No Penalty For Renault
12-07-2007, 02:40 PM
#1
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter
No Penalty For Renault
MONTE CARLO, Monaco (AP) — Renault was not penalized Thursday, despite being found guilty of having confidential information about Formula One rival McLaren.
In September, McLaren was fined $100 million for using confidential data from Ferrari.
In the latest allegations in F1's spy scandal, the World Motor Sport Council summoned Renault team officials to face accusations that the team had unauthorized access to details on McLaren's cars.
In a statement on its Web site, the sport's governing body said it "found Renault F1 to be in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code but imposed no penalty."
Renault team boss Flavio Briatore welcomed the decision with relief.
"I would like to thank Renault, our title sponsor ING and all our partners for their wholehearted support during this sensitive period," Briatore said in a statement. "I also wish to pay tribute to the team, which has handled the matter with integrity and dignity. We are pleased that we can now focus fully on our preparations for the 2008 championship."
Thursday's decision could make it easier for Fernando Alonso to return to Renault after quitting McLaren in the offseason. The Spanish driver won the F1 world title with Renault in 2005 and '06.
In this case, McLaren said Renault gained an unfair advantage last season from information about its fueling system, gear assembly, oil cooling system, hydraulic control system and suspension component.
Phil Mackereth, a former McLaren engineer, was alleged to have taken several CDs of data with him to Renault after he joined the team in September 2006. But the case was muddied when McLaren admitted to misinforming journalists over the scale of the allegations against Mackereth and Renault.
McLaren acknowledged there were 18 technical drawings of its cars on the 11 CDs not 780 outlining the entire blueprint as had been leaked to the press.
Renault has said it suspended Mackereth in September when it learned of his alleged actions, then alerted McLaren and Formula One's governing body.
Renault said the information it had covers only four "basic systems," one of which was obsolete, and denied it influenced the design of its racing car.
McLaren's punishment in its spying case was much more severe. As well as the record fine, the team also was kicked out of the manufacturers' championship, although Alonso and teammate Lewis Hamilton were not docked points.
Hamilton finished second and Alonso third in the drivers' championship.
Renault finished third in the manufacturers' championship with 51 points, and British newspapers had speculated the company could have pulled out of F1 had it been hit with a harsh penalty.
Following an examination of McLaren's computers, the FIA will rule Friday on whether any of Ferrari's ideas or components have been incorporated into McLaren's car for the 2008 season.
McLaren could be forced to remove any illegal parts, setting back the car's development by months and crippling Hamilton's hopes of winning next season's title.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...O-0dwD8TC66SO2
In September, McLaren was fined $100 million for using confidential data from Ferrari.
In the latest allegations in F1's spy scandal, the World Motor Sport Council summoned Renault team officials to face accusations that the team had unauthorized access to details on McLaren's cars.
In a statement on its Web site, the sport's governing body said it "found Renault F1 to be in breach of article 151c of the International Sporting Code but imposed no penalty."
Renault team boss Flavio Briatore welcomed the decision with relief.
"I would like to thank Renault, our title sponsor ING and all our partners for their wholehearted support during this sensitive period," Briatore said in a statement. "I also wish to pay tribute to the team, which has handled the matter with integrity and dignity. We are pleased that we can now focus fully on our preparations for the 2008 championship."
Thursday's decision could make it easier for Fernando Alonso to return to Renault after quitting McLaren in the offseason. The Spanish driver won the F1 world title with Renault in 2005 and '06.
In this case, McLaren said Renault gained an unfair advantage last season from information about its fueling system, gear assembly, oil cooling system, hydraulic control system and suspension component.
Phil Mackereth, a former McLaren engineer, was alleged to have taken several CDs of data with him to Renault after he joined the team in September 2006. But the case was muddied when McLaren admitted to misinforming journalists over the scale of the allegations against Mackereth and Renault.
McLaren acknowledged there were 18 technical drawings of its cars on the 11 CDs not 780 outlining the entire blueprint as had been leaked to the press.
Renault has said it suspended Mackereth in September when it learned of his alleged actions, then alerted McLaren and Formula One's governing body.
Renault said the information it had covers only four "basic systems," one of which was obsolete, and denied it influenced the design of its racing car.
McLaren's punishment in its spying case was much more severe. As well as the record fine, the team also was kicked out of the manufacturers' championship, although Alonso and teammate Lewis Hamilton were not docked points.
Hamilton finished second and Alonso third in the drivers' championship.
Renault finished third in the manufacturers' championship with 51 points, and British newspapers had speculated the company could have pulled out of F1 had it been hit with a harsh penalty.
Following an examination of McLaren's computers, the FIA will rule Friday on whether any of Ferrari's ideas or components have been incorporated into McLaren's car for the 2008 season.
McLaren could be forced to remove any illegal parts, setting back the car's development by months and crippling Hamilton's hopes of winning next season's title.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j...O-0dwD8TC66SO2
12-07-2007, 03:11 PM
#3
Le Mans Master
And we like to think NASCAR is the one with the "seat of the pants" management. McLaren didn't help matters when it was disclosed they had overblown the accusations...
12-07-2007, 03:50 PM
#5
Le Mans Master
Thread Starter