Kimi Raikkonen won the Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2007 driver’s World Championship by just one point from McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton after a bad start from the rookie. Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso finished second and third.
The World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has disqualified McLaren from the 2007 constructors’ championship and imposed a fine equal to $100 million, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction. However, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso can continue to vie for the drivers’ crown.
The 26-member panel decided to punish McLaren for breaking the sporting regulations by possessing confidential Ferrari data after the hearing today in Paris.
The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructor points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and the team can score no points for the remainder of the season. Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to $100m, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction.
However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team’s drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regard to drivers’ points.
McLaren will also have to present its 2008 car for examination by the FIA before the start of next season.
“The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at its December 2007 meeting as to what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season,” read the statement.
No McLaren representative will be allowed on the podium should a McLaren driver win in any of the remaining races of the 2007 season.
Click here for the full transcript of the Council’s judgement.
The FIA President, Max Mosley, today referred the Ferrari-McLaren case to the Court of Appeal after a plea by Italian Automobile Club and Italian Motor Sport Commission (ACI-CSAI) President Luigi Macaluso.
This means that the case which we all thought to be closed can still take a turn. The date for the appeal will be announced shortly according to the sources.
Macaluso said, in a letter to the FIA president, that the ACI-CSAI could not understand how McLaren escaped a penalty even after being found that the team had breached International Sporting Code.
In a reply, Max Mosley said, “Your letter suggests that the outcome may have been different if the Council had given Ferrari further opportunities to be heard beyond those that were in fact offered.
Because of this and the importance of public confidence in the outcome, I will send this matter to the FIA Court of Appeal under Article 23.1 of the FIA Statutes with a request that the Court hear both Ferrari and McLaren and any other Championship competitor who so requests and determine whether the decision of the WMSC was appropriate and, if not, substitute such other decision as may be just.”
FIA just released the calendar for the 2008 Formula 1 season. The season will comprise of 18 races including the first ever night race which will be held in Singapore. The Valencia circuit in Spain will host the European Grand Prix.
| 16 March | Australia |
| 23 March | Malaysia |
| 6 April | Bahrain |
| 27 April | Spain |
| 11 May | Turkey |
| 25 May | Monaco |
| 8 June | Canada |
| 22 June | France |
| 6 July | Great Britan |
| 20 July | Germany |
| 3 August | Hungary |
| 24 August | Europe (Valencia, Spain) |
| 7 September | Belgium |
| 14 September | Italy |
| 28 September | Singapore (Night Race) |
| 12 October | Japan |
| 19 October | China |
| 2 November | Brazil |
Check out this image from the European Grand Prix. As the rain began to pour in the opening stages of the race, the turn1 actually looked like a swimming pool, and the cars slid around the corner into the gravel trap one after the other.
Kimi Raikkonen finished first in today’s qualifying at the Nurburgring in Germany. Lewis Hamilton crashed out in Q3 into the tire wall at 250km/h after his right front wheel failed. He seems to be unscathed but is still put under medical observation.
He was the fastest man on track when he crashed out and the crash delayed the qualifying by some 25 minutes. Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa came in second and third respectively in the most dramatic qualifying session of the season. Alonso made a mistake on his flying lap but recovered soon (maybe his car is on a lighter fuel load) to finish second.
Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica, Mark Webber, Heikki Kovaleinen, Jarno Trulli, Ralf Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton make up the first five rows for the start of tomorrow’s race.
According to sources, a statement is expected later today on whether Lewis will be able to race tomorrow. Check back for more updates.
UPDATE: Hamilton has been examined by FIA Medical Delegate Dr Gary Hartstein and the Chief Medical Officer of the event, Dr Klaus U. Zerbian and is cleared to race. He will start from 10th place on the grid, with the same fuel load that he began qualifying with.
Spyker today announced that the team will not race Christijan Albers for the rest of the season with immediate effect. The team mentioned non-payment by one of Albers’ sponsors as the reason for this “difficult decision” as quoted by team boss Colin Kolles.
Spyker’s F1 director Michiel Mol added:
“The decision to replace Christijan is one of the hardest I have had to take since becoming involved in the team. By terminating the contract with Christijan and the subsequent entering into a new contract it enables Spyker F1 Ltd. to safeguard its strong financial footing needed to fulfil its technical and commercial goals.
We would also like to stress this decision has nothing to do with Christijan’s recent performances - we still have faith in his contribution as a driver - but the long-term future of the team is of paramount importance.”
Kolles confirmed that Narain Karthikeyan, the Indian driver who drove for the then Jordan team, is a possible candidate to take up Albers’ place. Karthikeyan is currently testing for the Williams team. Honda’s reserve driver Christian Klien is another contender for the position. Kolles also confirmed that its very unlikely for their test driver Markus Winkelhock to grab the drive because of his lack of experience.
Meanwhile its being said that Christijan Albers is considering legal action against the team for abruptly ending their contract which assured his drive till the end of this season. The Dutchman said he is now analyzing with a team of advisers whether or not to take legal action against the team.
“Obviously this has been a very unpleasant surprise, racing wise things were getting better and better and this has been purely a decision based on the business side of things. It’s really unfortunate because I was really looking forward to racing Spyker’s B-car,” said Albers. “Do I still have a future in Formula 1? Of course, there is always a future and I would never give up. It won’t be easy to fight and get to the top but I will do all I can. There is more than Spyker in Formula 1.”
Heres some insight into little known facts about the young hero…
-Lewis was the youngest karting champion in Britain, aged 10. Even before he made his Formula 1 debut he had already won over 300 trophies.
-When Lewis was only 9 he approached Ron Dennis, the McLaren F1 team boss and said “I’m going to race for you one day… I’m going to race for McLaren”.
-McLaren subsuquently signed Lewis to the driver development support programme aged 13. The contract included a special option of a future F1 seat - making history as the youngest ever driver to get an F1 contract.
-Lewis has worn his customary yellow helmet since his early karting days. It was his Dad’s idea as he thought Lewis needed something to make him more visible on busy tracks.
-Off the track Lewis drives a Mercedes GL 4×4.
-The demand to see Lewis’s British Grand Prix debut at Silverstone is so high this year, that it has been broadcast live to 30 Vue mutiplex cinemas across the UK. Another first.
More facts on Lewis-Hamilton.org.uk
Check out the results here.
