McLaren, Alonzo and Hamilton are Singing Freebird!
If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be travelling on, now,
‘Cause there’s too many places I’ve got to see…
Like Budapest, Istanbul, Monza, Spa, Fuji Speedway, Shanghai and Sao Paulo, “Cause I’m as free as a bird now.” Now meaning, for the moment.
McLaren and Ron Dennis may have been ruled not culpable for the possession of confidential Ferrari documents but this isn’t the last we’ve heard of this story.
“Ferrari feel this is highly prejudicial to the credibility of the sport. We will continue with the legal action under way within the Italian criminal justice system, and in the civil court in England,” Ferrari officials said in a statement released 2 hours after the Paris meeting.
Although there was some concern the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) would hand out its version of the death penalty, in an unusual example of common sense by a bunch of bureaucratic million/billionaires they didn’t.
Although they are reserving final judgment, “if it is found in the future that the Ferrari information has been used to the detriment of the championship, we reserve the right to invite Vodafone McLaren Mercedes back in front of the WMSC where it will face the possibility of exclusion from not only the 2007 championship, but also the 2008 championship.”
Yeah right! They have effectively washed the hands of the matter.
In order to make that determination they would have to parse each and every syllable of the 780 page document in Mclaren’s possession and meticulously go through each part on current versions of Ferrari and Mclaren.
I think not. The WMSC has stepped aside and decided discretion is the better part of valor while they watch Ferrari seek a remedy in the Italian criminal justice system and an English civil trial.
UPDATE: I love the smell of sour grapes in the morning.
“When I was driving for Ferrari we always spied on McLaren, listening their radio traffic. After every practice session I had in front of me, on paper, all the discussions Mika Hakkinen had had with his engineer,” Mika Salo told Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat.
Could it be Mika has a vivid memory of the 1999 German Grand Prix? At the time Mika was a substitute for Michael Schumacher who broke his leg during the earlier British Grand Prix. Mika led most of the GGP but team orders demanded that he give the lead to teammate Eddie Irvine, who at the time was fighting for the championship with Mika H
I disagree Marc, I
Imagine the backlash if Hamilton
Here’s how it will turn out. Ferrari WILL appeal the ruling, and by the time it grinds it’s way through the legal process the season will be over and McLaren will have ALL of their points (Driver & Mfg.) excluded for 2007, and maybe for 2008. The inconsistency of the guilty verdict with no penalty makes that a highly likely scenario.
Ferrari are not going to walk away from an oppportunity to win titles in court if they can’t win on the track.
Could be George, I don’t dismiss the possibility at all.
But possibility isn’t always the likely outcome. And If “The Dream” occurs, i.e. Wonder Boy Hamilton goes on to win the championship, the likelihood diminishes considerably.
Judging by the rabid mob in Italy screaming for blood, the media, tifosi, Luca, Todt etc, Ferrari are going to push every legal avenue, criminal & civil. This story is far from over.
I can’t help but wonder if there will be another bombshell. Is there more dirt to be found in the Stepney/Coughlan relationship?
Separate subject, I’m curious to find out exactly what sent Stepney rouge. He had been employed at Ferrari for a very long time. Was he passed over, kicked sideways, bullied in the absence of Brawn, under appreciated??? What specifically?
What specifically?
Maybe he has a “thing” for Alonzo.
Stepney expected, even insisted, on taking Ross Brawn’s job. He openly expressed his anger after not getting the position.
Relative to Hamilton winning a title and having it nullified by the FIA, what could be worse than a champion who has a title under a cloud of suspicion and an alleged miscarriage of justice?
An unbiased court won’t care of the “impact” on the sport of having a rookie Champion stripped of his title, they will focus on the facts of the case and the resulting lack of penalties. If Hamilton wins and McLaren are DQ’d for ‘07 and ‘08 I only hope Dennis and Whitmarsh resign or are fired. It’s the only good that can come out of this.