Spy case submitted to Court of Appeals

[Jakarta Expat]

THEN this article could make sense of him possibly moving over, question is "who" would move out?

Report: Ferrari wants to sign Lewis Hamilton from McLaren next season

MILAN, Italy (AP) — Ferrari reportedly wants to sign Lewis Hamilton from Formula One rival McLaren.

Italian sports daily Tuttosport reported Monday that Ferrari was prepared to offer F1 rookie Hamilton US$35 million to defect next season. Current Ferrari drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, who have won a combined five races this season, have apparently failed to convince the team they can fill the void left by retired seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher.

Ferrari could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Hamilton, 22, has finished in the top three in all but one of the 11 races this season. He leads teammate and two-time world champion Fernando Alonso 80-73 in the drivers standings. Raikkonen is third with 60 points, followed by Massa with 59.

Hamilton recorded his third victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday, although his relationship with McLaren is reportedly under pressure.

Alonso was relegated from first to sixth on the grid after a ruling that McLaren and the Spanish driver had delayed Hamilton during the last pit stop in Saturday's final qualifying session.

Hamilton was subsequently awarded the pole position after having recorded the second-fastest time.

McLaren was told it would lose any points it gained from the race, although the driver standings was unaffected by the ruling. Hamilton picked up 10 points for winning and Alonso five for finishing fourth.

Hamilton also had a reported shouting match over the team radio with McLaren boss Ron Dennis over the tactics on Saturday. Hamilton has since said he wants to mend bridges with his mentor.

There are six races remaining this season. The next is in Istanbul, Turkey, on Aug. 26.

The Canadian Press: Report: Ferrari wants to sign Lewis Hamilton from McLaren next season

[mcbear]

Originally Posted by Jakarta Expat

THEN this article could make sense of him possibly moving over, question is "who" would move out?

I would think Massa would be first out, they have too much invested in Kimi.

[Jakarta Expat]

Originally Posted by mcbear

I would think Massa would be first out, they have too much invested in Kimi.

McBear, I usually would never disagree with you on anything but might that be throwing good money after bad? Massa is leading in points and wins, I think it would be a hard decision but Massa wants to learn where Kimi has diappointed me in his attitude not to take any advice from anyone on Ferrari's team especially Shumi.

[Jakarta Expat]

New twist in F1 spy saga

The FIA are investigating claims that "one or more" of McLaren's drivers may have been in possession of information relevant to the spy saga.

The president of Formula One's world governing body Max Mosley last Friday wrote a letter to all Formula One team principals - including McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Pedro de la Rosa - urging them to come forward with information to substantiate the allegations.
Due to the nature of whatever replies have been received, the FIA have chosen to reconvene the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) in Paris on September 13 to discuss the "new evidence".

McLaren were found guilty by the WMSC of fraudulent conduct at the initial hearing in July, namely being in possession of unauthorised documents belonging to Ferrari.

But due to insufficient evidence they avoided any sanctions, to the outrage of Ferrari.

If the allegations were to be proven, it is possible McLaren could be expelled from this year's championship, and that of 2008, so wrecking the title hopes of Hamilton and Alonso.

The letter from Mosley said: "As you will be aware the FIA has recently investigated whether, how and to what extent McLaren was in possession of confidential Ferrari technical information.

"The FIA has subsequently been made aware of an allegation that one or more McLaren drivers may be in possession, or that such drivers have recently been in possession of, written evidence relevant to this investigation.

"In the interests of the sport and the championship, it is important that the FIA, as the regulator, establish unequivocally and rapidly whether or not this allegation has any basis in fact.

"The FIA, therefore, formally request that you produce copies of any documents which involve, relate to or went sent by or to any McLaren driver, which may be in your possession or power of procurement and which may be relevant to this case.

"For these purposes documents includes all written material such as emails, letters, electronic communications, text messages, notes and memoranda, drawings, diagrams, data or other material stored in any physical hard copy or electronic form.

"In particular, though without limiting the generality of this request, the FIA wishes to receive copies of any electronic communications howsoever conveyed or stored which may be relevant to this case, and which make reference to Ferrari, Nigel Stepney or any technical or other information coming from, or connected with, either Ferrari or Mr Stepney.

"In the event that you are aware of the existence, or previous existence, of any document falling within the above description, but are not in a position to produce it, please describe the content of the document in question, the circumstances under which it came to your knowledge, and the reasons why you are unable to produce it.

"In the event that you are unsure as to whether any document falls within the above description, kindly submit it, or a description of it, and the FIA will assist in making a determination.

"You will appreciate that there is a duty on all of those involved in our sport to ensure the fairness and legitimacy of the Formula One world championship.

"It is therefore imperative that if you do have any such information, you make it available to us as soon as possible."

