Race analysis - Raikkonen runs riot at Spa

Dominant win in Belgium keeps Finn's title hopes alive
When Kimi Raikkonen burst into the lead of the Belgian Grand Prix, the writing was already on the wall. The Finn only lost the lead during his first of two pit stops, and controlled it throughout. Ferrari team mate Felipe Massa rode shotgun all the way through, and just as the McLarens had been untouchable in Monza, so the red cars were dominant on the twists and sweeps of Spa-Francorchamps. It was the third one-two finish for the Scuderia this season, and cemented the world championship for constructors’ for Ferrari with 161 points, barring a successful appeal from McLaren who have lost all their points.McLaren just didn’t quite have the same zip this weekend - team boss Ron Dennis hinted at a smidgeon of conservatism in the interests of their drivers’ fight for the other world championship - and had to settle for third and fourth.Yet again, Nick Heidfeld made his BMW Sauber ‘best of the rest,’ but he had to work for it after having to run wide going into La Source to avoid the duelling McLarens. That dropped him behind Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen and Mark Webber, and left him to battle his way back up to fifth. He duly did this, to earn the team another four points to bring their total to 90. Rosberg didn’t have the pace to challenge him, but did manage to stay four seconds clear of Webber’s Red Bull. That was another major boost as Williams was again the fourth best team, and now have 28 points. The fact that Alex Wurz spun down to the tail of the field, later lost a place to Sakon Yamamoto after another mistake, and retired with fading fuel pressure went virtually unnoticed.Webber was very happy with his score for Red Bull in seventh, and expressed gratitude to team mate David Coulthard who kept Kubica at bay for many laps and thus helped to preserve his chances of points. Now the team have 18.It was a far from happy day for Coulthard. He was deeply saddened by the death of former world rally champion Colin McRae and his son and friends in a helicopter accident, and a miserable day ended for him when his RB3 stopped with a hydraulic problem that affected the power-steering and throttle.In a race in which most people merely seemed happy to finish, Kovalainen and Robert Kubica kept things on the boil throughout with a nip-and-tuck battle in which the Finn just kept the Pole’s BMW Sauber behind his Renault. Since this battle was for the final point, Kovalainen was well pleased with his own day’s work, and with the R27’s performance. Renault’s tally is now 39 points.Unfortunately, team mate Giancarlo Fisichella had a terrible time. Put from 11th in qualifying to the back of the grid after a post-qualifying engine change, the Italian started from the pits so that the team could use a lower downforce set-up to try and enhance his chance of making up places. But on the opening lap he locked up on the entry to Les Combes, hit the wall, and broke the front suspension. He made it to the pits, but that was it.Toyota’s race was not particularly distinguished, especially as Jarno Trulli started eighth but was down to 11th by the end of the first lap after having to brake hard in the first-corner melee. Both he and Ralf Schumacher pushed as hard as they could, but 11th and 10th places respectively were the best they could do.Toro Rosso lost Sebastian Vettel early on when a steering problem afflicted his STR02 in right-hand corners, as he was trying to keep Tonio Liuzzi in sight. The Italian drove a great race, marred only by a small moment when his right front wheel gave problems during his single pit stop, and 12th, on Honda’s pace, was as good as the team had any right to expect here.Honda expected Spa to be a fight, and it was. Jenson Button drove hard as his RA107 veered between understeer and oversteer throughout each lap. Then the clutch started slipping, the power-steering failed, and he finally had to quit six laps from the end with a hydraulic problem. Rubens Barrichello, meanwhile, crept home 13th, barely ahead of hard-driving Adrian Sutil. The German was really giving it a go in his Spyker. He and team mate Sakon Yamamoto were the only two drivers to start on the soft Bridgestone rubber, and Sutil was flying as he challenged and passed several names and was running a strong 12th before his pit stop. The team were delighted with 14th, though Yamamoto was hampered by understeer initially and lost time. A switch to harder rubber and a front wing adjustment helped that, but he still finished only 17th.Super Aguri, like Honda, expected a tough event, and got it. Takuma Sato had a strong race with Jenson Button on his way to 15th. Anthony Davidson started from the pit lane after experiencing a front-end problem on the grid out lap, but was half a minute behind his team mate by the end.

