Spygate’ scandal, could put the MP4-23 at a disadvantage.

But even if one assumes the ’08 McLaren will be quick and reliable, will it be enough to make Kovalainen a genuine title contender? He is still learning and unlike his world championship-winning predecessor, Alonso, he has yet to prove he is the complete package. Likewise, however, new team mate Lewis Hamilton, who also debuted at last season’s Australian Grand Prix. In combination, the duo is one of the least experienced on the grid and how they work together will be crucial for both men. After the disaster that was last year’s Hamilton-Alonso rivalry, McLaren will move heaven and earth to avoid a repeat and Kovalainen has to be both competitive and cooperative. Challenging Hamilton will not only be a real test of the Finn’s driving talent, but also his diplomacy.

Will he be quick enough to challenge his team mate? As de facto number one at McLaren, Hamilton will be under intense pressure this season. But so will Kovalainen, as he attempts to adjust to his surroundings and integrate himself into a team that counts Hamilton as its most prized possession. The British driver, with a year’s experience of racing a McLaren under his belt, will be faster - at least at first - and will certainly not be as easily overhauled as Fisichella was at Renault. Kovalainen knows, however, that Hamilton is far from unbeatable.

Having witnessed from afar Alonso’s McLaren experience last year, Kovalainen will be all too aware of the pros and cons of driving for the team. One suspects he has the talent. If he can harness the assets available to him - and avoid the potential pitfalls - then he has his best chance yet to prove just how good he really is.

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2008/3/7424.html

Lewis Hamilton - 2008 season will be easier!

Contrast: Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton expects to have an easier time fighting for the Formula One title this season than in his extraordinary 2007 rookie year.

“Perhaps there is more pressure but I feel there is less,“ the 23-year-old told British reporters during a training workout in the gym at McLaren’s Wokingfactory, 90km south-west of London yesterday.

“Last year I had so much to prove. There was the press asking ‘can he do it or not?’ I’m sure even people in the team were wondering. I was quick in testing but racing is a different thing. People wait for you to fail.

“I think this year is slightly easier. People know how well I can drive. I’m not going into an unknown world.

“I don’t have any doubts that I will do a job this year but that means somethingdifferent now. It means I want to win the world championship.

“Last year Ferrari were ahead by maybe three or four tenths of a second,“he said. “They have a very good car again but now we are in equal cars.

“I thought it was strange that they were not at some of the tests with the other teams and I think Barcelona is a very accurate measure. It will be a lot closer than last time.“ – Reuters

Source: The Sun - 05 March 2008

Interview - Lewis Hamilton

Re-writing history in your rookie year is not the average start to a driver’s Formula One career. And when your first year has been so startlingly good, as the second season looms there are likely to be higher than average expectations.

McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, however, shrugs off the pressure with a knowing wink. With a year of intense learning under his belt and a car that already looks like a frontrunner at his disposal, Hamilton is looking as confident and unfazed as ever…

Q: Last year you went into the season with the prevailing sentiment of ‘wow, I am in Formula One’. Then you turned into a championship contender. How do you feel ahead of your second season?
Lewis Hamilton: I would say it looks pretty much the same. I still feel like ‘wow, I am a Formula One driver’. It’s still hard to believe that I am going into my second season but I feel more confident than this time last year. The knowledge I gained throughout last year as a Formula One driver has given me greater confidence for the 2008 season.

Q: You lived the ‘zero to hero’ dream last year. How has your life changed? What have been the ups and downs and how do you feel about everyone’s high-flying expectations?
LH: I have always had high expectations in all championships. Obviously, Formula One is on another level and you are in front of millions of people and have a huge team and important sponsors behind you, but from a personal perspective my own goals and expectations of myself are the biggest challenge.

Q: The tests have so far given the impression that the MP4-23 is as strong as its predecessor and that you’ll be starting the season at the front. What are your thoughts on the MP4-23?
LH:Yes, I would agree, we have a good car. We are in a similar position to where we were last year, where we also had very good pace. In testing everybody is doing something different so it’s only when we get to the first race where we will see the real pace of ourselves and our competitors, but I’m confident we will be ready.

Q: Looking at Heikki Kovalainen’s test results over the winter, the situation seems pretty even between the pair of you. How are you getting on with him, now you have worked more closely together?
LH: Heikki and I get on really well. We have known each other for a few years. We are both in our second year of Formula One and both of us want to win races and be world champion and do the best job we can for ourselves and for the team. The chemistry is good and we have a laugh, but at end of day we are competitors as well so we will be fighting hard.

Q: Unless BMW Sauber, Renault and Williams make massive strides, it’s likely we’ll see McLaren and Ferrari fighting for victory in Melbourne. Team strategy could make all the difference. Can you draw any conclusions from your experiences last year?
LH: No. We will have to wait and see.

Q: You have signed a five-year contract with the team. It’s a strong commitment from both sides, so what enticed you to sign for so long?
LH: I think it was just an extension of the longevity we have already got. McLaren has been my home for many years so I was just happy that they wanted me to stay. I am committed to McLaren-Mercedes and I want to repay them for their support and belief in me by delivering a world championship - or two - and so it seemed natural to sign a long-term deal. I strongly believe this is where I need to be to be world champion.

