Posted April 2, 2009 Wow, just saw the news and was completely shocked. That said, before people start saying that the FIA are screwing him over, well they did break the rules and unfortunately pretty badly this time. What they've done is like a football playing diving to win a penalty in the dying minutes of the game. Disgraceful. That said, i don't think it was his fault, more the mclaren team's mistake. Infact even james Allen wrote an article the other day after the race saying he thought Whitmarsh had lied abit and unfortunately they've been caught. Dark days for them, especially after Spygate. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 2, 2009 (edited) Did you listen to Eddie Jordan's interview? He's a bundle of joy that one isn't he! In other news... Wahoo, Practice 1 & 2 are almost here! Think I'll just watch Practice 2 live this time. Thursdays weather at Sepang: Edited April 2, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 Did you listen to Eddie Jordan's interview? He's a bundle of joy that one isn't he! In other news... Wahoo, Practice 1 & 2 are almost here! Think I'll just watch Practice 2 live this time. Thursdays weather at Sepang: Looks like great weather to race in . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 just watching first practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix and track is bone dry but more rain is forecast for the weekend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 Williams 1-2 first practice then Ferrari 1-2 second practice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) McLaren suspend their Sporting Director http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74180 McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh has now confirmed that Ryan is suspended for his role in the affair. "In my 20-odd years working for McLaren, I doubt if I've met a more dedicated individual than Davey," said Whitmarsh. "He's been an integral part of McLaren since 1974 and has played a crucial role in the team's many world championship successes since that time. "However, his role in the events of last Sunday, particularly his dealings with the FIA stewards, has caused serious repercussions for the team, for which we apologise. Therefore, I suspended him this morning and he has accepted this." - Also Hamilton was fined for speeding in the pit lane this morning! lol! UPDATE: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74202 Hamilton apologises for 'huge mistake' Lewis Hamilton has apologised to the FIA stewards and to his fans for what he has called a 'huge mistake' in how he handled post-race events at the Australian Grand Prix. The Briton was disqualified from the Melbourne race after the stewards deemed he and his McLaren team had 'deliberately misled' them about a radio conversation that took place after he had got past Toyota driver Jarno Trulli behind the safety car. Hamilton says he was advised by McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan not to mention that he had been ordered to let Trulli overtake him. That decision has resulted in Ryan being suspended from the team. Clearly emotional about his involvement in the events, Hamilton called a press conference in the media centre at Sepang on Friday to apologise for all that happened. "In Melbourne, I had a great race. As soon as I got out the car I had the television interviews at the back of the garage, and straight away I gave them a good account of what happened during the race," said Hamilton. "Straight after that we were requested by the stewards, and while waiting for the stewards I was instructed and misled by my team manager to withhold information, and that is what I did. "I sincerely apologise to the stewards for wasting their time and for making them look silly. I am very, very sorry for the situation: for my team, for Dave because he has been a good member of the team for many years, and whilst I don't think it was his intention or...he is a good guy. "I went into the meeting, I had no intention of...I just wanted to tell the story and say what happened. I was misled and that is the way it went. I would like to say a big sorry to all my fans who have believed in me, who have supported me for years, who I showed who I am for the past three years, and it is who I am. I am not a liar. I am not a dishonest person. I am a team player. "Every time I have been informed to do something I have done it. This time I realise it was a huge mistake and I am learning from it. It has taken a huge toll on me. I apologise to you guys, I didn't speak to you yesterday, but there was a lot to take in and a lot to deal with. I am here to apologise to everyone and I assure you it won't happen again." Hamilton, who received applause by a number of journalists at the end of the short press conference, said that only he and Ryan had been involved in the decision to withhold information from the FIA. The world champion reckoned the situation he found himself in now was the worst he had faced in his career. "I've never felt so bad," he said. "Try and put yourself in my position and understand that, like I said, I am not a liar. I have