McLaren's Unsportsmanlike Conduct

The last time McLaren was in trouble, I defended them. This time, I cannot defend the actions of former McLaren Sporting Director Dave Ryan and driver Lewis Hamilton. In the recent fracas over whether or not the allowed Jarno Trulli to pass Hamilton during a yellow flag both Ryan and Hamilton told the race stewards a bold faced lie. The next week at Malaysia, they continued to lie about it despite being presented evidence to the contrary.

What is worse, Hamilton called a news conference at Malaysia to tell eveyone that he didn't want to lie, but was directed to by the team. He was lauded by some in the media for doing so. Hamilton is a grown man. If he didn't want to lie, he should not have. He should have done the right thing even though his team may have directed him to do otherwise. Dave Ryan is no longer with McLaren from the team over this incident. In my opinion, if Ryan is gone then Hamilton should be sent packing as well; he is just as guilty as Ryan is.

This whole episode has been a sorry example of sportsmanship for youngsters interested in motor sports and young people who are moving up the motor sports ladder of talent. A world champion and multiple world championship team should be setting a better example.

Mac McCormick III
kf4lmt@comcast.net

Lewis Hamilton Penalized, FIA Ferrari Bias Obvious

I was looking forward to writing this morning about how great the last 4 laps of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa on Sunday were. Before taking to the keyboard for that task, however, I checked the motor sport headlines at the Speed TV and Autosport websites. Reading the F1 news was like having a bucket of cold water poured on my head. The FIA has penalized Lewis Hamilton 25 seconds for, in their belief, not fully giving Kimi Raikonnen a position back after being forced off track by Raikonnen. The penalty gave Felipe Massa the win and pushed Hamilton back to third behind Nick Heidfeld.

I fail to see what Hamilton did wrong. He fully allowed Raikonnen back into first place after going off track. Do the rules specify that he must allow Raikonnen to keep the lead into the next turn as well!? Hamilton placed himself fully behind Raikonnen, he was not partially alongside, so it seems to me that he was within the rules. Quite frankly, it was exciting racing and thrilling to watch. It was precisely the kind of racing the F1 needs! Yes, Hamilton placed himself behind Raikonnen so to draft him down a straight and pass, but he could have done this if he hadn't gone off of the track in the previous corner.

The FIA's argument, to me, is transparent. It is a blatant attempt to give Ferrari what they could not take on the track. Hamilton could have drafted and passed Raikonnen as he did even if the did not go off of the track. Raikonnen later spun and crashed taking himself out of the race and eliminating the possibility of passing Hamilton again in a straight fight. One has to wonder whether the FIA would have given the penalty had Massa been more the 25 seconds behind Hamilton.

After not penalizing Ferrari for a dangerous move in the pits at Valencia, the FIA's actions at Spa reinforce a popular belief that the FIA is biased toward Ferrari. The FIA penalized McLaren for good hard racing and let Ferrari go after almost causing a serious accident in the pit lane (there was almost a collision with not only another race car but with a safety or medical car at the end of the pit lane as well!).

This has every appearance of being an attempt (and not even a thinly veiled one at that) to give the drivers championship to Ferrari. At the very least, it exposes an FIA grudge against McLaren.

Mac
kf4lmt@comcast.net