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F1 News Roundup - 14 December 2007

Ron Dennis has finally come clean. McLaren this week sent a letter of apology to the FIA that has hopefully brought the curtain down on the farce of the Stepneygate saga. President of the FIA, Max Mosley, seems to have been persuaded by the public humiliation of the British team and has now asked for the meeting scheduled by the World Motor Sport Council for February 14th next year to be cancelled. If the meeting had gone ahead as scheduled McLaren might have fallen foul of the orders laid down by the Council, warning against any Ferrari/disputed technology being found on the plans for next year's Silver Arrows. It would seem that Max Mosley is giving up his so-called witch hunt for Valentine's Day. How romantic!

Alonso goes back to Renault

In a move that surprised no one but Heikki Kovalainen, Fernando Alonso this week inked a new two- year deal with his former team Renault which brought with it confirmation that Giancarlo Fisichella would lose his race seat (no surprises there) but also the bombshell that Heikki Kovalainen, the rookie sensation, would himself lose a race seat in spite of having been consistently the fastest of the two drivers during the last season. It was a matter of a few short hours before the true reason for Kovy's departure became known and, true to form, the old Spaniard had his role to play. Heikki's speed had been his own undoing as the former two-time world champion reportedly negotiated the removal of the Finn from the team to avoid the same kind of challenge he received from Lewis Hamilton this year.

The greatest champion of all time, as some Spanish media sources have named him on a number of occasions then, has to contend with 'just' Nelson Piquet jr, another rookie fresh from GP2. That should be easy enough, shouldn't it? Nelson Piquet's father doesn't seem to agree, saying that his son is certainly not in F1 to be a Number 2 driver. Oh dear Fernando, its not looking good for you this year, is it?

No harm though. Through all the hard times, McLaren hasn't lost its knack for spotting an opportunity as they confirmed the signing of one Heikki Kovalainen to partner Lewis Hamilton for next year. If they have a car that is. Here's hoping...

Champion Taxis

Michael Schumacher just can't keep out of the headlines, no matter how hard he tries. As confirmed by his spokeswoman, the former seven-time world champion, was in the back of a taxi on his way to the airport to jump on his private plane back home and, running late as they were, he asked the taxi driver if he could drive. The taxi driver dutifully stood aside and was treated to a first hand display of the German's mastery of his craft, in an Opel Vivaro! Storming through the traffic, a Schumacher specialty on track (and off, it seems), the Schumachers arrived on time for their flight and the taxi driver was paid his fare and a tip of 100 Euros... A good day to be a taxi driver in Germany.

F1 News Roundup - 6 December 2007

Mclaren’s having a go at Renault and Renault’s returning the favour. Hamilton’s back on top in testing and Ross Brawn is back in business. STOP PRESS: Fernando Alonso’s on his way back to McLaren! Surely not! It’s been a crazy week in Formula 1.

McLaren vs Renault

This titanic duel between the two top flight teams isn’t going to be fought out on the track. In true Stepneygate style, the battling will be done by the lawyers. McLaren accused Renault of having obtained, disseminated and used confidential team information to the benefit of the French team. The hearing planned to go ahead on Thursday this week was first preceded by news that McLaren had been forced to clarify their claims against Renault. Apparently, it was ‘only’ 13 members of Renault’s personnel that had submitted witness statements and not 18 (the point being?). There also seems to have been some confusion has to how many ‘media devices’ had had the information copied to them etc. Hugely significant as this clarification seems to have been portrayed by the media, it really does seem inconsequential. Worryingly for Ron Dennis, the handbags are drawn as this week, the Flav at Renault was quoted as saying that he would sue McLaren for defamation if McLaren’s claim is thrown out by the FIA.

Two things are clear though: 1. F1 lawyers have had all their Christmases for the next ten years rolled in to one and served early; and 2. The single common thread in all the scandals that have rocked F1 this year, sits quietly waiting in the wings for the storms to pass and worm his way towards the next title challenge.

Hamilton & Brawn

The Brits are back! Lewis Hamilton returned to testing after the hiatus following the end of the Championship to lead the times at Jerez during the last test before the New Year. Ross Brawn, Honda’s new head-honcho and former technical chief for Ferrari during the Schumacher glory years, returned to the F1 circus with his latest project. “Finding your way back from the brink – 101” Tasked with the job of restoring Honda to its, some will remember, rightful place at the front of the grid, he warned of tough times ahead. My projection? Honda will be on the podium before the end of the coming season and mix it with the big boys for race wins in 2009.

McLaren and Alonso - The Madness is official

Finally, reports from Spanish media sources suggest that McLaren may be reconsidering their strategy of sacking Fernando Alonso a few weeks ago and offer him that 1 year contract he so desperately wants as he continues to harbour misguided delusions of his chances at vying for a seat in a Ferrari for 2009. Maybe Ron Dennis WILL take him on. And maybe, then, the FIA WILL disqualify McLaren from running next year too.

On the basis of the Spaniard’s conduct this year and the Woking squad’s inability to focus on being a racing team, they won’t have had time to design and build their hospitality suites, much less a competitive car. It would be a shame for Ron Dennis, but just deserts for Fernando Alonso.

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Alonso's deafening silence

The last few weeks have been relatively quiet ones in Formula 1. Fernando Alonso has been the quietest he's been all year and all the while the Formula 1 rumour mill has ploughed on with its speculation based on little if any concrete information. The Alonso camp would have you believe that teams are falling over themselves to sign the two-time world champion. Let's take a look at the list of 'willing' suitors.

Ferrari was, for a long time, mooted as his new home, the only team he should sign, the only team capable of taking the fight to Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren team, a team that Alonso did his level best to drag through the mud in the Spygate scandal. The Ferrari bigwigs promptly signed Felipe Massa till 2010 at the instigation of Luca Di Montezemolo himself. Kimi Raikkonen's contract expires at the end of 2008 but, his stock being as high as it is, somehow it doesn't look like he'll be leaving the scuderia any time soon. So sorry Fernando, no room in the scarlet cars for you just yet.

Maybe Red Bull's interested? Discussions were allegedly held with Red Bull but promptly thereafter, the team boss, Dietrick Mateschitz confirmed that the elder stateman of the grid, the unavoidably likeable David Coulthard as well as the affable Australian Mark Webber, as the team's two race drivers. Sorry Fernando, you won't be getting any wings from Red Bull for the time being.

Ah, Honda! Of course. The Spanish press reported wildly that Ross Brawn, the former Ferrari technical chief and king strategist now in the employ of Honda, had said that he wanted Fernando in the team. Some articles in the German press had even reported that Alonso had had a seat fitting at Honda's Brackley headquarters. But no, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button have now been confirmed as the drivers for the Japanese A Team which makes that the third pit garage door slammed firmly in the Spaniard's face.

It would appear then that Alonso's only open door is at Renault, but even there there's trouble. The french team, which gave Alonso his two titles, wants him back for a minimum of three years but Alonso wants just a one year deal. Speculation about where Alonso would go for 2009 is almost as popular a subject as where he's going to be for next year! The Spaniard would appear to be running out of options for a competitive deal with any team. The F1 world meanwhile is on tenterhooks awaiting confirmation of the team Lewis Hamilton will have to beat to stamp his authority definitively over the former champion. Whatever happens and wherever Alonso goes, controversy will no doubt follow close behind. I hear Force India's got an open seat...