McLaren fined and stripped of constructors’ points

McLaren have been excluded from the 2007 constructors’ championship and fined US$100 million following Thursday’s FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) hearing in Paris. Drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have not been penalized and are free to continue their fight for the drivers' title.The penalty follows McLaren’s admission that the team was in breach of the International Sporting Code through their possession of confidential technical data belonging to rivals Ferrari, who are now all but assured of the 2007 constructors’ title.McLaren are also required to submit detailed plans of their 2008 car to the FIA, who warned that it could apply further sanctions relating to next season should any irregularities be found in the car’s design.At July’s original hearing, the Council opted not to punish McLaren as it decided there was no proof that the Ferrari data had been used. Thursday’s second hearing followed the emergence of new evidence and the FIA’s request for McLaren’s drivers to submit any information they had that might be relevant to the case.The FIA will explain the reasons behind the Council's decision on Friday, after which McLaren will decide whether or not to appeal.The full statement from the FIA:In an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council was held in Paris on the 12th of September 2007, The following decision was taken:"The WMSC has stripped Vodafone McLaren Mercedes of all constructors' points in the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship and the team can score no point for the remainder of the season *."Furthermore, the team will pay a fine equal to 100 million dollar, less the FOM income lost as a result of the points deduction."However, due to the exceptional circumstances in which the FIA gave the team's drivers an immunity in return for providing evidence, there is no penalty in regards to drivers' points **."The WMSC will receive a full technical report on the 2008 McLaren car and will take a decision at its December 2007 meeting as to what sanction, if any, will be imposed on the team for the 2008 season."The full reasons for this decision will be issued on the 14th September 2007.* Points gained by other teams so far this season will not be affected.** No McLaren representative will be allowed on the podium should a McLaren driver win in any of the remaining races of the 2007 season.

Spy scandal

It is the story that has dominated headlines and gripped the paddock, but after seemingly endless twists and turns, the McLaren-Ferrari ‘spy scandal’ is set to be resolved in Paris today, with a second hearing by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council.The Council will consider new evidence in the case. Should that evidence prove McLaren made use of confidential Ferrari data in the development of their car, the team could face expulsion from the 2007 and 2008 world championships. Along with senior management from both teams, among those attending the hearing are Ferrari's former technical director Ross Brawn, currently on sabbatical, and drivers' championship leader, Lewis Hamilton.As the world's media awaits news from Paris, we look back at the timeline of an affair that could yet decide this year’s titles…

June, 2007 Reports claim that long-time Ferrari engineer Nigel Stepney is under investigation by Italian authorities after an unspecified complaint is made against him by the team. Stepney protests his innocence, denying suggestions that he attempted to sabotage Ferrari’s cars at the Monaco Grand Prix.

July 3, 2007 Ferrari reveal Stepney has left the company after an ‘internal disciplinary procedure’. July 4, 2007Ferrari confirm they have presented a legal case against Stepney concerning the alleged theft of technical information. The team say a staff member from rivals McLaren is also involved in the investigation.McLaren confirms the involvement, and suspension, of an unnamed employee - subsequently revealed as senior designer Mike Coughlan. After a full review of their cars, the team insist that no intellectual property from Ferrari has been used.The FIA announces a formal investigation into the matter, with the full cooperation of both teams.

July 5, 2007 Ferrari admit it was a source outside of Formula One racing that tipped them off to the possibility of a McLaren having obtained their intellectual property.

July 6, 2007 Honda’s CEO Nick Fry reveals that Stepney and Coughlan paid a joint visit to the team in June, with ‘a view to investigating job opportunities’. Fry stresses that that no confidential information was offered or received during the meeting.

July 10-11, 2007 A hearing is held at London’s High Court with Ferrari lawyers and Coughlan in attendance. Reports cite allegations that the suspended designer and his wife submitted 780 pages of Ferrari documentation to a photocopy shop in Woking.

July 12, 2007 Ferrari confirm that Coughlan has provided them with an affidavit relating to the enquiry, but that both the designer and his wife remain the subject of a London High Court action by the team.McLaren are summoned to appear before the FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) to answer a charge of breaching the International Sporting Code by possessing confidential Ferrari data. The team maintain that no other staff members were aware of the material.