not gone through my life being a liar or dishonest. And so for people to say I am dishonest and for the world to think that....what can I say? He added: "For me, the situation is definitely the worst thing I've experienced in my life. That is why I am here. It is right for me as a human being and as a man to stand in front of you all and tell you exactly what went on and put up my hands. I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I'm sorry to my team and my family for the embarrassment. It is a very, very embarrassing situation." When asked if he was concerned about the possibility of further action being taken against him and McLaren by the FIA, he said: "I am sure the FIA will act accordingly and in the right way. I don't know what else is going to happen in the future. For me now, I have to focus on the race and try to move forward from this, learn from it and grow." UPDATE: Barrichello to get five-place grid penaly http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74204 Rubens Barrichello will be given a five-place grid penalty at the Malaysian Grand Prix after needing a gearbox change following Friday's practice. UPDATE: Video - Raikkonen's eventful first practice: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7980559.stm Edited April 3, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 I just watched Hamilton's press conference and you can see how bad he feels about the whole incident. He's almost in tears, poor guy. Can't believe a team like Mclaren would do such a thing, it's incredibly unsporting. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) I just watched Hamilton's press conference and you can see how bad he feels about the whole incident. He's almost in tears, poor guy. Can't believe a team like Mclaren would do such a thing, it's incredibly unsporting.Yeah it was aweful they put him in that position, but to be fair he didn't have to go along with it.As someone asked him in the press conference; he hadn't actually done anything wrong regarding the Trulli incident, up until he and the team started lying to the stewards! Alonso: McLaren has lied before http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74209 Martin Brundle: Row has damaged Hamilton http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7981373.stm Edited April 3, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) Mclaren could even be in even deeper trouble with the World Motorsport council: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74214 By Simon Strang The FIA has not ruled out taking further action against McLaren in the wake of Lewis Hamilton's disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix. The Briton was excluded from the Melbourne race after the stewards deemed he and his McLaren team had 'deliberately misled' them about a radio conversation that took place after he had passed Toyota driver Jarno Trulli behind the safety car. Following McLaren's decision to suspend its sporting director Dave Ryan, and Hamilton's emotional public apology to the FIA stewards and his fans for what he called a 'huge mistake', the FIA has indicated that it will review all the evidence before deciding whether to refer the matter to the World Motor Sport Council. The sport's governing body also recognised the efforts at which the world champion had gone to explain himself, hinting that any further sanctions might be focussed on the team's role in the incident, rather than the driver's. "We recognise Lewis's efforts to set the record straight today," said an FIA spokesman. "It would appear that he was put in an impossible position. "We are now awaiting reports from the FIA observer and stewards before consideration can be given to further investigation of the team's conduct. "We cannot rule out the matter being referred to the World Council at this stage." When asked during his press conference at Sepang if he was concerned about the possibility of further action being taken against him and McLaren by the FIA, Hamilton said: "I am sure the FIA will act accordingly and in the right way. I don't know what else is going to happen in the future. "For me now, I have to focus on the race and try to move forward from this, learn from it and grow." If the matter is referred to the WMSC, McLaren could face a significant fine or even exclusion from races or the championship. McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh said today that he felt 'deep regret' at the events of the past week, adding that the team wanted 'come clean' on its side of the story. "It has become clear from discussions with Dave [Ryan] last night and through into this morning that during the stewards meeting after the Australian Grand Prix, he was not entirely full and truthful in the answers he gave the stewards," said Whitmarsh. "Consequently we had no alternative today other than to suspend him. As you can imagine, it is a very sad day for the team. We have got to deal with this weekend. We have to look in a bit more detail all of the events that surrounded it." I don't think I expected this little radio conversation to cause this big of a deal. This has completely overshadow the Brawn GP 1-2 in their first race. This is just a big blow to the sports reputation. EDIT: Hamilton Fined for pit lane speeding in Malaysia's first practice: http://msnsport.