McLaren guitly!

[Bruce]

From F1 website:
The full statement from the FIA:

In an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Paris on the 12th of September 2007, The following decision was taken:

"The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructors' points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championshiop an the team can score no point for the remainder of the season *.

"Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to 100 million dollar, 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 regards to drivers' points **.

"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."

The full reasons for this decision will be issued on the 14th September 2007.

* Points gained by other teams so far this season will not be affected.

** No McLaren representative will be allowed on the podium should a McLaren driver win any of the remaining races of the 2007 season.

[Bruce]

Too bad!! McLaren may be absorved by Mercedes or dissapear!

[Bruce]

Ferrari said they were happy that the “truth had emerged” following Thursday’s decision by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council to strip McLaren of constructors’ point and heavily fine them for possessing confidential data belonging to the Italian team.

“Ferrari acknowledges the decision of the FIA to sanction Vodafone McLaren Mercedes for its breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code,” said a Ferrari statement.

“In light of new evidence, facts and behaviour of an extremely serious nature and grossly prejudicial to the interest of the sport have been further demonstrated.

“Ferrari is satisfied that the truth has now emerged.”

[xsi]

bruce said:

The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructors' points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championshiop an the team can score no point for the remainder of the season

I can´t believe it, it was so hard!

[Laury]

100 millon euros!
Do you really think the team can dissapear?

[Bruce]

More info from F1.com

Coughlan, De la Rosa, Alonso shared data obtained from Stepney

A number of McLaren employees - including Pedro de la Rosa and Fernando Alonso - knew about the team’s unauthorised possession of confidential Ferrari information, and some intended to use that information in the team’s own testing.

The findings contradict previous claims from McLaren that the Ferrari data had not spread beyond suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan, who allegedly received it from former Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney.

In its judgement, the Council cites evidence of ongoing communications between Coughlan and Stepney, as well as between Coughlan and McLaren test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who the FIA claim “requested and received secret Ferrari information from a source which he knew to be illegitimate” and shared that information with world champion Fernando Alonso.

Emails between Coughlan, de la Rosa and Alonso formed part of the new evidence that prompted Thursday’s second hearing into the affair. July’s original hearing had found McLaren in breach of the International Sporting Code, but had not sanctioned the team due to lack of evidence.

The emails covered topics such as the weight distribution and braking system of Ferrari’s car, a flexible rear wing design and a gas used by the Italian team to inflate its tyres. They also suggested that Stepney had fed Coughlan real-time information on Ferrari’s pit stop strategy in this year’s Australian Grand Prix.

According to the Council, “The e-mails show unequivocally that both Mr. Alonso and Mr. de la Rosa received confidential Ferrari information via Coughlan; that both drivers knew that this information was confidential Ferrari information and that both knew that the information was being received by Coughlan from Stepney.”. In submitting their evidence, de la Rosa and Alonso were granted immunity from any personal sanctions.

The other new evidence related to communications between Coughlan and Stepney, which, according to reports from the Italian police, was of a far greater level than the Council had previously thought, leading it to conclude that Coughlan “was in receipt of a flow of confidential Ferrari information from Stepney.”

[Bruce]

laury said:

100 millon euros!
Do you really think the team can dissapear?

Don´t worry, they are dollars not euros.
Yes I think Mercedes has the best chance to buy the team they never had before.

[xsi]

Transcript highlights Dennis/Alonso row


McLaren team boss Ron Dennis revealed at the spying hearing that he and Fernando Alonso were not on speaking terms following the Hungarian Grand Prix.

In the transcripts of the hearing, made public by the FIA on Wednesday, Dennis explains how cold his relationship with the world champion has been since the Hungaroring and as a result of Alonso believing he should get preferential treatment over Lewis Hamilton at McLaren.
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62548

"We are not on speaking terms, but that does not matter," said Dennis during the FIA hearing on Thursday, 13th September.

"We have not had any conversations since that point," added Dennis, referring to the conversation in Hungary in which an upset Alonso told his team chief he had information that could be used against McLaren in the spy case involving the British squad and Ferrari.

"First, the relationship between Fernando and myself is extremely cold. That is an understatement," said Dennis. "In Fernando's mind, there is the firm belief that our policy, whereby each driver receives equal treatment, doe not properly reflect his status as World Champion.

"He bases this assertion on the fact that his experience and knowledge and what came to him from his former team is such that he should receive an advantage.

"In that discussion, he was extremely upset with what had taken place the previous day, but nowhere nearly as upset as I was," added Dennis referring to the incident during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, where Alonso lost his pole position after a row with his teammate Hamilton.

"He said things that he subsequently and fully retracted. Within the passage of material, he made a specific reference to e-mails from a McLaren engineer. When he made this statement, I said, "Stop". I went out, brought Mr Whitmarsh him in, and Fernando said everything again, in front of his manager.

"When he had finished, I turned to Martin Whitmarsh, asking what we should do with this particular part of the conversation. Martin said we should find Max. After Martin and Fernando left, that is exactly what he did. I recounted the entire conversation to Max. I was upset and angry, but mainly upset. Max calmed me down.

"He said that I should do nothing. I started to calm down. Then, prior to the race, Fernando's manager came and said that he had lost his temper and completely retracted everything he said. When I phoned Max, Max was understanding and said things to me that are irrelevant here, though I would be more than comfortable sharing them.

"He was completely understanding and said that, on the basis of what I told him, if he felt there was any real validity in what Fernando had said, he would contact me prior to taking any action.

"I, however, on the basis that this was an engineering matter, I asked Martin whether he thought something was amiss in that area. He told me, 'We have been too thorough in talking to the engineers; he cannot have been telling the truth.' We subsequently had a reasonable Grand Prix.

"Fernando came to me. He had come in third. He apologised for the outburst and I put it down to the heat of the moment, in which he was angry. That is how I took it. Other than following up with Martin, the matter ended there, until 26 days later, when the drivers received a letter.

"What took place between those times, I do not know. I do not know what circumstances brought that into the public domain," Dennis concluded.

Dennis also revealed McLaren had asked Alonso to attend the Paris hearing, but the Spaniard had refused to go.

"Mr Alonso is not here because he does not want to be here," said Dennis. "He does not speak to anyone much. He is a remarkable recluse for a driver. He is not here by choice.

"Moreover, he said he had other things to do by previous arrangement. I cannot force him to come. We asked him to come."

[Lisa]

I can't believe all this. It's so upsetting. But I guess there is always a chance of wrong doings in a sport where so much money is involved.

Do you think it's possible McLaren will have to sell out to another Company?

[Catriel]

lisa said:

Do you think it's possible McLaren will have to sell out to another Company?

In fact this is Mercedes best chance to have their own team. I wish McLaren will survive.