OK, who here really thinks the FIA would grant McLaren's appeal and "change" the outcome of the WC???

(BTW, anyone see the pix of Kimi enjoying himself Sunday night-priceless!! And no gorilla suit...)

 

Can you imagine the frustration of finding fuel in those cars that was out of specification? I don't know what will happen but from an article released today at www.f1i.com, http://www.f1i.com/content/view/8691/1/, Luca di Montezemolo is quoted as saying:

"In formula one, anything can happen, but as we have seen in the past in these circumstances, you remove the points of the team, not the drivers."

Not exactly true but humorous, none the less.

Hank

 

Can you post a link, I didn't see them.

 

The FIA needs to come up with some consistent penalties. I would almost guarantee that if this fuel problem had happened five or six races ago, the cars and drivers would have been disqualified without question. I recall in 2004, I left the Canadian GP thinking that I knew the results, only to find out some of the cars had been disqualified for brake ducts that were not within specification.

Similarly, the penalty for McLaren should have also been consistent -- if you're taking away the constructor's points, take away the driver's too. But that would have been a commercial disaster so ... it is what it is.

 

The FIA could hand down penalties without changing the championship. Just have the offending teams serve their penalties at the start of next season. I'm sure that will never happen and I hope that this appeal doesn't affect the results of the championship. The champion should win the title on the track, not in the boardroom.

 

I can also recall the BAR Honda team being DQ'd for having an "extra" fuel compartment...both the drivers and team lost the points. Or when Schumi was DQ'd in Belgium '94 because the wood plank under the car was thinner than the FIA had dictated it needed to be...again both driver and team lost points.

I believe the FIA will state that the only reason the McLaren drivers were not penalized was not only because it would've ruined the championship, but because the FIA could NOT PROVE that the knowledge they had gained had been used on the track.

In other words, if there's proof (like in Canada '04, Belgium '94 or in the case of BAR's fuel compartment) that they've cheated, then everyone is penalized, however if it hasn't/can't been proven (like in this year's McLaren situation) that it's been used on the track, then the team may be penalized and/or the drivers may or may not be.

 

Correct me if I am wrong but didn't the proof come from emails between Alonso and de La Rosa? That would involve the drivers. I believe the FIA didn't penalize the drivers is that they would have had to penalize their darling Hamilton and that was unthinkable.

Be that as it may, why don't they also take points away from Hamilton when it was found that he used two sets of wets in practice? It is all very inconsistent.

 

FIA has an easy way to do this without changing the championship and do something that in principle, they have done before (I personally think this is what will happen):

Take the points away from Rosberg, Kubica & Heidfeld but don't award any points to drivers behind them.

 

You're right in that there was proof that they had it and even may have tested it, but no proof that it was ever used during a race weekend.

As for Hamilton, well there's a reason why most F1 fans dislike him. I couldn't believe it when I heard that the FIA wouldn't penalize him, not even a grid penalty for the tyre situation. But the biggest surprise was seeing the FIA retract the penalty placed on Vettel for pace car incident with Mark Webber in Japan, simply because IMHO it would've meant that they would've had to do the same to their boy.

 

If they tested stollen data on the car to improve and develop the car, it means they used it in all the races.

There was also the frantic communications between caughlan/mclaren and stepney during GP weekends.

There is no doubt in my mind, Mclaren benefitted from the data and used it.

so short answer.... yes... the FIA will say they have no way of knowing what the temperatures were, what was gained, how it was sampled, blablablabbla.

long answer... no ... there is no doubt those 3 cars had an advantage.

well.. the long answer would be the short one but you get the idea


bottom line, after a year with so many controversies, the FIA will put the issue to rest with as little fuss and impact as possible. My idea: No penalties to anyone, results are definitive, get on with 2008.

Ron, your kid blew it, no way in hell we are giving you this one.