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12040_5137111,00.html?ocid=today Edited April 3, 2009 by Emerald Emblem Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 4, 2009 Yeah it was aweful they put him in that position, but to be fair he didn't have to go along with it.As someone asked him in the press conference; he hadn't actually done anything wrong regarding the Trulli incident, up until he and the team started lying to the stewards! The thing is, look at the position he was in: If he lies: He's going with what the team have told him. As a young driver, you think that your team are doing things in your best interest and in the interest of the team. If he tells the truth: He's going against the team. What would have happened had he had told the truth? Would the controversy still have been there? How would the team have reacted to him and worked with him in the future had he gone against them? He'll probably regret this for the rest of his life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 4, 2009 I don't really know much about F1, but i do like watching it. I've gotta feel sorry for Lewis here; he's stuck firmly between a rock and a hard place in this situation. There was no real outcome that would benefit him. He'll probably regret this for the rest of his life. You would have thought so. His team shouldn't have put him in this position. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 4, 2009 This is what puts me off F1. All the bullshit rules and regulations and FIA getting up everyones' arse and...ugh. There's too much politics for me to get deeply interested in F1 which is a shame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) This is just a big blow to the sports reputation.Big blow to McLarens reputations.It's not damaging to the sport other than maybe to those who recently hopped on the Hamilton bandwagon, everyone else is gonna understand the issue. The thing is, look at the position he was in: If he lies: He's going with what the team have told him. As a young driver, you think that your team are doing things in your best interest and in the interest of the team. If he tells the truth: He's going against the team. What would have happened had he had told the truth? Would the controversy still have been there? How would the team have reacted to him and worked with him in the future had he gone against them? He'll probably regret this for the rest of his life. I completely agree. Also if he hadn't [been told to] lie, the controversy would have ended there, but yeah you can bet he would have felt some reprecussions from the team. He's gotta have some trust issues against the team now, it will have damaged their relationship. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Qualifying: Jenson... blah, blah... Fantastic job from Toyota! Both Trulli and especially Glock were very impressive! Some big names out to mix things up, Massa, Hamilton, Heikki and Alonso staggered down the grid, should provide some interesting action. Also Vettel should be flying through after his 10 place drop. Aweful mistake by Ferrari with Massa! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ UPDATE: Qualifying Weights 1. Button - 660 2. Trulli - 656.5 3. Vettel - 647 4. Barrichello - 664.5 5. Glock - 656.5 6. Rosberg - 656 7. Webber - 656 8. Kubica - 663 9. Raikkonen - 662.5 10. Alonso - 680.5 11. Heidfeld - 692 12. Nakajima - 683.4 13. Hamilton - 688 14. Kovalainen - 688.9 15. Bourdais - 670.5 16. Massa - 689.5 17. Piquet - 681.9 18. Fisichella - 680.5 19. Sutil - 655.5 20. Buemi - 686.5 I think Ferrari with Raikkonen can be a bit encouraged by that. Edited April 4, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Well I can't see this race continuing, yet another win for Jenson, albeit half points. Edited April 5, 2009 by Emerald Emblem Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 This is completely ridiculous. We've been robbed of seeing a full race because of a greedy little midget wanting more money. Fuck Bernie Ecclestone. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) There we go, race over. EDIT: Glock drops to 3rd and Heidfeld takes 2nd. Webber moves up to 6th With Hamilton and Rosberg dropped to 7th and 8th respectively. Standings based on position at the end of lap 31 1 J Button Brawn2 N Heidfeld BMW Sauber 3 T Glock Toyota 4 J Trulli Toyota 5 R Barrichello Brawn 6 M Webber Red Bull 7 L Hamilton McLaren 8 N Rosberg Williams 9 F Massa Ferrari 10 S Bourdais Toro Rosso 11 F Alonso Renault 12 K Nakajima Williams 13 N Piquet Jr. Renault 14 K Raikkonen Ferrari 15 A Sutil Force India 16 S Vettel (ret.) Red Bull 17 S Buemi (ret.) Toro Rosso 18 G Fisichella (ret.) Force India 19 R Kubica (ret.) BMW Sauber 20 H Kovalainen (ret.) McLaren Edited April 5, 2009 by Emerald Emblem Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Rediculous race, should have started an hour earlier, heck even the original time wasn't bad at all and we wouldn't have had the rain and extremely bad visibilty that all the drivers have been complaining about since Australia. Ferrari provided the most entertaining moments: 1) Their strategists are absolute muppets, who need sacking! They ruined Kimi's race this week, and they ruined Massa's race last week... I think they are taking this driver equality thing a bit far! 2) 'Felipe Baby' = cringing! 