Brazilian GP

[Marty McFly]

Also Williams fuel samples as well, so Hamilton could finish 4th.

Nooooo - I've already withdrawn my winnings from Raikkonen(sp?) winning the championship.

 

[Djmiles]

Lewis Hamilton could still become the 2007 Formula 1 Drivers' title after it was revealed that BMW are reportedly being investigated for fuel irregularities at the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Although no word has been given by the governing body, BBC News claimed in their 10 'o' Clock bulletin that the FIA are investigating both BMWs, which finished fifth and sixth, for irregularities with their fuel.

Should both drivers be penalised in any way, plus Nico Rosberg who is also thought to be under investigation, Hamilton would be classified in fourth place and would therefore be crowned the champion.

However, until an official word is made, Kimi Raikkonen and Ferrari remain this year's champion.

Taken from Yahoo Sport

 

[Cantona's Flying Dropkick]

BBC Report

Inquiry casts doubt on F1 title

Kimi Raikkonen's world title has been thrown into doubt following an inquiry into the cars of BMW Sauber and Williams at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Race stewards are investigating alleged irregularites with the cars' fuel.

Williams's Nico Rosberg was fourth in the race, followed by BMW Sauber's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld.

If they were disqualified, McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton would be promoted to fourth, giving him enough points to displace Raikkonen as world champion.

More to follow.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Surely the most unsatisfactory way to win a world title ever?

 

[itszamora]

Surely the most unsatisfactory way to win a world title ever?

I'd agree, it's also quite a difficult one for the stewards to call. If the Williams and BMW cars have broken the regulations, then I suppose by rights they should be disqualified. But is it right or fair to strip Raikkonen of the title through no fault of his own?

 

[Robot Chicken]

Maybe replay the whole race!!

 

[Juan Albion]

I'd agree, it's also quite a difficult one for the stewards to call. If the Williams and BMW cars have broken the regulations, then I suppose by rights they should be disqualified. But is it right or fair to strip Raikkonen of the title through no fault of his own?

When adjudicating this they need to forget all about the championship implications. It needs to receive exactly the same consideration that it would have received in, say, the 3rd or 4th race. That is the only fair way to do it. If they would have been disqualified for these reasons in an earlier race then they must be disqualified. If they wouldn't have been, then the result stands.

If they cheated enough to warrant disqualification then Hamilton's championship should be regarded as untainted. Likewise, if it doesn't warrant disqualification then Raikkonen's title is equally untainted.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Yes...but

A statement from the sport's governing body, the FIA, said the fuel in the cars was "more than [the permitted] 10 degrees below the ambient temperature".

The statement said Heidfeld's fuel was 13C lower than ambient at his first stop and 12C lower at his second.

Kubica's varied by 14C, 13C and 13C at his three stops, while Rosberg's was 13C and 12C out at his two stops.

Filling the car with cooler fuel can give a car an advantage.
Cooler fuel is denser, so either it can mean it takes slightly less time to refuel the car or marginally more can be added in the same time.
And it would give a slight power advantage for about three laps before it returned to ambient temperature out on the track.

Excluding the cars would risk turning one of the most exciting championship finales in F1 history into a farce.

But if the cars are found to have run fuel below the legal temperature, the stewards might feel obliged to disqualify them, even though the advantage conferred would almost certainly have had no bearing on the title race.

However, there is a precedent that could be used by race stewards not to exclude them.

In 1995, the Benetton-Renault of Michael Schumacher and the Williams-Renault of David Coulthard were initially disqualified from first and second places in the Brazilian Grand Prix because their fuel did not conform to samples approved by the FIA.

But a week later the FIA reinstated the drivers' points but docked the teams their constructors' points.
In that case, though, no advantage was gained by the irregularity.

 

[Robot Chicken]

Latest news

There was a late twist when it emerged race officials were investigating the fuel used by Williams and BMW Sauber, whose cars filled fourth, fifth and sixth places.

But the stewards decided to impose no penalty.

 

[maffew]

Hamilton appealing, wrong move I reckon

he should be gracious in defeat

 

[Frutos]

Hamilton appealing, wrong move I reckon

he should be gracious in defeat

From what I read, it's the McLaren team who are appealing, rather than Lewis Hamilton himself.

I still think they should abide by the ruling and let what's done be done, but never mind.

 

[Woodchip]

From what I read, it's the McLaren team who are appealing, rather than Lewis Hamilton himself.

I still think they should abide by the ruling and let what's done be done, but never mind.

With the millions of dollars for winning the Driver's Championship it makes sense to appeal on the off-chance that the stewards agree. Especially for a team that's been fined $100m (or was it euros?)

