FIA to investigate alonso's win

[Guest]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6698349.stm

any comments? i didnt see the race so dont know how close it was / how obvious :dry:

[claire_louise]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6698349.stm

any comments? i didnt see the race so dont know how close it was / how obvious :dry:

[Dragonstone]

He was told to back off and let Alonso win. But I don't think he could have overtaken Alonso anyway as he was just in total control of the race and if Hamilton could of been in front this would of been done and over a few laps back.. But Alonso is the Boss of the team to say and Hamilton  will have to wait his turn we thinks...Down to one of those "Old Boys Club" things left over from the early days of racing


David


^^^^

[Dar]

I also don't think that Hamilton would have won the race, due to the circuit and how evenly match he was with Alonso. But this serves Ron Dennis a little reminder "to not be such a big headed git!". Right after the race he was very dismissive of all the other teams and said that it was so easy that they had decided who was going to win the race by the first pit stop(Or words to that effect) 'On T.V.'. At the time I thought you big headed bugger, so i'm not supprised by this. However I am also certain the McLaren Team will have nothing to hide. It is the nature of the Monaco Circuit.

Talking about the Circuit I think its a utterly stoopid place to hold a F1 GP and im sure that if there was not the money around the place that the GP would not exist. Sure its a specticle and you get close to the cars, but its not a decent F1 circuit and its extreamly difficult(well impossible for similar paced cars) to overtake on. I am almost 100% sure that the drivers are told not to moan about the place because its the only circuit that alot of the big money makers and sponsors attend.

I say scrap that GP and use the empty slot for a more worthy circuit. But thats just me.

[Dragonstone]

I could not agree more Dar in this day and age its just out right dangerous for the drivers and public at Monaco you think that they would build a nice track near by or something !! but all down to racing history and tradition..they wont stop until there is a manger accident and loads of people get dead..sorry to  say..

Ron Dennis has done this to himself with the investigation ah but they will be aright what a big head and like you say Dar and live on TV Dahhhh that was silly..

[halfpint]

i otally agee darren, scrap monaco it's just a show for the rich. and hamilton is good but alonso would have won. tho hamilton is another shuey in the making he is still a rookie without experience. but good on him for podium finishes. they were both pretty evenly matche until hamilton made the odd whoopsy. let's see what happens in the next race. :

[jimbro1000]

I reckon you're all wrong on this.

First up - once Alonso had that lead Hamilton was never going to catch him, not because he isn't any good (that is plain to see for everyone, the guy is amazing behind the wheel - the shots of him 4 wheel drifting out of the swimming pool were incredible) but because Alonso and Hamilton are incredibly closely matched.

The traditional advantage of carrying extra fuel at the start of the race backfired, it could have been different if it wasn't for traffic but traffic is what Monaco is all about! Up until the last stage of the race Hamilton was pushing Alonso hard. Ron Dennis is not a wallflower and allows his drivers to push as hard as the drivers will go. He encourages the competition between them (for those that don't know it is called conflict management and it is a proven way of getting very good results although it can also fuel resentment).

Regardless of whether or not RD told Hamilton to cool off and just bring the car home when it came to the last few laps is irrelevant. Alonso wasn't making any mistakes and Hamilton couldn't touch him. This isn't race fixing (which is what the FIA are concerned about) it is just sensible management.

As for Monaco being dangerous? This year's concessions to safety are pretty much the first visible changes to the circuit in a couple of decades. Yes - the circuit doesn't have the run-off areas that you get everywhere else but compared with other street circuits around the world is a veritable haven. In order to race at this level there has to be considerable safety features on hand and around the circuit. The spectators are very well protected despite the proximity to the cars and the marshalls are the best trained in the world. The clerk of the course is exceptionally well informed and has pretty much total control when it comes to clearing up accidents. Seeing the marshalls clear the early accident on Sunday without calling out the pace car was a real surprise but the wreckage was removed in record time. As for driver safety it is an intimidating circuit and every single driver on the grid knows there is a real element of danger here but it is evident in the racing that they also ignore it as far as possible. Every one of them comments on how the circuit feels wider at the end of a race - that is just the human brain accomodating the sensations and fear. In its place comes the controlled aggession and clinical precision that marks the F1 drivers apart from others. Large oval racers in the states are intimately familiar with the sensation, when you see just how close they drive to the walls and the speeds involved it is just plain scary. I would argue that an oval circuit is actually a more dangerous place than the likes of the monaco street circuit!

I've raced on the Rockingham oval and while I only used three of the big straights and only one of the banked corners it is enough to make you realise just to what degree you have to control the fear and claustrophobia and that was at relatively mundane speeds - barely creeping over 100mph.

Yes the monaco race is all about money - but all of the F1 races are all about money, not just for F1 but for everyone involved and it constitutes a huge income for every country holding a race. The share of the income going back to the teams is significant and goes a long way to keeping the sport going in the first place and since Bernie Ecclestone sold up his control of the sport (for a reputed $21billion - yes you read that right) the new owners quickly sorted the divvy out more in favour of the teams. It is arguable that without monaco it is possible that there wouldn't be F1 anywhere! It is pretty much the gem at the heart of the sport. It offers more intimacy and more spectacle than any other circuit in the world (as far as F1 is concerned). To abandon it would be to close F1 down altogether.

