Now, I’m a Mclaren fan and therefore biased, but I believe that Mclaren deserved the $100m fine and the disqualification from the Constructors’ Championship this year (but not from next year). There were emails between Pedro de la Rosa and Fernando Alonso discussing Ferrari’s weight distribution, flexible wing settings, the gas used in their tyres, and their braking system.
ITV’s website sets out in detail why the FIA changed its mind and imposed the penalty (http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40662), and confirms that it was Ron Dennis himself that gave the FIA the evidence that lead them to impose the penalty (http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40673), so in that at least, Ron Dennis’s reputation and integrity should be intact.
What gets me is that Ferrari have not been penalised. I smell a rat. Why on earth would a Ferrari employee give another team details of their specs? If McLaren are guilty of possessing confidential information, then Ferrari are guilty of disclosing such information. Ferrari should be penalised for allowing its information to be leaked, to the detriment of the sport.
Whether a spy is a hero or a villain depends on your point of view; if a British agent gets information on a hostile power, he’s a hero and so is the foreign agent who gave us the secrets. On the other hand, if it’s a British agent that discloses the information to a foreign power, then that’s a bad thing. It seems to me that the FIA are on Ferrari’s side and have completely overlooked the Ferrari employee’s dishonourable actions.
It’s just so suspicious that Ferrari’s agent gave McLaren the information. How convenient it is, with just a few races left this year and McLaren in such a strong position to win both the Constructors’ and Drviers’ Championship, that Ferrari are able to get McLaren’s points taken away. Perhaps McLaren should leak some information to Ferrari now, as an insurance policy against Ferrari doing well next year, knowing the FIA will turn a blind eye to such entrapment.
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