The F1 Thread -2007

[ZIDANE]

McLaren Appeal Brazil GP

McLaren submit Brazil GP appeal

McLaren, who formally lodged an appeal on Tuesday, outlined their reasons for protesting.

"If we didn't lodge our intention to appeal we would have been criticised by F1 fans and insiders for not supporting our drivers' best interests," said Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren's chief operating officer.

He also said they were unhappy with the decision not to punish Williams or BMW Sauber.

"I want to stress our quarrel is not with Ferrari or Kimi Raikkonen, who won the race fair and square," added Whitmarsh.

"Our argument is with the race stewards in relation to Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica."

McLaren notified motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, late on Sunday of their intention to appeal against the stewards' verdict.

Damon Hill and Eddie Jordan views...

Former world champion Damon Hill has accused F1's race stewards of exercising double standards.

He feels McLaren have been on the wrong side of FIA decisions on more than one occasion this season while other teams have escaped censure.

"It does get quite difficult to see where the consistency lies," Hill told Radio 5live.

"If you go back to the beginning of the season, McLaren's argument is that Ferrari won the very first race using a device which was later found to be illegal by the FIA.

"They removed it but the result stood.

"It's very unsettling to have this appeal, but there is so much at stake and the FIA have to find somehow a way of being consistent.

"I can see how a couple of degrees fuel temperature can be regarded as being so negligible that it wouldn't make any difference.

"But we're talking about such tiny differences all the time in Formula One, there has to be a line where you're one side or the other."

However, the total advantage for each car over the race distance was almost certainly no more than a second.

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan agrees that cars do gain an unfair advantage if they use cooler fuel but thinks McLaren will find it hard to launch a successful appeal.

He says it will be difficult to prove that the fuel temperatures at the time the fuel entered the cars broke the rules.

"If you put chilled or cool fuel into a car you get between 5 and 10 horsepower increase," he told 5live.

"Now that is a significant amount and would be enough to exclude a car if it was found to have done so, but I am not sure at this late stage how you can actually get that proof."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7055644.stm

Maybe offer a slight punishment to the teams like a fine or the loss of a constructors point but nothing more than that and the whole thing should be put to bed.

 

[Marching]

The inevitable has happened...Alonso moves on...

Former world champion Fernando Alonso has left McLaren after negotiating an early release from his contract.

McLaren and Alonso have had an acrimonious relationship this season and a McLaren statement said that both parties had "agreed to move on".

Alonso is free to join another team in 2008, and his agent said neither party would pay a financial penalty.

Red Bull and Renault are the favourites to sign him, and BBC Sport understands Red Bull are the more likely option.

 

[ZIDANE]

Alonso said: "Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out. I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team.

"Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home.

"I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win."

Dennis added: "He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of McLaren-Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward."

Maybe they had different words on the inside but at least there wasn't any of that 'bitchiness' in the media that we have seen this season.

It will be interesting to see not only where he goes but who comes into McLaren.... Will they go for another younger type or head for some experience to support Hamilton or as a safe bet? They may even promote their test driver as he was fighting for the place with Hamilton the year before...