If you want to talk about danger then I would suggest you start with the proposal for night racing. The FIA have put the idea on hold as they are utterly unconvinced it can be done safely.

[OppositeLock]

I probably shouldn't bve posting in the mood I'm in today but this talk of safety is ludicrous in my opinion. I've seen H&S regulations totally cripple events, establishments, hotels etc, and quite frankly people have to accept responsibility for their own safety to a far greater degree. The spectators know the risks, and so do the drivers. Monaco is the slowest of all the Grand Prix circuit, and spectators are kept well out of the way. As someone who has been attending grand prix for 15 years (although sadly not Monty Carlo yet) the day it's removed from the calendar is the day I thow out all the merchandise I've amassed, and give up on formula one - as it really is the only challenge left now - after Spa and Hockenheim were totally ruined in the name of safety. What next  - ban the Isle of Man TT  or the North West 200? What about rallying - ban that too and hold it on 'superspecials' only - oh hang on, Dave Richards has already tried that, and ruined a great sporting spectacle.

I think that Hamilton was as ragged as hell, and that Alonso was more than a match for him on Sunday (and Saturday). Teams have always had 'gentleman's agreements' , but Lewis had plenty of opportunity to make up ground during the pitstops etc -and I didn't see any evidence of him being able to either. I think Ron Dennis made a careless remark in an attempt at brinkmanship which has backfired -as now this has been disclosed, then the FIA have no alternative than to look into it. But race fixing? No way, thats Ferarri's game.

[Dragonstone]

The night racing is total madness  if it go's ahead I think... I have always enjoyed the monaco race but consider it a little outdated in my view..

[Dar]

jimbro1000 you say you disagree with us and then post in the first paragraph what I already posted(Worded differently obviously.
:S

Dar - I also don't think that Hamilton would have won the race, due to the circuit and how evenly match he was with Alonso.

jimbro1000 - because Alonso and Hamilton are incredibly closely matched.

As for the rest of it I will take your word on the Monaco GP.  I still maintain that I find it boring and never really enjoy watching it.

[jimbro1000]

Dar you went on to make some fairly weighty claims about other points which along with things others have said, I disagree with. If I'd said I disagree with some things you've said would it have been a bit clearer? I'm not looking for an argument, just some friendly discussion so can we keep pedantry out of the equation.

F1 is a spectator sport alright but you have to be there to enjoy it. The coverage on TV is great if you want a coherent presentation of what is going on as you follow a car around the circuit but in the real world you have to wait for the cars to go past you and to see if anything has changed. It may sound a bit dull and hard to follow. It is hard to follow but the experience is far more fulfilling and exciting. When you hear an F1 car on full song you can mistake it for nothing else.

To a degree the same can be said for any motorsport - you just have to be there to hear it, smell it and taste it before you can really enjoy it. The problem is that generally the more expensive the motorsport it is the more you need to be there to get the best out of it.

[Dragonstone]

Could not agree more there Jimbro1000 I'm far happier trackside at any event or driving around the track when I'm lucky enough on a track day that is.. it's good to disagree about things as this is what life is about your views maybe not my views but I respect what someone has to say about things and discussion is also a very good way of learning and you have to keep a open mind.

This is a forum and if we all had the same point of view how boring would that be !!!

So lets enjoy each others posts, experiences, different Cars and points of view  to make a topic interesting to read.

David


^^

[Dar]

jimbro1000, the last thing I’m here for is an argument. I am also not new to motor sport so know what it’s like trackside as well as competing and marshalling.

I also maintain my views about the Monaco GP. I am seriously not a fan of that place at all. Id much rather see an F1 car in its natural environment and not out of place on a tight street circuit. It maybe challenging for the drivers and a spectacle for the spectators but I truly feel that F1 cars have out grown that place.

[Dragonstone]

To Days F1 News

The FIA decided on Wednesday afternoon not to penalise the McLaren team for suspected 'team orders' implicated during the Monaco Grand Prix. The sport's governing body has studied the McLaren radio messages from the Grand Prix and concluded that the team's communication with its drivers was compliant with the rules. Thus no further action will be taken.


Ron Dennis is understandably happy with the conclusion of the FIA's investigation into alleged 'team orders' instructed during the Monaco Grand Prix. He has said the team can now feel justified in celebrating its dominant one-two, let the matter rest and carry on with the rest of the season.
The Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team has at all times stated that the team did not breach the International Sporting Code at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix, and as a result is pleased that the FIA, following an extremely efficient, professional and thorough investigation, has confirmed that the team's actions were entirely legitimate.

Press comments following the Grand Prix focussed on two issues; the fuel strategy and the allegation that the drivers were not allowed to race each other. The FIA investigation shows that these criticisms were not justified.

Ron Dennis, Chairman and CEO, McLaren Group said: "The entire team was understandably disappointed that outstanding drives from both Fernando and Lewis resulting in a great one-two victory and McLaren's 150th win was temporarily tarnished. The efficient intervention and subsequent inquiry of the FIA into the allegations of the last three days has removed any doubt about the manner in which the team ran its cars during the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix. The team, Fernando and Lewis, who currently are leading both World Championships can now concentrate on the Canadian Grand Prix."

Scot-free then  maybe Ron will keep his mouth shut from now on when it comes to live TV

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^^