Q: Knowing the strengths - and weaknesses - of your team, and having observed your opponents over the last few weeks, how do you believe the first three flyaway races will unfold?
LH: I am extremely comfortable with our 2008 package and look forward to the first three races. Naturally, we will have further developments throughout the season but I think we have a great car, a great team and a great will to win so it will be interesting to see what develops.

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/interviews/2008/3/7415.html

McLaren condemn Italian police report

MCLAREN have condemned reports sourced to Italian police which suggested that investigators probing last year’s spying controversy had collected incriminating evidence from the Formula One team. "McLaren Racing wishes to record its extreme displeasure with the wording of a statement that the Italian police are reported to have made yesterday," the British-based team said in a statement yesterday.

"If those reports accurately reflect the police statement, the statement is grossly inaccurate and misleading." McLaren executives, including team principal Ron Dennis and chief executive Martin Whitmarsh, were questioned in Britain on Wednesday as part of a legal enquiry into the team's unauthorised possession of Ferrari technical information last season.

That scandal cost McLaren the constructors' championship, with the Mercedes-powered team stripped of all their points and fi ned a record US$100 million.

Thursday's Italian police statement said material taken from the team "will fit into the ample picture of evidence" from which "clearly emerges the responsibilities of the management and some technicians at a high level in McLaren".

McLaren said that was wrong. "In fact, the Italian police have not yet even been given access to any of the material taken, nor have theyeven started to review that material," their statement said. "We would be extremely surprised if the review of the documentation reveals anything which has not already been disclosed as a result of the extensive investigations already carried out." – Reuters

Source: thesun - 02 March 2008

Spy Scandal - Not Over Yet

McLaren executives were questioned by Italian investigators in Britain on Tuesday as part an ongoing legal enquiry into last year’s ‘spy scandal’ affair. Accompanied by British police, the officials visited both the executives’ homes and McLaren’s Woking factory.

McLaren were fined $100 million and stripped of their 2007 constructors’ points after they were deemed to have benefitted from the possession of confidential Ferrari data. Formula One racing’s governing body, the FIA, has since drawn a line under the matter, but legal proceedings started by Italian magistrates are continuing.

“McLaren Racing has today continued its co-operation with enquiries instigated by the Modena Magistrate,” said the team in a statement.

“The Surrey Police accompanied Italian investigators to the homes of a number of McLaren executives as part of their ongoing investigation. A similar process has been performed at the McLaren Technology Centre.

“The police are completely satisfied with the co-operation they have received. These actions are part of a normal judicial process in connection with the ongoing investigation, and are supported by McLaren Racing.”

The Modena magistrate, Giuseppe Tibis, has already questioned McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa and former team mate Fernando Alonso over the affair.

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/2/7398.html

F1 rule changes for 2008 season

Click on image to view the actual size

An earlier post from FIA http://bcosurich.wordpress.com/2007/11/27/f1-2008-regulations-as-proposed-on-2005/

Hamilton to stay with McLaren until end of 2012 season

McLaren have announced a five-year extension to their contract with star driver Lewis Hamilton. The new agreement, which starts for 2008, will run up to and including the 2012 season.

The announcement takes the length of McLaren’s relationship with Hamilton to a total of 15 years (including the earlier carting days), believed to be among the longest running associations between a sportsman and a team in motorsport history.

Detail report: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/1/7276.html

The new SECU gives McLaren advantage: Todt

McLaren are at a clear advantage in the coming season as they are the sole supplier for the electronic system which the rest of the team must now use, Ferrari CEO Jean Todt said yesterday.

The SECU (Standard Electronic Control Unit) produced by McLaren Electronic Systems is a major development for new season, which will start on March 16 in Australia, Melbourne, approximately 2 months from now.

The reason why FIA select McLaren SECU because McLaren and Microsoft put forward the most economic proposal.

"It is clear it is a situation to monitor. But it is obvious that, at least at the start, McLaren will have an advantage in the championship," Todt said, who has handed the reins of the racing team to Stefano Domenicali while he remains boss of the company.

McLaren launch MP4-23 in Stuttgart

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23

McLaren revealed their 2008 challenger on Monday, as the wraps came off the MP4-23 in a special ceremony at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany. The car will be raced by Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen this season, and both were present to witness the car’s unveiling.

The car was only completed on Sunday evening and left the McLaren Technology Centre in the UK at around 18:00 GMT, arriving at its destination at around 10:00 on Monday morning - just in time for Hamilton’s 23rd birthday."

The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes MP4-23 is the coolest birthday present you can get, well it is for me anyway!” said Hamilton. “To see the car for the first time at such a great place as the Mercedes-Benz museum makes it an even more memorable day.

“I have had the past three weeks off and spent the time training and relaxing with family and friends. I know how much work has been going on in Woking, Brixworth and here in Stuttgart and it is a great looking car.”

More report: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2008/1/7231.html

FIA publishes full Renault transcript

Snippet of the transcript


The FIA has released a full transcript of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) hearing, which took place on December 6, concerning Renault’s possession of confidential technical information belonging to McLaren.

View transcript

Related topic: http://bcosurich.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/renault-escape-fine-over-mclaren-data/

McLaren to play down launching of MP4-23

MP4-22, McLaren 2007 machine

McLaren have no plans for a launch presentation of their 2008 machine, the MP4-23. Instead the team will provide the media with photographs and further details about the car when it runs for the first time next month.

The first test on the MP4-23, will be raced by Lewis Hamilton and newly-confirmed team mate Heikki Kovalainen, on the second week of January.