The FIA is back to playing Ferrari International Assistance. They make decisions based on God knows what logic. There are a couple of questions that seriously beg to be asked - first of all is McLaren guilty and if so is the punishment appropriate to the crime.
They say McLaren knew of everything in the Ferrari car and strategy and some degree of sporting advantage may have been gained though it may not be possible to quantify it. Did McLaren ever make use of the Ferrari data - is any component planned for Ferrari being used by McLaren and the answer would be No. Even in a race like the Aus GP where Stepney supposedly told Coughlan that Kimi would pit lap 18 what advantage did McLaren gain? Kimi in fact went on to win the race. So whatever knowledge, if any, was possesed by McLaren was never used. In fact the mails between the McLaren drivers and Coughlan was revealed to the FIA by none other than Ron Dennis. Why would a guy who knew his team had committed a crime give what the FIA now considers incriminating evidence? McLaren gained no competitive advantage at all because it never used the information. Intent to commit a crime does not deserve punishment in any court around the world so even if de la Rosa did want to try out the simulator and the tyre gas, he never did. But the FIA decides otherwise and questions if he has the right to take such decisions!! What it admits could very well have been made by observing the Ferrari(the aero package) it says in the context is a crime. Most of the evidence that the FIA states is more or less circumstantial and very iffy as the official press release of the WMSC states.
So the question now is do you punish McLaren for having the info or for using it. The latter is discarded so only the former remains. Even in the case of the former, let's remember that it was Stepney who came forward to volunteer information - McLaren planted no mole in Ferrari and no monetary payment, job or any other benefit was offered to Stepney. Stepney and Coughlan were in fact job hunting and on the circumstantial basis that FIA concludes guilt it is very much possible that they would have told the other teams about the information they possessed and maybe even samples of the info. So that would make all the other teams also guilty wouldn't it since McLaren are being punished for knowing info. These kind of things happening in Formula 1 are not new and who would not want to listen to info about your rival being offered for free. Again this information exchange was very much limited to Coughlan, it wasn't treated as an in-house detailed study of how to scuttle Ferrari's chances. It is not McLaren's fault is it that Massa couldn't overtake Hamilton - a rookie at Malaysia?
So even if McLaren are guilty of knowledge shouldn't the fine be appropriate? To strip McLaren of all constructors points and an additional $100 mn fine is absurd. Are they just being punished because it's Ferrari at the other end? Ferrari has forever been arm twisting and allying with the FIA and it seems a symbiotic relationship. When Alonso is held over in the pits delaying Hamilton McLaren lose constructor points but when Ferrari give team orders no penalty is dealt. McLaren are fined for a untested gear box but what about Ferrari's illegal car in Australia? If we are to believe Coughlan and Stepney for such a big crime sure they wouldn't be lying about small things like that? So can we expect punishment on that? No why should we after all doesn't Max Mosley want Ferrari's support for the new concord agreement?
In the end it's just an unsporting decision by the FIA taken clearly to support a rat of a team that doesn't have the balls to win a championship on track. But no matter what they do they can't beat McLaren on track. Ask Ferrari for the results of psychological warfare at Monza. McLaren will just come back stronger - be it the remaining races this season or the next season.
They say McLaren knew of everything in the Ferrari car and strategy and some degree of sporting advantage may have been gained though it may not be possible to quantify it. Did McLaren ever make use of the Ferrari data - is any component planned for Ferrari being used by McLaren and the answer would be No. Even in a race like the Aus GP where Stepney supposedly told Coughlan that Kimi would pit lap 18 what advantage did McLaren gain? Kimi in fact went on to win the race. So whatever knowledge, if any, was possesed by McLaren was never used. In fact the mails between the McLaren drivers and Coughlan was revealed to the FIA by none other than Ron Dennis. Why would a guy who knew his team had committed a crime give what the FIA now considers incriminating evidence? McLaren gained no competitive advantage at all because it never used the information. Intent to commit a crime does not deserve punishment in any court around the world so even if de la Rosa did want to try out the simulator and the tyre gas, he never did. But the FIA decides otherwise and questions if he has the right to take such decisions!! What it admits could very well have been made by observing the Ferrari(the aero package) it says in the context is a crime. Most of the evidence that the FIA states is more or less circumstantial and very iffy as the official press release of the WMSC states.
So the question now is do you punish McLaren for having the info or for using it. The latter is discarded so only the former remains. Even in the case of the former, let's remember that it was Stepney who came forward to volunteer information - McLaren planted no mole in Ferrari and no monetary payment, job or any other benefit was offered to Stepney. Stepney and Coughlan were in fact job hunting and on the circumstantial basis that FIA concludes guilt it is very much possible that they would have told the other teams about the information they possessed and maybe even samples of the info. So that would make all the other teams also guilty wouldn't it since McLaren are being punished for knowing info. These kind of things happening in Formula 1 are not new and who would not want to listen to info about your rival being offered for free. Again this information exchange was very much limited to Coughlan, it wasn't treated as an in-house detailed study of how to scuttle Ferrari's chances. It is not McLaren's fault is it that Massa couldn't overtake Hamilton - a rookie at Malaysia?
So even if McLaren are guilty of knowledge shouldn't the fine be appropriate? To strip McLaren of all constructors points and an additional $100 mn fine is absurd. Are they just being punished because it's Ferrari at the other end? Ferrari has forever been arm twisting and allying with the FIA and it seems a symbiotic relationship. When Alonso is held over in the pits delaying Hamilton McLaren lose constructor points but when Ferrari give team orders no penalty is dealt. McLaren are fined for a untested gear box but what about Ferrari's illegal car in Australia? If we are to believe Coughlan and Stepney for such a big crime sure they wouldn't be lying about small things like that? So can we expect punishment on that? No why should we after all doesn't Max Mosley want Ferrari's support for the new concord agreement?
In the end it's just an unsporting decision by the FIA taken clearly to support a rat of a team that doesn't have the balls to win a championship on track. But no matter what they do they can't beat McLaren on track. Ask Ferrari for the results of psychological warfare at Monza. McLaren will just come back stronger - be it the remaining races this season or the next season.
1 comment:
Ferrari win the constructors championship!!
Screw you! :P
The name so gives me alternate ideas ... :P :P
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