QUOTE(sleepy @ Sep 14 2007, 03:18 PM)
Just to add my own point of view. The MP4-22's engine development started mid-last year. Ferrari data obtained on March 2007. Season starts on 2nd week of March 2007. So this means from the day the docs were received, there's only 2 weeks time to implement things onto the car to make it reliable, before the race starts. Assuming the FO108T is really a piece of unreliable crap, do you think the McLaren engineers will be able to turn that around, with the Ferrari docs and ONLY 2 WEEKS TIME, and make it reliable enough to last 2 GP's? I don't think so.
Come one ppl. In 2004, the Mercedes power plant was a piece of crap in terms of power and reliability. In 2005, they managed to make it go fast but not reliable enough. For 2006, it's "quite" reliable, but still lack of speed. In 2007, they managed to find the best reliability/speed ratio, making it both fast (not necessarily fastest, since the Ferrari's outpace it in most cases) and reliable and you call that cheating?
Read what I said the previous page. In Coughlan statement, he was only given some snippets of Ferrari aero designs, nothing more and nothing less. AFAIK, AERO HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ENGINE RELIABILITY.
Every sport has a degree of skulduggery especially at this level, F1 is no exception. For a start it is inconceivable that exchange of high-level personnel between teams does not involve some transfer of knowledge, however any advantage is likely to be short lived when you look at the pace of change within F1. When did the FIA demand to look at a team's car following a change of chief designer?
If they (FIA) are so concerned about the use of 'stolen' data why don't they contact every employee in the F1 business and ask about knowledge of such things. I suspect that once received this information would either clear the pits of every team or show that this has been a total overreaction.
Cheats should be punished and excluded so that, if nothing else, there is a deterrent to future transgressors, but the punishment must be even and consistent. As has been said before, why have other instances where information has been 'stolen' from Ferrari been ignored by the FIA? because it was a team that was no threat to Ferrari? If McLaren is responsible for an illegal act by one or more of their employees why wasn't Ferrari responsible for the illegal act of their employee (Stepney)?
There seems to be a fair amount of lack of evenness and consistency with this decision that has and will continue to have a derisory effect on F1. I think McLaren should take it to the civil courts where there is a chance the evidence would be looked at in a more even manor, after all $1000000 buy's a lot of court time.
furthermore, F1 moves at a so rapid pace that any information you get will only be good for a limited timeframe. On averange that information is valid for 4 weeks for a good team, but for teams like McLaren on Ferrari, even 2 weeks can make the information redundant already as they keep upgrading their cars, thus it's hard to see really what "real" advantages they have with that information.
This post has been edited by linkinstreet: Sep 14 2007, 04:13 PM