McLaren under investigation following the Monaco GP

Ed · Post by Ed » Tue May 29, 2007 1:27 am

From the FIA

The FIA has launched an investigation into incidents involving the McLaren Mercedes team at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix in light of a possible breach of the International Sporting Code.

The relevant evidence is under review and a further announcement will be made in due course.

Ed · Post by Ed » Tue May 29, 2007 1:42 am

For reference, here are some of the quotes made by Ron Dennis, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso that may have triggered the investigation

In the McLaren press release following the race Ron Dennis said:

An outstanding result for the team. Both Fernando and Lewis drove so well and responded excellently to the team’s wishes of bringing both cars home safely in what was a memorable one-two result and McLaren’s 14th victory in the Principality. However there is some disappointment because of the different strategies we needed to follow to cope with a potential deployment of the Safety Car which has happened four times in the last five years. Consequently you virtually have to decide in advance which one of the team’s two drivers will claim the victory. Once the first round of pitstops had taken place we reverted Lewis from a one-stop-strategy to the faster two-stop-strategy and at the same time slowed both cars down to conserve the brakes. As a team we would like to race but this circuit requires a disciplined approach and as a result we can leave Monte Carlo with the maximum amount of points.

At the post race press conference here is what Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton had to say (related to the issue of team orders)

Q: And then at the start of the last stint, you saw your lead disappear; how worried were you about that?
FA:

No, nothing, no, nothing at all. I think after we stopped, we just cruised to the end, just bringing the cars safely home and there was nothing more to do. After pitting, Lewis and I kept the first two positions and I just slowed down. I tried to take care of the tyres, maybe we were just a little bit worried about the supersoft having some graining, so I took it very easy in the first four or five laps of that stint, just to take care of the tyres and I knew that even if a car behind you is 0.5s quicker, it will probably never overtake you here in Monaco.

Q: Can we suggest there wasn’t really a fight for the lead, then, for the last 20 laps or so?
FA:

Well, it’s always a fight, because you are not able to make any mistakes, you cannot go wide in a corner, you cannot miss one of the chicanes, braking too late. It’s always more the pushing from the guy behind if he’s that close, but in a way, to have that battle in Monaco is a little bit easier for the first guy, because it’s a little bit easier to maintain position.

Q: Lewis, you certainly caught him, but then did you just easy off, did you just decide that there was no point fighting for this?
LH:

I caught him up and… it’s extremely difficult to overtake here in Monaco and he was obviously close to me, and I was told to take it easy. There was no point in pressuring him into a mistake, and then when he did make a mistake, crash into him so it was best to finish one-two but to be honest, I pushed as I could to the end. I never give up, no matter what, and so I didn’t really take too much notice and I kept going.

Q: How did you feel about your start?
LH:

I thought my start was quite good. The key was to slot in behind Fernando – obviously he starts on the better side of the grid which sort of sets him up for turn one. I wasn’t going to do anything crazy. We’re both leading the World Championship and we want to keep it like that but I think I had quite good pace for the first couple of laps and you just can’t follow. It’s been proved that, even up to four seconds behind someone you still lose downforce so considering I was that close to him for quite some time, it was good. But then I had quite a bit of graining with the front tyres and I couldn’t get the car round the corners.

Q: And I guess you hoped that three lap difference between your first pits stops for you…
LH:

Yeah, I was actually quite surprised because I was fuelled to do five laps, maybe six laps longer than Fernando and they stopped me with three laps, so there wasn’t much time to pull out a gap or improve my time, I wasn’t really given much time for it. I came in two or three laps after. That was unfortunate but that’s the way it goes.

Q: (Mark Hughes – Autosport) Lewis, at the first stops you stopped about three laps later and a second a half longer, when we expected you to run maybe five laps longer… Was there a problem at the first stop or were you called in early at the second?
LH:

No, I really … I’m looking forward to speaking to my engineers… I am pretty sure the reason they called me in earlier than I had fuel for is because of the Safety Car. If the Safety Car had come out they could really have changed the result so it was better to get the pit-stop done. Felipe had made his pit-stop so he was no trouble to me and I could have kept my position so they brought me in after three laps and I thought we were going to go shorter on the middle stint, but we didn’t.

Q: (Mark Hughes – Autosport) Does that suggest you were gambling on a Safety Car period?
LH:

To be honest, I have no clue. I just did my race. And the team took care of it all.