3) haha, love him for it! The Ice 'cream' man! You can see the fat guy is desperate to get in there! Edited April 5, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 HAHAHAHAHA! 'Felipe baby, stay cool!'. Am I the only one who just adores Rob Smedley?! Absoutely great guy, one of the best in Formula 1 tbh. Shame the team he works for are complete idiots. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 (edited) Bloody hell, half points huh? When was the last time those were even used? Can't say I'm buying into the whole delayed start for European audiences thing, sorta pointless in today's world of online broadcasting. Let F1 be an international sport and let the drivers be able to finish races without having to drive into the sunset/rain/night and being blinded/drowned/attacked by vampires. Sort of funny moment at the end when Lewis learned his final position from the press. I've never heard anyone so successfully use the exact speech equivalent of a sad face emoticon before. "Seventh? I was told I was fifth. =(" Edited April 5, 2009 by gaggle64 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 5, 2009 Can't say I'm buying into the whole delayed start for European audiences thing, sorta pointless in today's world of online broadcasting.Bernie's an idiot! Cos getting up for this one was so much better than the original 7am start time! And yeah exactly, it's repeated constantly on the red button throughout the day, so people are just gonna choose to watch it whenever they like anyways! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 6, 2009 Results really aren't going Williams way considering they are one of the teams with the controversial diffuser. I mean only 3.5 points compared to Toyota's 16.5 and Brawns 25. Heck they are being beaten by BWW and Renault. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 6, 2009 Yeah I know I couldn't believe that when they showed the constructors points table yesterday. They keep topping the friday practice times and they've been really strong at the start of each race, but then they seem to fall away after the first round of pit stops. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 7, 2009 Yeah I know I couldn't believe that when they showed the constructors points table yesterday.They keep topping the friday practice times and they've been really strong at the start of each race, but then they seem to fall away after the first round of pit stops. Tbh though, Nakajima is a joke of a driver; absolutely terrible. Rosberg would have scored some serious points in Aussieland had his tires not completely left him on the last few laps and the weather in Malaysia often means that the faster teams lose out. Don't know if anyone heard this but apparantly Lewis is considering walking from Mclaren. Aslong as he doesn't go to Ferrari we should be good I've got an inkling next year we might see Kubica/Heidfeld and Alonso at Ferrari with Lewis moving to BMW. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 7, 2009 Tbh though, Nakajima is a joke of a driver; absolutely terrible. Rosberg would have scored some serious points in Aussieland had his tires not completely left him on the last few laps and the weather in Malaysia often means that the faster teams lose out. Don't know if anyone heard this but apparantly Lewis is considering walking from Mclaren. Aslong as he doesn't go to Ferrari we should be good I've got an inkling next year we might see Kubica/Heidfeld and Alonso at Ferrari with Lewis moving to BMW. I think Ferrari will be much more intersted in Kubica, maybe teaming him up with Massa or Alonso. Heidfeld is very consistnt but just doesn't have the raw pace or "championship winning quality" you need to drive for Ferrari. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Posted April 7, 2009 (edited) No way will Heidfeld ever get a Ferrari seat, personally I don't rate him at all. But yeah I can see Kubica/Alonso there in the future, not sure next year though but in 2011. I heard Anthony Hamilton may consider advising Lewis to leave, but I don't think it'll happen. BMW is where I could see him though. Apparently Lewis was set to leave McLaren and possibly the sport when all this came to light, but Moseley talked him out of it. There's also ALOT of talk that it was Schumacher who advised the team to put Kimi on wets. Whether he did or not, it's time he left. *Breaking news* McLaren summoned to appear before WMSC http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74346 The McLaren Formula 1 team has been summoned to appear before the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on April 29 to answer charges that it has brought the sport into disrepute Edited April 7, 2009 by Retro_Link Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
