If I was a McLaren fan, I'd be mad as hell at McLaren, disappointed and incredibly sad. I'd direct my anger foremost at RD for being incompetent at leading the team and keeping it under control, for being unable to act as a beacon in the stormy sea. I'd be very angry at Coughlan for being a corrupt lying cheat. And I'd be furious at the little whining turd FA for making things even harder on the team with his BS and now apparently with his knowledge of Ferrari secrets or at least knowledge that Ferrari data were circulating among the team members.
If it turns out that most of the picture of this whole affair that is currently been painted is true, it would represent the most serious scandal in F1 history and you can bet your sweet little arse that McLaren would be facing draconian punishment. Not just for their disappointing role in the spying saga (especially after signing a 'trust' agreement with Ferrari - how cynical!), but for bringing F1 in disrepute, something the FIA doesn't like a bit.
I know deep down you're very upset with McLaren for disappointing you and you're just redirecting your anger at the evil Ferrari because you perceive them as the root of all this madness. Try to be honest with yourself and I believe you come to the same conclusion once reasoning and common sense prevail again in your thinking.
At any rate, I think after all this it'll be high time for RD to step down and for FA to move on. McLaren needs new leadership and less controversy/tension within the team - with these two bozos gone, there's a chance McLaren can rise again like Phoenix from the ashes.
McLaren fans are not redirecting their anger at anybody. To come out with that is patronising in the extreme. In the words of Martin Brundle today, the way the issues this season have been dealt with 'stinks'. The fact is Ferrari have the authorities and media in their back pocket. It is not an anti-McLaren agenda; it is an anti-anybody-who-can-challenge-Ferrari agenda. It was Renault last year and McLaren this year. As for these incidents you cite which are supposed to have happened at McLaren. As I said above, the gearbox didn't need to be crash tested and punishment after the Alonso-Hamilton pitlane saga came from a rule which didn't exist. Regardless of the truth of the spy scandal there is definately an agenda at the
Ferrari International Association.
Yeah, I am angered and saddened by the actions of Coughlan and think Alonso is an arse-hole, however, I have no anger against Ron Dennis. He knew the risks when he paired up Lauda and Prost, Senna and Prost and now Alonso and Hamilton. Overall, the risk has been worth taking. As I said in this post, the only major complication was as a result of political decision made by morally corrupt men wearing grey suits in smoke-filled rooms.
If it is proven in a fair hearing that McLaren are guilty then a strict punishment is warranted. However, that's the problem. McLaren are not getting a fair hearing and have been the butt of political decisions. I don't recognise the legitimacy of the stewards or other authorities. It's the same with other jobs: if a person doesn't do his job correctly, he gets sacked. What happens to the FIA et al. when they don't do their jobs properly?
I have not been happy with things at McLaren-Mercedes since about 2000 or 2001. Too much money has been wasted, the chasis and/or the engine have not been up to standard and the team has been too inconsistent, however, Ron Dennis can take no blame for what has happened this year.
I didn't say that RD is a cheat - I'd give him the benefit of the doubt on that one, but he's incompetent at handling his drivers and running the team. He fosters a very tense atmosphere within the team and acts like an autocrat. If there had been a better team spirit and atmosphere, I'm sure nobody would have been tempted to take advantage of the Ferrari data probably out of pressure from high above (speak RD et al.) to perform 110% at almost all costs and fear of falling short of RD's expectations. No, they would have taken the high road and done the right thing: bring the corruption to RD's attention right away and he would have had the chance to defuse the whole affair by going public. The hush hush dealings and lack of trust in each other promoted by RD's tense style is what appears to be doing them in at the end...
Yes, Stepney is a lowlife and should never be allowed to come near a race car again in any formula. Very disappointing...
If you have watched the
Inside Track: Senna and McLaren tape, Ron Dennis gives an interview about he runs the team. He is no autocrat, infact, totally against that type of management. He devolves resposiblity to various people and is merely the lynchpin, holding the team together. That is why Martin Whitmarsh is there etc.
As for Stepney, there is no point in condemning him. The fact is nothing has been proven against him, and his relationship with the Ferrari team has been well documented. He reckons he has been setup and there is not an insubstantial amount of evidence to suggest so. In my opinion, this spying scandal goes far deeper than McLaren just spying on Ferrari. There are a lot of personal rivalries and grudges interfering with proceedings.
I don't see how the drivers could get off scot-free, i.e., NOT get docked points or be excluded since their performance and hence point standings would have been based on the unfair advantage that McLaren gained and didn't report. So it would be grossly unfair to leave those points on the board. Remember BAR and their tank? Not just the team but the drivers were banned as well.
My speculation is the following: IF McLaren are found in breach of the sporting code (which they were found already) and guilty and all, all their results for 2007 will be voided and they'll pay a hefty fine, and I mean HEFTY. Maybe something like $50m, part of which could be held as bail for 2008. And in 2008 they might be on probation with extra scrutineering imposed.
If all this materializes, you can bet that other teams won't be too happy with the fact that McLaren together with Microsoft are in charge of making the standard ECU to be used from next year on. There could be some movement with this in the future...
IF McLaren did spy then there is no way the drivers could get off. Ultimately they would have benefited from the data as well. Banning the team from next season is not the way to go. It would cripple McLaren which will do more damage to McLaren and Formula One that good. Stripping them of this season's points and increased checks on them for next season or something along those lines would be better for all concerned.
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988,
1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998,
1999, 2007McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
