The FIA to investigate McLaren

[Sureboss]

Not surprising tbh, they were so far ahead of everyone else it makes sense to be a little more conservative.

 

[Robin]

It would make sense if Ron Dennis told Hamilton not to overtake Alonso for fear that he could potentially take them both out with a risky move, as we know Monaco is really hard to overtake and if they had smashed into each other it wouldn't have been worth it, but surely the drivers can think that for themselves they don't need to be ordered to do it!

 

[Scaff]

What gets me is that under the FIA sporting conduct regulations, if found guilty, the FIA are free to impose whatever penalty they see fit, up to and including disqualification of the drivers.

Now while I do find that outcome very unlikely, it could theoretically lead to a situation in which the British media, by banging on about this, could end up getting Hamilton disqualified for following team orders.

Something I wonder if its better when the mainstream media simply ignore motorsport as they do the majority of the time.

Scaff

 

[Touring Mars]

Another GTP exclusive! (Click for full size)

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edit: I made that before I read this... seems that Lewis really does take the number 2 on his car seriously

Hamilton said: "It is something I have to live with. I've number two on my car and I am the number two driver."

 

[Diego440]

Again, from Grandprix.com

The McLaren team says that it has nothing to worry about with regard to an investigation into the possible use of team orders at Monaco.

"McLaren are completely comfortable with the FIA's investigation into our race strategy and that all decisions taken both before and during the race were completely in compliance with the International Sporting Code," the team said.

The question that is raised by the investigation is one which has existed since the new rules were introduced in 2002 because team orders are only prohibited if they "interfere with a race result". This is very vague. The definition of a race result is arguable because every finishing position could be said to be part of the result. If this rule is taken to mean the finishing order, rather than thee outcome of the fight at the front, it could thus be applied all through the field. Similarly, if there is no change of position in the final stint of a race is hard to argue that the race was interfered with as the order was established when the cars had finished their stops and it is quite normal for teams to tell drivers to hold station in order to avoid there being a collision and the team losing all the points it is going to get.

Overtaking at Monaco is notoriously difficult, a fact underlined by the race on Sunday when the only overtaking after the first lap came when another driver made a mistake. Thus while Hamilton was obviously very quick and closed the gap on Alonso, after his second pit stop, passing him would have been a completely different matter.

Perhaps the current case will end up producing a more workable definition of what team orders are - which would be a positive.

 

[Metar]

That depends. Hamilton wants his first win, badly. Alonso couldn't afford giving up his place to Hamilton. I doubt an attempt to pass would've gone by smoothly. And Hamilton, newbie or not, looked like he was going for a pass at Alonso. I don't think he really cared about taking them out, otherwise he'd have taken it easier earlier instead of wearing out his tyres, since he was 45 seconds ahead of Massa (or was it Kimi?) anyways...

EDIT: Was moved here, so context is slightly different.

 

[Sureboss]

McLaren are cleared, unsurprisingly.

 

[<_Spike_>]

In the end, if they were using the team orders everyone considers big Hamilton would've won because he was in the Championship lead and would've been the best option to win the race

 

[livemusic]

McLaren are cleared, unsurprisingly.

Yup, everyone saw that coming.

 

[Blake]

In the end, if they were using the team orders everyone considers big Hamilton would've won because he was in the Championship lead and would've been the best option to win the race

Not necessarily. In many ways Alonso is the better bet over the championship distance. Especially he was seen as such before Melbourne.

 

[darkfinal]

The FIA’s McLaren-Monaco statement in full
30 May 2007
Having studied the radio traffic between Vodafone McLaren Mercedes (McLaren) and its drivers, together with the FIA observer’s report and data from the team, it is clear that McLaren’s actions during the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix were entirely legitimate and no further action is necessary.

The facts

1. A two-stop strategy is the optimum at Monaco unless the safety car is deployed, in which case one-stop can sometimes be better.

2. The safety car has been deployed during four of the past five Monaco Grands Prix.

3. Under current rules the choice between a one-stop and two-stop strategy must be made before the final qualifying period.

4. It is clear from FIA measurements taken after qualifying that McLaren fuelled Hamilton for five more laps than Alonso.

5. This allowed Hamilton the option of a one-stop strategy should the safety car have come out during his first stint.

6. The safety car was not deployed.

7. The McLaren was significantly faster at Monaco than any other car.

Background

The primary objective of any team is for one of their drivers to win. If this can be achieved they will try to ensure their other car finishes second.

With no safety car during Alonso’s first stint, there was a small but finite risk that it would come out during the five laps before Hamilton had to refuel. This would have put him behind the field and at a significant disadvantage to any car on a full (as opposed to optional) one-stop strategy. The latter cars would be expected to refuel around lap 40 – ie after the safety car had pitted if it came out during Hamilton’s extra laps.

For similar reasons Hamilton was called in early for his second pit stop, thus assuring his second place, with or without a safety car.

