FIA Decision
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Ferrari respond to McLaren's accusations
By Biranit Goren Friday, August 3rd 2007, 13:43 GMT
Ferrari have rejected McLaren's accusations that the Italian team won the Australian Grand Prix with an illegal car, saying they will 'fully explain' their position in front of the International Court of Appeal.
McLaren CEO Ron Dennis wrote a letter a couple of days ago to the Italian motorsport authority president Luigi Macaluso, where he lays out his team's version of the spying controversy.
Among other things, Dennis claims McLaren were tipped off by ex-Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney to the fact that the Italian team were running an illegal floor mechanism.
"As far as we are aware, Ferrari ran their cars with this illegal device at the Australian Grand Prix, which they won," Dennis wrote.
"In the interests of the sport, McLaren chose not to protest the result of the Australian Grand Prix even though it seems clear that Ferrari had an illegal competitive advantage."
Responding to these accusations, Ferrari emphasised in a statement today the fact that both their cars passed technical check-ups by the FIA before, during and after the Australian Grand Prix.
The statement reads: "With regard to the points made by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes concerning the 2007 Australian Grand Prix in a letter to the President of the ACI-CSAI, Gino Macaluso on 1 August last, Ferrari wishes to state very strongly that its letter contains accusations that are both serious and false.
"Contrary to the statement put forward by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari never illegally gained any advantage.
"The two F2007 cars used in the Australian Grand Prix were deemed by the Stewards to be in conformity with the technical regulations, before, during and at the end of the event. If there had been any illegalities, they would have been disqualified.
"In fact, what the FIA did next is commonplace. The FIA took the opportunity to issue a clarification on the interpretation of the regulation and then asked the teams concerned to make the necessary modifications.
"There are actually numerous examples of this in both the recent and distant past which have also involved other teams.
"At the next sitting of the FIA International Court of Appeal, Ferrari will fully explain its position on the entire matter."
Anyone with the slightest bit of F1 knowledge knows Ferrari is dead on the money here....
I think RD tipped his hand even more by stating that the F2007 was illegal...
By Biranit Goren Friday, August 3rd 2007, 13:43 GMT
Ferrari have rejected McLaren's accusations that the Italian team won the Australian Grand Prix with an illegal car, saying they will 'fully explain' their position in front of the International Court of Appeal.
McLaren CEO Ron Dennis wrote a letter a couple of days ago to the Italian motorsport authority president Luigi Macaluso, where he lays out his team's version of the spying controversy.
Among other things, Dennis claims McLaren were tipped off by ex-Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney to the fact that the Italian team were running an illegal floor mechanism.
"As far as we are aware, Ferrari ran their cars with this illegal device at the Australian Grand Prix, which they won," Dennis wrote.
"In the interests of the sport, McLaren chose not to protest the result of the Australian Grand Prix even though it seems clear that Ferrari had an illegal competitive advantage."
Responding to these accusations, Ferrari emphasised in a statement today the fact that both their cars passed technical check-ups by the FIA before, during and after the Australian Grand Prix.
The statement reads: "With regard to the points made by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes concerning the 2007 Australian Grand Prix in a letter to the President of the ACI-CSAI, Gino Macaluso on 1 August last, Ferrari wishes to state very strongly that its letter contains accusations that are both serious and false.
"Contrary to the statement put forward by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, Ferrari never illegally gained any advantage.
"The two F2007 cars used in the Australian Grand Prix were deemed by the Stewards to be in conformity with the technical regulations, before, during and at the end of the event. If there had been any illegalities, they would have been disqualified.
"In fact, what the FIA did next is commonplace. The FIA took the opportunity to issue a clarification on the interpretation of the regulation and then asked the teams concerned to make the necessary modifications.
"There are actually numerous examples of this in both the recent and distant past which have also involved other teams.
"At the next sitting of the FIA International Court of Appeal, Ferrari will fully explain its position on the entire matter."
Anyone with the slightest bit of F1 knowledge knows Ferrari is dead on the money here....
I think RD tipped his hand even more by stating that the F2007 was illegal...
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From: West Henrietta UPSTATE NY
Go Flavio, go Flavio!!!
[QUOTE] F1 spies should be punished - Briatore
Renault's Flavio Briatore thinks it is important that the FIA comes to the right decision about McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan's possession of reams of Ferrari secrets. "If they had that information then they should be punished," he said. "I am not a judge, but we have ethical and sporting rules, and these must be adhered to."
Briatore said the saga has sunk beneath thousands legalese words and the tit-for-tat exchange of minute accusations. "Really it is simple," he said.
[QUOTE] F1 spies should be punished - Briatore
Renault's Flavio Briatore thinks it is important that the FIA comes to the right decision about McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan's possession of reams of Ferrari secrets. "If they had that information then they should be punished," he said. "I am not a judge, but we have ethical and sporting rules, and these must be adhered to."
Briatore said the saga has sunk beneath thousands legalese words and the tit-for-tat exchange of minute accusations. "Really it is simple," he said.
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From: West Henrietta UPSTATE NY
I love it, things are really heating up...
Give em hell Flavio!
Renault to attend F1 spy appeal hearing
03/08/2007 - By Alan Baldwin
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Formula One champions Renault will attend an appeal court hearing into a spying controversy between McLaren and Ferrari, team head Flavio Briatore said on Friday.
The Italian told a news conference at the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit that the French team would take part because the affair was damaging the sport's image and the outcome was important to everybody.
