Leaked info to spell end of Renault in F1?

[fpv_gtho]

Mike Coughlan had shown the dossier of information to Martin Whitmarsh, who told him to get rid of it. Thats about as high as it got IIRC, but he's still one of the 3 biggest figures at McLaren-Mercedes.

[Cody302]

That's exactly what Martin Whitmarsh should have done. Now, Mike Coughlin...was that the schmuck on vacation and was he canned from Ferrari??

thanx stigg

[fpv_gtho]

Mike Coughlan was the chief designer at McLaren. Nigel Stepney was the one who leaked the information from Ferrari.

[Homem de Gelo]

I sure do hope the FIA is as harsh with them as they were with McLaren. Flavio briatore can't get away with his crap all the time.

[Jack_Bauer]

Well, the verdict is out. Renault have been found GUILTY in the hearing into their "Spying" scandal.

However, the WMSC has decided not to give out any punishment of any kind, despite their proven guilt. The decision is sure to raise just as many eyebrows as the decision back in July not to punish McLaren on similar charges. McLaren were then later given an unprecedented fine and were excluded from the constructor's championship after new evidence was brought to light.

More details about the hearing and the verdict are due to follow tomorrow...

“An extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Monaco on December 6, 2007,

“The World Council found Renault F1 to be in breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code but imposed no penalty.

“Detailed reasons for this decision will be issued on December 7, 2007, and a transcript of the proceedings will be published as soon as possible thereafter.”

So Renault are in the clear... for now. Somehow I don't think this is last we'll hear about this matter.

[Zytek_Fan]

They weren't penalized because they know it would really end Renault's involvement in F1. F1 losing a manufacturer would be a HUGE blow.

[t0p5ecret]

We've been talking about this at work and pretty much everyone thinks the verdict is a joke, whats good for one is good for another as far as I'm concerned and if Renault aren't to be punished in any way then surely McLaren should be refunded its penalty fee.

[Zytek_Fan]

LOL Renault has McLaren data -> No fine.
McLaren has Ferrari data -> $100 million fine and disqualification from manufacturer's championship.

Really shows how much the WSMC likes the red boys

[henk4]

LOL Renault has McLaren data -> No fine.
McLaren has Ferrari data -> $100 million fine and disqualification from manufacturer's championship.

Really shows how much the WSMC likes the red boys

or how much they dislike the silver boys?

[Daz27]

Pathetic is all I can say.

[Wouter Melissen]

Pathetic is all I can say.

Then don't watch anymore. Everybody always complains, but come race day, they are all behind the TV watching the race. If you all hate the FIA / FOCA / FOM etc and the decisions they take, take an interest in other forms of motorsport. There are plenty of options, but somehow everybody keeps endorsing these 'idiots'.

[fpv_gtho]

I'm not that surprised really. I was expecting some sort of penalty, perhaps exclusion from the 2007 championship and the only fine the subsequent lost revenue, but this decision actually makes sense when compared to the first McLaren spy hearing.

[RacingManiac]

the sequence of event is still in line with the Ferrari/McLaren spy thing...McLaren got the exact same verdict in the first hearing back in July, it was only after Ferrari's appeal and the drivers' e-mail that McLaren ended up with exclusion and 100 mil fine.....it is now assumed that McLaren will somehow appeal and e-mail exchange between N. Piquet Jr. and Fisichella talking about the McLaren floppy disks(Fisi: did you hear about the floppy disks we got from McLaren? Piquet Jr.: whats a floppy disk?) will reverse the verdict....

[Coventrysucks]

the sequence of event is still in line with the Ferrari/McLaren spy thing...McLaren got the exact same verdict in the first hearing back in July

The circumstances are not the same.

McLaren were not punished initially because it was only proven that 1 man of 1000 had access to the information, and no one could demonstrate an intention to make use of that information. The entire organisation could not be held accountable for the actions of one employee.

Renault have admitted that several people within their organisation saw and discussed the McLaren information, but claim they did not have any intention of using the data - a situation more in line with the revelation that Coughlan, de la Rosa and Alonso discussed information, but ultimately did not use it.

The main argument behind the penalty is that McLaren "lied" in the initial hearing, because 3 people, not 1, knew about the information from Ferrari.

How not knowing about something equates to lying is up to the WMSC to explain fully. It is possible more than 3 people knew or discussed the information, but it is for the WMSC to prove that is the case, rather than speculate.

You cannot reasonably say that Renault did not "lie" about McLaren information - an ex-Renault employee told McLaren of information going around at Renault, so it cannot have been secret, so why did no one at Renault bring this to light as soon as it happened?

Renault co-operated only once they had been caught, they kept the theft and dissemination of McLaren data secret up to that point.

They say that they had no intention of using McLaren's data, but McLaren said the same thing and the WMSC did not believe that argument.

Even Flavio Briatore thinks Renault are guilty enough to be punished; following the initial McLaren verdict in July:

"So I don't understand what happened: if the FIA admits to have established possession of Ferrari material by McLaren, then why is there no retribution?"

Mosley:

"During the World Council meeting on 26 July I have the impression that he [Ron Dennis] did not tell us the truth."

He isn't going to win his libel action against the Times using that logic - they only have to "have the impression" that Mosley is on a witch-hunt for it to be true...