The Official F1 2009 Thread

[naplesE30]

They both did it just not as well as Ferrari. Every one in F1 is always skirting the rules to get an edge, (double difuser anyone) some go farther then others,,, same is true for life and buisness. Wether its ordering a teamate to let one pass or, stealing a design. Renault and McLaren were just stupid and blatent about how they did it.

Symmonds and Briatore are facing lifetime bans and possibly jail time in Singapore, if Signapore authorities decide to press charges for ordering a violent and dangerous act.

I must admit I thought Piquet was just being a bitch about getting canned, I guess he was legit in his accusations. That will teach me to form an opinion before the facts are laid out. Who else thought Piquet was making this story up?

[z31maniac]

Who else thought Piquet was making this story up?

I didn't. That's a pretty bold accusation to make up.

[quickervicar]

I find the McLaren Spy-Gate deal to be a raw one. They were fined how much? Payable to whom? The punishment didn't seem to fit the crime at all.

This Renault one is pretty serious, but not entirely different than Schumacher's attempt to scuttle qualifying attempts of others at Monaco by "crashing" near the end of the session. There does seem to be more of a team effort here than Michael's off had.

So what will the team be named when David Richards takes over?

[Jon325i]

I find the McLaren Spy-Gate deal to be a raw one. They were fined how much? Payable to whom? The punishment didn't seem to fit the crime at all.

$100,000,000 because Ron Dennis made Max Mosley's skin crawl. The dislike between those two was a secret to no one.

This Renault one is pretty serious, but not entirely different than Schumacher's attempt to scuttle qualifying attempts of others at Monaco by "crashing" near the end of the session.

The difference between Schuey's event and Piquet's is that there were quite a few people on the other side of the barrier that the Renault was stuffed into.....so there was a potential chance of spectators getting hurt from flying debris. The guardrail at Rascasse is just a couple of feet from a tall concrete wall and this area is closed off to spectators.

So what will the team be named when David Richards takes over?

I guess this depends on a number of things....

#1: Will the title sponsor ING want to stay on board with Renault after this?

#2: Does Renault even plan on staying in F1? The weak global economy is causing many factories to realign their funding (see: Honda and BMW). I honestly don't know how strong their continued committment to Formula 1 is and perhaps this whole episode could serve as a pivotal point to re-evaluating things.

#3: You may recall a number of seasons ago David Richards was running the show for BAR Honda. Their peak year was 2004 when they were runner up to Ferrari in the Constructors. When Richards came on board he brought his group of people as a "management team" which turned things around after a rough beginning in the late 1990s under different management. In 2005 Honda's factory management took over and their downhill slide began. Incidentally, Richards right hand man Nick Fry (who stayed on board with Honda after Richards left) and now he's Ross Brawn's right hand man. His loyalty to the team has paid off well this season. If Renault call on Richards to get things back on track, it may be a short term agreement to get them through the remainder of the season. Then again, it could be more. Time will tell.

#4: David Richards runs Prodrive.....a group with deep roots in WRC. Last year Richards wanted to obtain a spot on the F1 grid forming a Prodrive team but I believe money issues kept that from becoming a reality. If David Richards can source up the necessary funding and assume control of Renault's F1 operations in England, he could get his wish to run a "Procar F1" team. Time will tell with that one.....its too early to speculate now.

One final point. The FIA still plan to have their hearing next week in Paris re: the Singapore incident. If they choose to be heavy handed in their means of punishment, they may exclude Renault from the remainder of the season as far as the Championships are concerned. Again, too early to tell. We will have a better idea by this time next week.

Jon

[quickervicar]

So now it comes out that PK1 reported this to Charlie Whiting back in Brazil last year. Charlie passes it on to Max. Max sits on it. It also comes out that PK1 & 2 told this directly to Max & Bernie on July 30. They sit on it until a London newspaper leaked copies of the transcripts on August 17. Then they spring into action.

This is starting to stink worse than I ever imagined.

[naplesE30]

Kimi to sign with McLaren, interesting.

[E30Kaiser]

Kimi to sign with McLaren, interesting.

That's still just a rumor right?

[YAN-3]

Kimi to sign with McLaren, interesting.

what source? Kimi+Lewis=WIN

[Jon325i]

what source? Kimi+Lewis=WIN

Here's what I found:

http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-raikkonen-signs-with-mclaren-report/

http://www.forumula1.net/2009/f1/f1-news/kimi-set-for-mclaren-return/

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/152465/1/raikkonen_has_signed_2010_outline_agreement_with_mclaren.html

Basically, in a nutshell, there's an 'outlined agreement' on the table. The sticking point is will Ferrari pay out the remaining term of Kimi's contract. He still has one year left guaranteed with the Scuderia....but if they release him to make room for Alonso, they still have to pay him for that year even if he isn't driving for them. Should this deal with McLaren go through, Kimi will be rollin' in da dough for 2010. Think: two salaries, one job.


Jon

[YAN-3]

cant wait for the weekend and see what BBC has on all this

[Jean]

Oh wow this can get interesting.... Lewis sure won't like playing #2 lol.