July 26, 2007 At the Paris hearing, the WMSC finds McLaren guilty of breaching the Sporting Code, but choose not to impose sanctions as there is no proof that the team made use of the data. However, McLaren are warned that if such proof later comes to light, they could face exclusion from the 2007 and 2008 championships. The WMSC also calls on Stepney and Coughlan to appear before the FIA.Ferrari describe the decision not to punish McLaren as “incomprehensible” and vow to continue with legal action already underway against Stepney and Coughlan.

July 30, 2007 Ferrari boss Jean Todt claims Coughlan had access to leaked Ferrari data prior to the start of the 2007 season, and that it prompted McLaren’s subsequent request for FIA clarification over the use of ‘moveable’ floors.

July 31, 2007 FIA president Max Mosley refers the case to the International Court of Appeal following suggestions that the original WMSC hearing had not given Ferrari sufficient opportunity to present their version of events.

August 2, 2007 McLaren team principal Ron Dennis accuses Ferrari of winning the Australian Grand Prix with an illegal car and of manipulating media coverage to damage his team’s reputation.

August 7, 2007The FIA sets a date for the appeal. The International Court of Appeal (ICA) will meet in Paris on Thursday, September 13.

September 5, 2007 A week before the appeal hearing, the FIA announces that “following the receipt of new evidence” the WMSC will instead reconvene to make a fresh judgment on the McLaren-Ferrari ‘spy scandal’.

September 7, 2007 The FIA reveals it has written to McLaren drivers Fernando Alonso, Pedro de la Rosa and Lewis Hamilton after allegations they may have information relevant to the case. They are warned that failure to disclose any such information could involve serious consequences. Lawyers advise McLaren to make no further comment ahead of the WMSC hearing.

September 8, 2007 Modena’s public prosecutor, Giuseppe Tibis, issues ‘avviso di garanzia’ - legal notice that someone is under investigation in a criminal procedure - to Stepney and six McLaren personnel, including Dennis, group managing director Martin Whitmarsh and Jonathan Neale, the team’s managing director.

September 13, 2007 The world awaits news from Paris…

BMW Sauber F1.07 - front wing configuration

BMW Sauber's series of strong performances continued at Monza, the team finishing fourth and fifth. As expected, the main changes to the car were to adapt its aero package to the high-speed Italian circuit. Both front and rear wings were heavily revised, the front one sporting a single flap (lower yellow arrow), much narrower than the usual version (red arrow), and with the additional upper profiles (green arrow) removed. Interestingly, a triangular-shaped Gurney tab was adopted on the exit edge of the flap (upper yellow arrow), contrasting with the usual rectangular version. This front wing configuration produces dramatically less drag than the standard version, but was still able to keep the car's front end stable and sharp in the corners.

INTERVIEW WITH ROBERT KUBICA

Robert, you were test driver for most of the season. Now you are racing. Is life much different?

When you are test driver you have a bit of a different program. Now I do some other stuff but in the end I'm working for the team, to improve the car. Nick and I both benefit from it.

Were you nervous for your first race?

I was quite cool and quiet, getting more and more confidence. The driving is the same as I was used to on Friday. The second part of the race was good. I scored points, or at least I thought so. I was disqualified after the race, for having a underweight car, but I still was satisfied with my performance.

Niki Lauda said you made a beginner's mistake to not pick up dust on your tyres, to get more weight on the car. Do you agree?

I should have done that, but with driving outside lines and picking up rubber, you don't make up more than the ten kilos I needed. And the track was clean in Hungary. You took over Jacques Villeneuve's place at BMW. He is out of Formula 1 and disappointed about the situation. Do you feel sorry for him?

If I would say yes, I would be lying. It's life, it's racing. Someone decided that it was good to let me drive and I did it. I think Jacques performed well, at least better than most people were expecting.

Wasn't his situation lost from the beginning of the season?

BMW obviously wanted you in the car and seemed to be waiting for the right moment... I don't know. They kept him for a long time. For me it's not an issue anymore. Maybe for him it is. He is the former world champion, I'm the new guy. We have a different points of view and interest.

So what about next year?

No one has told me anything about next year yet and I'm not thinking about it just yet. I don't like to create expectations. I hope I get a place as a race driver, but I really don't know.

How was the response in your home country, Poland?