An FIA spokesman refused to elaborate, stating: "It would be inappropriate to comment on any of the new evidence ahead of the World Motor Sport Council hearing."

It has been reported the 'evidence' relates to an e-mail exchange between Alonso and test driver de la Rosa.

But when asked whether that was the case, Alonso said: "I am going to try to win the last five races of the season and of the other themes I am not going to talk about anything because it does not concern me.

"This is a lie."

Alonso was also asked by Spanish daily AS if he hoped this team would be sanctioned so he was free next year.

The 26-year-old reigning world champion issued a categorical denial, insisting: "No way.

"I believe that if they (the WMSC) sanction the team they sanction me. I am part of the team and we would share the same problem.

"We are here to win the world title for drivers and constructors.

"We are leading the two and there is no person in the team who thinks that they are going to sanction us or something is going to happen."

FOX Sports on MSN - F1 - New twist in F1 spy saga

[Jakarta Expat]

Another article about the same story above but a different version.......you be the judge......

Raikkonen fastest for Ferrari, new twist in 'spy story'

MONZA, Italy (AFP) - - Kimi Raikkonen topped the times for Ferrari in Friday morning's opening practice for Sunday's Italian Grand Prix, the 27-year-old Finn outpacing his Brazilian team-mate Felipe Massa by one-tenth of a second.

On a clear, blue-skied late summer morning at the famous old Monza circuit, the two Ferrari drivers set the pace ahead of their McLaren Mercedes-Benz rivals championship-leading Briton Lewis Hamilton, who was third fastest, and defending drivers' world champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, fourth.

The four leading cars were seemingly locked in a private war for speed and success on the track as their teams, off the circuit, began flexing other muscles in the escalating controversy surrounding the so-called 'spy story' that has overshadowed much of the Formula One season.

In this, according to the latest reports in Italian media, McLaren, it is claimed, have been not only in possession of many of Ferrari's technical secrets this year, but also using them to their advantage.

This, it is said, is the conclusion drawn from the latest evidence presented to the sport's ruling body, the International Motoring Federation (FIA).

It is alleged that not only did Ferrari, through their now-dismissed 'rogue mechanic' Englishman Nigel Stepney - who the team have also accused of sabotage - suffer the loss of a 780-pages dossier of information, which was given to McLaren's former chief designer Mike Coughlan, now suspended, but they also saw some of the key components of that dossier made use of by their rivals.

In the latest reports surrounding this scandal, it is claimed that Coughlan supplied information about Ferrari's work, notably with Bridgestone tyres and car set-ups, to the McLaren team test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who in turn passed it on to his fellow-Spaniard Alonso. In both cases, it is said the communication of this data was done by email.

This allegation was confirmed on Friday when a letter sent by the FIA president Briton Max Mosley to all teams was revealed to reporters at the Italian Grand Prix by an unidentified source who wished to remain anonymous.

In this letter, Mosley made clear that it was the confirmation of this evidence - email exchanges between the two Spanish McLaren drivers - that had led him to cancel next week's appeal hearing and to call another meeting of the full FIA world motor sport council to consider the matter.

It remained unclear on Friday who had alerted the FIA to the existence of these email exchanges, despite widespread suggestions that it was either Alonso or his former team boss at Renault Flavio Briatore, who has made no secret of his admiration for the Spaniard and his desire to bring him back to Renault.

According to sources in the paddock, Mosley wrote to all the teams last Friday to inform that the two Spanish McLaren drivers had been in possession of 'written evidence relevant to this investigation.'

In this letter, he made clear to the teams that it was their duty to provide any evidence relating to the spy affair.

Similar letters were also sent to Alonso, de la Rosa and Hamilton, asking them to provide evidence in exchange for an 'amnesty' over possible future sanctions.

In his letter to the teams, Mosley said: "In particular (though without limiting the generality of this request) the FIA wishes to receive copies of any electronic communications (howsoever conveyed or stored) which may be relevant to this case and which make reference to Ferrari, Nigel Stepney or any technical or other information coming from, or connected with, either Ferrari or Mr Stepney."

It is believed that Alonso and de la Rosa subsequently provided the information about their email exchange earlier this week and this prompted the FIA to recall the World Motor Sport Council for a hearing on September 13.

Both McLaren and the FIA declined to comment on these latest allegations in the 'spy story' on Friday as the drivers took to the track.
The Ferraris, desperate for success to maintain their championship campaign, dominated the session as they have dominated the supply of whispered tips and rumours in the paddock, but McLaren's pairing were in close pursuit.

Behind them, the improving Williams of German-born Nico Rosberg was fifth ahead of Briton Jenson Button in his Honda, Italian Giancarlo Fisichella in a Renault and Robert Kubica of Poland in the leading BMW Sauber.