Had the car in front of Hamilton not been his team-mate, McLaren might (probably would) have decided to risk the safety car and let Hamilton run for as long as his fuel load allowed in the hope that he would come out of the pits in the lead after one of his pit stops. There is, however, no obligation on them to take this risk in order to overtake their own car. Indeed it would be foolish to do so.

It is standard procedure for a team to tell its drivers to slow down when they have a substantial lead. This is in order to minimise the risk of technical or other problems. It is also standard practice and entirely reasonable to ask the drivers not to put each other at risk.

McLaren were able to pursue an optimum team strategy because they had a substantial advantage over all other cars. They did nothing which could be described as interfering with the race result.

Makes sense to me.

 

[Scaff]

Makes sense to me.

Makes sense to everyone but the British tabloid media, who have a latest poster boy (not an attack on Hamilton) and despite knowing next to bugger all about the sport, comment in a daft way.

This was a non-issue from the start in my personal opinion, but the British press saw a story in the brave British lad getting denied a win by the nasty team and ran with it. The fact that anyone with even a basic knowledge of F1 knew it was nonsense wasn't going to stop them.

I've had people I know who have no prior interest in motorsport at all telling me that Hamilton was robbed of a win, most of whom have been quite shocked when I disagree with them.

Regards

Scaff

 

[livemusic]

Makes sense to everyone but the British tabloid media, who have a latest poster boy (not an attack on Hamilton) and despite knowing next to bugger all about the sport, comment in a daft way.

This was a non-issue from the start in my personal opinion, but the British press saw a story in the brave British lad getting denied a win by the nasty team and ran with it. The fact that anyone with even a basic knowledge of F1 knew it was nonsense wasn't going to stop them.

I've had people I know who have no prior interest in motorsport at all telling me that Hamilton was robbed of a win, most of whom have been quite shocked when I disagree with them.

Regards

Scaff

Yeah, it would be the same over here if it were with Massa/Kimi, specially considering the Barrichello/Schumacher incident in the past.

 

[darkfinal]

Makes sense to everyone but the British tabloid media, who have a latest poster boy (not an attack on Hamilton) and despite knowing next to bugger all about the sport, comment in a daft way.

This was a non-issue from the start in my personal opinion, but the British press saw a story in the brave British lad getting denied a win by the nasty team and ran with it. The fact that anyone with even a basic knowledge of F1 knew it was nonsense wasn't going to stop them.

I've had people I know who have no prior interest in motorsport at all telling me that Hamilton was robbed of a win, most of whom have been quite shocked when I disagree with them.

Regards

Scaff

I know that way too well... The same happened here with Alonso/Trulli back in 2003, when the italian got the best package and support of the team (obviously, he was the first driver), and you can't imagine how much people I heard bitching at Massa after Alonso did that stupid move on him in the Spanish GP's first turn, when it was CLEARLY Alonso's fault.

Also, I don't see why people keeps saying that Hamilton was faster than his teammate in Monaco... during the first 2/3 of the race, when they both were driving past their limits, it was the spaniard getting the fastest lap. And when they didn't have any cars in front of them, the gap between both McLarens kept increasing slowly (even if there were stints where Hamilton was faster). It wasn't until Alonso found a bunch of outlapped cars that he didn't loose that gap. And even if that, Alonso drove smooth all during the race - while his teammate was just struggling to follow his pace, nearly crashing a few times (remember when he almost hit the barriers and when he had to control his car twice in the chicane).

Come on, even I know that Hamilton will be F1's Tiger Woods, but give him some time, because I can see him crashing more than once during this season if Ron Dennis isn't there to calm him down. And Alonso, after all, has been the only one beating Schumacher since 2000, and Raikkonen too (which, IMHO, is starting to act poor).

 

[Kylehnat]

Come on, even I know that Hamilton will be F1's Tiger Woods, but give him some time, because I can see him crashing more than once during this season if Ron Dennis isn't there to calm him down. And Alonso, after all, has been the only one beating Schumacher since 2000, and Raikkonen too (which, IMHO, is starting to act poor).

...which is why Alonso is still the horse to bet on. Lewis will take himself out of at least one race this year, as all rookies do. Plus, it is unknown how Lewis will handle the 19-race schedule, including some tracks he's never seen (though that hasn't really bothered him yet). In a close race over a long season, it is smart to bet on the veteran, just because of experience. Alonso has dealt with the pressure and stress before (which increases exponentially as the season wears on). In the last two years, he's dusted off Raikkonen and some guy named Schumacher. Hard to think that he can't handle his own teammate after that. Lewis looks like championship-winning material, but as inexperienced as he is, it's not likely to happen this year, even if he's given free reign to do whatever he wants. For now, he would do well to sit back and learn the car, the team, and the sport. Regardless of McLaren's official stance, Lewis is #2. The team has spent a few more Euros on that other guy to contend for the championship.