Now there is a big boom. Everyone is getting interested in Formula 1, which is special, as we used to have no interest in motor racing in Poland at all. We don't have any knowledge about Formula 1 with which to sell it to the people. You need people to know about it, to get people interested. If some media give the people the wrong information all the time, the viewers get the wrong idea. People should understand it's a team sport.

Do you count yourself lucky that you are racing in Formula 1 now, while there is, like you say, no interest in Formula 1 in Poland at all?

Of course I'm glad. Many people were laughing about me and at the people who were trying to get a budget for me. Now it doesn't really make a difference where I'm from. It's about getting the good results. At that point, it doesn't matter anymore where you are from.

NEXT RACE

Circuit National de Francorchamps
Track length 6.976 km
Number of laps 44
Total track length 306.944 km
Number of turns 20
Downforce setup Low
Driving direction Clockwise
ContactPhone: +32 87 22 44 66
Fax: +32 87 22 44 55
InfoSeats: 90.000
Created in: 1950

The track

Three cheers – Spa is back. Again, that is, as the popular Ardennes track returns to the F1 calendar after its second absence in five years. The track has seen substantial revisions at Bernie Ecclestone’s behest, not all of which have been welcomed. The new pit lane entrance in particular has been criticised for being too narrow. The bus stop chicane has been revised and tightened, and now has Astroturf bordering the outside to prevent drivers deliberately running wide as the British Formula Three drivers were when they visited the track a few weeks ago.
Finally, the start/finish line has been lengthened and widened, creating a longer run into the La Source hairpin. But the corners that make Spa special – Eau Rouge, Pouhon, Stavelot, Blanchimont and the rest – have wisely been left well alone. The other main concern at Spa is the weather, which can turn from beaming rays of sun to downpour without warning. The long circuit occasionally sees rain on some parts and not others, and the teams learned in 2005 that it can take a long time to dry. Wet weather could provoke an appearance of the safety car, which could play a crucial role in the championship if it happens to disadvantage one of the top four drivers – as happened to Fernando Alonso in Montreal.

TV times
Qualifying live - 12.30pm - 2.20pm Saturday 15th September, ITV4Race live - 12.00pm - 3.05pm Sunday 16th September, ITV1Race highlights - 10.45pm - 11.45pm Sunday, ITV1Race highlights - 6.00pm - 7.00pm Monday 17th September, ITV4

PAST WINNERS
2005 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren 1:30:01.295 2004
Kimi Räikkönen McLaren 1:32:35.274 2002
Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:21:20.634 2001
Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:08:05.002 2000
Mika Häkkinen McLaren 1:28:14.494 1999
David Coulthard McLaren 1:25:43.057 1998
Damon Hill Jordan 1:43:47.407 1997
Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:33:46.717 1996
Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:28:15.125 1995
Michael Schumacher Benetton 1:36:47.875 1994
Damon Hill Williams 1:28:47.170 1993
Damon Hill Williams 1:24:32.124 1992
Michael Schumacher Benetton 1:36:10.721 1991
Ayrton Senna McLaren 1:27:17.669

Monza

McLaren back on top,
Alonso dominates!

Race Date: 09 Sep 2007
Number of Laps: 53
Circuit Length: 5.793 km
Race Distance: 306.720 km
Lap Record: 1:21.046 - R Barrichello (2004)



Not to put too fine a point on it, McLaren’s performance at Monza left Ferrari stunned. The Italian circuit is very similar to Montreal, with low downforce requirements, and the silver cars had been quick in Canada, but even so Ferrari had expectations of being able to run with them here.

McLaren dominated qualifying - partly, it transpired, because both Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton opted for two-stop strategies and therefore ran lighter. It is reasonable to assume, from his start and early speed, however, that Felipe Massa was on a similar strategy, whereas Kimi Raikkonen in the other Ferrari was on a one-stop run.



Behind the top two teams, Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica took fourth and fifth places for BMW Sauber, and a further nine points, brining their total to a healthy 86 and maintaining their chance of exceeding their target of 100.Heidfeld drove his customary impeccable race, on a two-stop plan, and was happy with fourth place. Team mate Kubica made things a little harder for himself by parking skew-whiff in his pit stop, and thus having his car move on its jack so that he lost a horrible amount of time as mechanics struggled to rectify the situation. He reported that his F1.07 was very quick when it was light at the start, but that it needs more work with a high fuel load.