"This story involves everybody sooner or later," he said. "I want to know exactly what is going on because I think it is part of our job. "If you see the newspapers in the last two months, we are not talking about who is the guy winning the race or losing the race. The spy story, if you want, is predominant in everything," added Briatore. "I believe this story is damaging everybody a little bit, including me...Stuff like this is not good for the sponsors or anybody."
www.mirror.co.uk
03/08/2007 - By Alan Baldwin
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Formula One champions Renault will attend an appeal court hearing into a spying controversy between McLaren and Ferrari, team head Flavio Briatore said on Friday.
The Italian told a news conference at the Hungarian Grand Prix circuit that the French team would take part because the affair was damaging the sport's image and the outcome was important to everybody.
"This story involves everybody sooner or later," he said. "I want to know exactly what is going on because I think it is part of our job. "If you see the newspapers in the last two months, we are not talking about who is the guy winning the race or losing the race. The spy story, if you want, is predominant in everything," added Briatore. "I believe this story is damaging everybody a little bit, including me...Stuff like this is not good for the sponsors or anybody."
www.mirror.co.uk
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From: West Henrietta UPSTATE NY
I can only hope we get the real answers to these seven questions...
Spygate: The seven vital questions for McLaren to answer
By JONATHAN McEVOY
McLaren's hopes of avoiding punishment in the Formula One spy saga will hinge on seven questions at the sport's court of appeal.
Ferrari are preparing to show that McLaren not only should be punished for having possession of their technical secrets but that the trail of subterfuge leads to the top of the British team's hierarchy.
McLaren escaped without penalty from last week's original world motor sport council hearing, claiming that the spying was by one maverick employee, Mike Coughlan, accepting the data from Ferrari's disaffected mechanic Nigel Stepney for his own use.
But Max Mosley, president of governing body the FIA, has hinted that there are a 'number of suspicious elements' which could incriminate McLaren further. They are:
. Was the tip-off Coughlan, the chief designer, received from Stepney over Ferrari's flexible floor design the only information passed between the two teams?
. Why did McLaren boss Ron Dennis not tell Ferrari opposite number Jean Todt they had received the tip-off while they negotiated an agreement based on mutual trust?
. McLaren installed a 'firewall' on Stepney's work computer but why not his private computers?
. Why did McLaren agree to Coughlan's visit to Barcelona "to ask Stepney to stop communicating" rather than use the phone?
. Why did Coughlan return from the trip with 780 pages of Ferrari information?
. Can McLaren make clear what Coughlan was working on while in possession of the data?
. Is it plausible that managing director Jonathan Neale advised Coughlan to destroy the documents without finding out, or wanting to find out, what they were?
The appeal panel, who will meet in around four weeks, comprise top international barristers empowered to dock points or expel the team from the championship.
Any such outcome could impact on Britain's championship leader Lewis Hamilton, currently preparing for Sunday's Hungarian GP. However, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has already stated the drivers will not be penalised - no matter what the appeal hearing decides.
www.mirror.co.uk
By JONATHAN McEVOY
McLaren's hopes of avoiding punishment in the Formula One spy saga will hinge on seven questions at the sport's court of appeal.
Ferrari are preparing to show that McLaren not only should be punished for having possession of their technical secrets but that the trail of subterfuge leads to the top of the British team's hierarchy.
McLaren escaped without penalty from last week's original world motor sport council hearing, claiming that the spying was by one maverick employee, Mike Coughlan, accepting the data from Ferrari's disaffected mechanic Nigel Stepney for his own use.
But Max Mosley, president of governing body the FIA, has hinted that there are a 'number of suspicious elements' which could incriminate McLaren further. They are:
. Was the tip-off Coughlan, the chief designer, received from Stepney over Ferrari's flexible floor design the only information passed between the two teams?
. Why did McLaren boss Ron Dennis not tell Ferrari opposite number Jean Todt they had received the tip-off while they negotiated an agreement based on mutual trust?
. McLaren installed a 'firewall' on Stepney's work computer but why not his private computers?
. Why did McLaren agree to Coughlan's visit to Barcelona "to ask Stepney to stop communicating" rather than use the phone?
. Why did Coughlan return from the trip with 780 pages of Ferrari information?
. Can McLaren make clear what Coughlan was working on while in possession of the data?
. Is it plausible that managing director Jonathan Neale advised Coughlan to destroy the documents without finding out, or wanting to find out, what they were?
The appeal panel, who will meet in around four weeks, comprise top international barristers empowered to dock points or expel the team from the championship.
Any such outcome could impact on Britain's championship leader Lewis Hamilton, currently preparing for Sunday's Hungarian GP. However, F1 chief Bernie Ecclestone has already stated the drivers will not be penalised - no matter what the appeal hearing decides.
www.mirror.co.uk
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From: Covington WA, USA
As for that last question, he's not supposed to find out what they were. If he did ask for them to be destroyed without reading, he did part of what he should have done. Unfortunately, destroying them is not the correct move. It smacks of covering up evidence. Turning them in (unread) is what should be done.
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From: Toronto
Originally Posted by mikegarrison,Aug 3 2007, 01:09 PM
As for that last question, he's not supposed to find out what they were. If he did ask for them to be destroyed without reading, he did part of what he should have done. Unfortunately, destroying them is not the correct move. It smacks of covering up evidence. Turning them in (unread) is what should be done.
100% Mike.