 

[Turkey]

Im not putting it all on him, I just think he had a great chance and he blew it.

We always seem to cheer a brave loser in this country.

Hamilton isn't a loser. No one expected him to challenge for the title. He's far exceeded everyone's expectations and he's proved he's a winner.

He may not be World Champion now, but he will be. We've got a superb talent who's going to entertain us for years to come. I for one, am very proud of Lewis's achievements this season.

 

[Turkey]

Yes maybe, but he managed to muck it up today on his own, I have no idea what he was trying at start.

He made a mistake at the start, but that mistake didn't cost him the world title. His car suddenly losing all its gears for 40 seconds cost him the World Championship.

 

[Easy 10]

His team pitting him three times didnt help either. What kind of f***ed-up strategy was that ? He should have done a Nakajima and bowled a few mechanics over on his way in.

 

[Icy Gull]

Real shame that Hamilton didn't win but it's probably good for Formula 1 that a rookie couldn't just bowl up having never driven some of the circuits and then go and win in his 1st year.

 

[Woodchip]

Next year should be a lot better when Traction Control is banned. Now if we could just ban those sequential boxes, and return to good old H-boxes then we might see some skilful driving.

 

[tedebear]

He made a mistake at the start, but that mistake didn't cost him the world title. His car suddenly losing all its gears for 40 seconds cost him the World Championship.

Odd that isn't it that it can lose gears and then find them again - how over engineered are these cars....I lose gears in my cortina and its game set and match dear driver!!

Hamilton should have been a shoe in yesterday - since I'm reading Harry Potter at the moment I was wondering if there was a Slytherin in the crowd putting some sort of hex on him!

I really can't comprehend what went wrong - would have been a stonking end to a less than satisfactory season, but hey ho - thats formula 1 and the powers that be trying to create a spectacle since they've allowed the engineering to far surpass the skill of the drivers....

This is what happened at the first corner of one of our club races at the weekend - all driver error and nothing to do with dodgy gearboxes:

 

[JJ McClure]

Alonso now saying that McClaren shouldn't appeal and that the team made mistakes that cost them the championship. He REALLY wants out of that team me thinks.

 

[Gritt23]

Some more great team play from Alonso.

Alonso questions McLaren appeal

Alonso and Hamilton have had a strained relationship this year
Fernando Alonso would be "embarrassed" if his McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton won the world title on appeal.
Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen took the title after winning in Brazil on Sunday but McLaren's expected challenge over the result may yet hand Hamilton the crown.

Race stewards investigated alleged fuel irregularities by Williams and BMW Sauber, but decided not to punish them.

"If he wins the title because of this it wouldn't be fair. I'd be embarrassed for this sport," said Alonso.


Interview: Eddie Jordan
Interview: F1 expert Murray Walker

"I'm not sure what Lewis would think - I guess if they give you the title, you don't think it's a present but rather that you deserve it. He would be delighted."

And Alonso gave his backing to Raikkonen as a worthy winner, saying: "Raikkonen is the deserved champion.

In the last few races my hands and feet were tied

Fernando Alonso

"If you have more points, you are the deserved champion, just like in football. Kimi has won six races and Hamilton, like me, has won four."

Hamilton came seventh in Brazil and so finished one point behind Raikkonen in the drivers' standings.

But had race stewards later disqualified Williams and BMW Sauber, Hamilton would have finished fourth, earning him enough points to become world champion.

McLaren notified motorsport's world governing body, the FIA, late on Sunday of their intention to appeal against the stewards' verdict.

After a torrid first season with McLaren, Alonso made it clear that he felt the team had failed to give him sufficient backing.

"McLaren got it wrong, they lost the championship for the mistaken decisions they made in the second part of the season," the Spaniard told radio station Cadena Ser.

606: DEBATE
They shouldn't bother appealing, whilst Hamilton has done superbly this season he choked when the pressure was on at the start.

We all follow United

"It isn't a secret that they haven't helped me much. It wasn't a very well-organised season from the point of view of the management.

"There was no sensation of being a team and the result speaks for itself.

"Each person will have to draw their own lessons from this season but if we had taken a different approach we would have obtained different results."

He added: "In the last few races my hands and feet were tied. I had no power to make decisions. I had to race as they told me.

"McLaren lost and Ferrari did a better job than anyone else."

And asked about whether he could see a future with the British-based team, Alonso said: "The only reality is that I'm under contract to McLaren.

"I know there are a lot of rumours but I haven't spoken with another team, that's the reality."