Q: (Kevin Garside – The Daily Telegraph) Lewis, for the first time this season you looked disappointed with second place today. It seems the pattern developing is that you are always heavier in the third qualifying session which gives the world champion, Fernando, the best shot at pole. Is this hampering you? Do you feel frustrated?
LH:

At the end of the day, I am a rookie. I am in my first season in Formula One and I have finished second in only my first Monaco Grand Prix so I really can’t complain, but to see that I am of a similar pace to Fernando is a positive for me. But it is something I have to live with. I’ve got number two on my car. I am the number two driver.

Q: (Juha Päätalo – Financial Times Germany) What was the team’s explanation for you pitting early?
LH:

I just said I haven’t spoken to my engineers, so I don’t really know. I can only assume as we were all on a two stop strategy that if the Safety Car came out it really could have had a big effect and we wouldn’t have ended up with the points we ended up with. It was important to get us in because anything could have happened and so it was the safe route.

Q: (Ralf Bach – R & B) Fernando after your second victory for Mercedes, can you tell us how familiar are you with the new tyres and car? Can you say 70 or 80 per cent?
FA:

I think related to the previous question I can clarify maybe the situation. I was two laps later than I should be in the first stint because I saved fuel in the first part of the race, in the formation laps and like that, they were telling me on the radio so maybe I was only three laps shorter than him….. And (compared to Renault) I am very happy and I am very confident with the car now. I think I am 90 per cent. For sure, I need to learn more about the car and the tyres, but this race was very important for me because I learned some good things about the tyres, how they behave all through the stint, and how to drive them all through the stint as well and every time I am in the car I am improving as well. I am quite happy but there is still more to come I hope.

Q: (Ian Parkes – The Press Assocation) Lewis, you mentioned that there were team orders towards the end of the race, that you are the number two driver… Is this something that you find difficult to come to terms with?
LH:

There weren’t necessarily any team orders. They don’t say that I had to stay behind Fernando… But the goal of the team is to score as many points as possible and we want to pull away from the Ferraris and the only way we can do that is to finish in first and second or ahead of them. It was easy for me to maybe push a bit harder and to touch the barrier and maybe to crash or push Fernando into a mistake, but that would have been a negative on the team. Coming into the season, I expect to be the number two driver. I am a rookie, it is my first season, but I am just pleased to be here and it is really is a great feeling for me to be sitting next to these drivers and still living my dream and to be on the podium in all five of my first Grands Prix … I hope to continue like that.

Redhead · Post by **Redhead** » Tue May 29, 2007 8:24 am

So they should. Lewis was right royally rogered. The fact that Fernando ("I was saving fuel" - yeah right)) , Ron ("Team strategy not team orders" - duh?) and Lewis ("dont really know what happened, must be because Im a rookie" - my time will come) all had to speak out after the race brings a certain Shakesperian quote to mind.

It's all a huge tribute to Lewis really, I have been avoiding buying into all the hype, but his performance at monaco does suggest it may be true.

Oh, and by the way, can you imagine what would have happened if Ferrari had done what Macca's did?

cheers,
Cam

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Tue May 29, 2007 8:31 am

Is it just me, or does it feel like McLaren tried to pull a "team strategy"(i.e. team orders on the fly) plan past the FIA at Monaco Sunday?

RE30B#16 · Post by **RE30B#16** » Tue May 29, 2007 12:03 pm

Why is there a discussion about this? This kind of thing goes on every weekend. Each driver wants to win. The team wants a one-two finish at every race usually without regard to which driver is ahead unless a championship is at stake. Lewis Hamilton leads the world championship right now, so what would be the sense in risking taking himself and/or his teammate out with some risky pass maneuver at perhaps the most difficult track on which to pass? If he pulls it off, he is a hero. If he botches it, perhaps his standing in the team is put in jeopardy.

The McLaren team did the right thing. They told the drivers not to take each other out. They probably decided before hand that whoever gets to Saint Devote first will be allowed to keep the lead barring a problem. Lewis Hamilton is the rookie here, albeit a way better than average rookie, and chose to do what was in the best interest of the team. Smart move! F1 is way too competitive to make stupid mistake. This kid (Hamilton) is coachable and sensible. When his turn comes, he will have the full backing of his team including his teammate if it comes to that.

Remember last year, McLaren had two of the very best drivers in Juan Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen, neither proved to be a great team guy, and they punted both of them.