[Hick]

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/pressreleases/wmsc/2009/Pages/wmsc_210909.aspx

[Jon325i]

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...sc_210909.aspx

That link was really slow to open for me (perhaps everyone worldwide into F1 trying to access it). Below is a cut-n-paste of the text....

Press Release

World Motor Sport Council

21/09/2009

At an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council held in Paris on 21 September 2009, the ING Renault F1 team (“Renault F1”) admitted that the team had conspired with its driver Nelson Piquet Jr. to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, in breach of the International Sporting Code and F1 Sporting Regulations.

Renault F1 stated at the meeting that it had conducted a detailed internal investigation, which found that: (i) Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. had conspired to cause the crash; and (ii) no other team member was involved in the conspiracy.

The FIA has conducted its own detailed investigation and its findings correspond with those of Renault F1.

At the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council, Renault F1 made the following points in mitigation:

- it had accepted, at the earliest practicable opportunity, that it committed the offences with which it was charged and cooperated fully with the FIA’s investigation;


- it had confirmed that Mr. Briatore and Mr. Symonds were involved in the conspiracy and ensured that they left the team;


- it apologised unreservedly to the FIA and to the sport for the harm caused by its actions;


- it committed to paying the costs incurred by the FIA in its investigation; and


- Renault (the parent company, as opposed to Renault F1) committed to making a significant contribution to FIA safety-related projects.

Nelson Piquet Jr. also apologised unreservedly to the World Motor Sport Council for his part in the conspiracy.

The following decision was taken:

The World Motor Sport Council finds that Renault F1 team members Flavio Briatore, Pat Symonds and Nelson Piquet Jr. conspired to cause a deliberate crash at the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix. The World Motor Sport Council therefore finds Renault F1, which, under article 123 of the International Sporting Code, is responsible for the actions of its employees, in breach of Articles 151(c) and point 2(c) of Chapter IV of Appendix L of the Code, and Articles 3.2, 30.3 and/or 39.1 of the Formula One Sporting Regulations.

The World Motor Sport Council considers Renault F1’s breaches relating to the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix to be of unparalleled severity. Renault F1’s breaches not only compromised the integrity of the sport but also endangered the lives of spectators, officials, other competitors and Nelson Piquet Jr. himself. The World Motor Sport Council considers that offences of this severity merit permanent disqualification from the FIA Formula One World Championship. However, having regard to the points in mitigation mentioned above and in particular the steps taken by Renault F1 to identify and address the failings within its team and condemn the actions of the individuals involved, the WMSC has decided to suspend Renault F1’s disqualification until the end of the 2011 season. The World Motor Sport Council will only activate this disqualification if Renault F1 is found guilty of a comparable breach during that time.

In addition the World Motor Sport Council notes Renault F1’s apology and agrees that the team should pay the costs of the investigation. It also accepts the offer of a significant contribution to the FIA’s safety work.

As regards Mr. Briatore, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for an unlimited period, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Briatore in any capacity whatsoever. It also hereby instructs all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Briatore access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. Furthermore, it does not intend to renew any Superlicence granted to any driver who is associated (through a management contract or otherwise) with Mr. Briatore, or any entity or individual associated with Mr. Briatore. In determining that such instructions should be applicable for an unlimited period, the World Motor Sport Council has had regard not only to the severity of the breach in which Mr. Briatore was complicit but also to his actions in continuing to deny his participation in the breach despite all the evidence.

As regards Mr. Symonds, the World Motor Sport Council declares that, for a period of five years, the FIA does not intend to sanction any International Event, Championship, Cup, Trophy, Challenge or Series involving Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever, or grant any license to any Team or other entity engaging Mr. Symonds in any capacity whatsoever. It hereby instructs, for a period of five years, all officials present at FIA-sanctioned events not to permit Mr. Symonds access to any areas under the FIA’s jurisdiction. In determining that such instructions should be effective for a period of five years the World Motor Sport Council has had regard: (i) to Mr. Symonds’ acceptance that he took part in the conspiracy; and (ii) to his communication to the meeting of the World Motor Sport Council that it was to his “eternal regret and shame” that he participated in the conspiracy.

As regards Mr. Piquet Jr., the World Motor Sport Council confirms the immunity from individual sanctions under the International Sporting Code in relation to this incident, which the FIA had granted to him in exchange for volunteering his evidence.

As regards Fernando Alonso, the World Motor Sport Council thanks him for cooperating with the FIA’s enquiries and for attending the meeting, and concludes that Mr. Alonso was not in any way involved in Renault F1’s breach of the regulations.

The World Motor Sport Council would like to thank the Stewards and legal investigation team (in particular Dorothy Cory-Wright of Sidley Austin LLP who conducted the interviews at the Belgian Grand Prix).

The full reasons for this decision, in addition to a complete recording of the proceedings before the World Motor Sport Council, will be made available shortly.

[Ray Smoodiver]

Holy fuck!

[naplesE30]

Wow, Renault got away with one there. I thought the FIA would be harder on them, Im sure they were afaid they would leave the sport if they came down to hard. Cant believe they were not fined. Adios Flavio