F1 Spy Row

[STEED]

What do you think of this F1 spying row and the outcome from Thursday hearing?

[Skybird]

McLaren is guilty, cause it is responsible for the behavior of it's employees. Nobody denies anymore that they were in possession of 700+ pages of secret technical data from Ferrari, Ron Dennis denied only that they used this data - but what a ridiculous defense it that? Also, in emails his pilots explicitly referred to specific details from this data set, so the claim McLaren did not use it sounds even more absurd.

I agree on the penalty of loosing all constructur points in the running season, sporting spirit demands it. and the event we talk about is nothing else but industrial espionage - but if the penalty fee of 100 million for that is justified, can be argued. Many say it is too much money. Since I have no experience on the usual sums the F1 circus is run by, I do form no opinion on the financial penalty. Maybe they want to set an example, to prevent this single virus turning into a running epidemia, like doping in bike sports.

I want to say that I do not see that this result comes from the dominance of Ferrari inside the F1 structure. McLaren played foul, and were unable to hide it. The penalty is the consistent result.

[melnibonian]

McLaren got exactly what they deserve in my opinion. Too bad they did not punish the drivers as well.

[STEED]

Stirling Moss and Murry Walker said why were the drivers also not punished as the fine seem to be some what a strange one, McLaren came very close to being thrown out of the rest of the 2007 season and banned from the 2008.

I have heard from others who feel Alonso and the test driver (Name slips me for the moment) should have been punished as well, true to say we have only seen part of the story and we could see more to come. It will be interesting on appeal if the F.I.A hold up the fine against McLaren.

[Chock]

Fine them, don't fine them, doesn't really interest me anymore. I think F1 became very boring when Schumacher stopped racing, and the competition is now one between a lot of second-rate drivers who were simply not of the same calibre as him, either in skill or attitude.

As a consequence, the FIA have to keep moving the goalposts to try and make things interesting, and that's probably got a lot to do with this incident, which is part of what drove MS to leave anyway. Well, that and the fact that it means he doesn't have to talk to that moron James Allen anymore - a man who could comfortably write everything he knows about racing on the back of a matchbox in big capital letters.

Chock

[Dowly]

Originally Posted by Chock

I think F1 became very boring when Schumacher stopped racing, and the competition is now one between a lot of second-rate drivers who were simply not of the same calibre as him, either in skill or attitude.

How can watching someone win race after race be more interesting that how it is now? :hmm:

[Tchocky]

Ha, wow.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/internatio...169685,00.html

[Kapitan_Phillips]

Originally Posted by Dowly

How can watching someone win race after race be more interesting that how it is now? :hmm:

Fair point.