In 1979, everyone knew the Gilles Villeneuve could have won that WC running away, but he had made a gentlemen's deal to help Jody Scheckter win the title. As he accepted his honor, Jody said out of gratitude that he owed his success to his teammate, and that it was just as much Gilles' title.

Why can't any accept this today? Why must we constantly look for all of this reality TV-esque drama these days?

rah · Post by **rah** » Tue May 29, 2007 2:06 pm

Nothing will happen about it. Just team orders.

JayVee · Post by **JayVee** » Tue May 29, 2007 5:03 pm

Good post RE30B#16,

I've already put my thoughts on the other thread and as Snowy brilliantly put it, had it been Coulthard, Barrichello or Massa (I think) nothing would have happened.

This is a reaction and that is why the will launch an investigation.

McLaren has proved time and again that they don't apply team orders, the last race in Spain Hamilton finished ahead of Alonso! They could have tried something at the second pit stop to switch them, Alonso was racing in his home race and Kubica I think was miles behind but they didn't.

Those claiming they were robbed of a race, I wish I have access to lap times for each driver to show that they two weren't really cruising all the way to the end. I am sure Hamilton was pushing Alonso all the way.
If someone does, please share.

Ed · Post by Ed » Thu May 31, 2007 2:36 am

The FIA issued the following statement clearing the McLaren team from any wrongdoing during the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix

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.

Note to Editors:

At its meeting on 28 October 2002 the Formula One Commission decided by 23 votes to nil, with 3 abstentions, that it should be “prohibited to use team orders to interfere with the results of the race”. This decision was confirmed by the World Motor Sport Council and appears as Article 39.1 of the 2007 Formula One Sporting Regulations: “Team orders which interfere with a race result are prohibited.”

Ed · Post by Ed » Thu May 31, 2007 2:38 am

Following the FIA announcement, the McLaren team made the following statement:

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.

rah · Post by **rah** » Thu May 31, 2007 3:59 pm

A good decision from a stupid investigation.

The Meanest · Post by **The Meanest** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 6:50 pm

If Hamilton had of got pole there wouldn't have been any investigation.

He would have left Alonso so far behind it wouldn't have been funny.

But then he still would have been told to slow down.

So maybe my thinking is all wrong

Snowy · Post by **Snowy** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:56 pm

No I don't think your thinking is all wrong. Thank the Lord for Mark Webber's intervention! Asking Lewis to cede the lead to Alonso would have been incredibly embarrassing but I reckon it could well have come to that. We saw it at Melbourne with Mika and David and there is no way Ron is going to jeapodise his relationship with Fernando in his first season with the team. Even if he does have the fastest least experienced guy in F1 waiting to win the first of many World Championsips.

I still reckon Kimi out at Ferrari Lewis in with Ross Brawn at the helm in 2008

RE30B#16 · Post by **RE30B#16** » Sat Jun 02, 2007 3:36 am

Snowy wrote:No I don't think your thinking is all wrong. Thank the Lord for Mark Webber's intervention! Asking Lewis to cede the lead to Alonso would have been incredibly embarrassing but I reckon it could well have come to that. We saw it at Melbourne with Mika and David and there is no way Ron is going to jeapodise his relationship with Fernando in his first season with the team. Even if he does have the fastest least experienced guy in F1 waiting to win the first of many World Championsips.

I still reckon Kimi out at Ferrari Lewis in with Ross Brawn at the helm in 2008

Snowy,

Why in the world would Hambone leave McLaren??!?

He will win eventually (I believe it will come this weekend in Canada). He will win many championships. This kid is the best rookie I've seen since Mika Hakkinen or Ayrton Senna. At a similar stage in his career, Hamilton is much more successful than Michael Schumacher. McLaren is a sure thing, and the team is squarely behind him. Ferrari being Ferrari, their fortune could go into the toilet at any moment.

That said, I could see Alonso being seduced into leaving McLaren for the Scuderia in about two years to replace Raikkonen. Felipe Massa isn't going anywhere!

rah · Post by **rah** » Tue Jun 05, 2007 12:12 am

The Meanest wrote:If Hamilton had of got pole there wouldn't have been any investigation.

He would have left Alonso so far behind it wouldn't have been funny.

But then he still would have been told to slow down.

So maybe my thinking is all wrong

If he had got pole he probably would have won. But he would not have left Alonso behind. They still would have been told to slow down, however the poms would have been happy with that outcome.