F1 news review: Mosley backs Raikkonen

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Max Mosley gave a revealing interview to The Guardian this week in which he said he was glad to see Kimi Raikkonen win the world championship following the spy scandal between McLaren and Ferrari.

Plus the sports writers look back on 2007, Ralf Schumacher dumps his manager and Alexander Wurz looks to a career in commentating.

British sport disappoints in 2007 – But this writer picks Lewis Hamilton as his favourite British sportsman of 2007.

Wurz eyes future in F1 commentary box – Alexander Wurz to do a Brundle?

The sporting year in numbers – One point separated three drivers at the end of this year’s F1 title race.

Mallya promises to consider KarunKarun Chandhok will race in GP2 again in 2008 and may soon end up at the Force India F1 Team run by fellow Indian Vijay Mallya.

Force India ropes in SRK, to launch massive advertising campaign – Momentum gathers behind India’s first F1 team.

Stolen racing bust is recovered – Graham Hill statue found.

Andretti wants Grandson in F1 – 1978 F1 champion Mario hopes to see Indy Car racing grandson Marco Andretti in Formula 1 soon.

Bridgestone signs sole supplier contract – But when will the Japanese tyre manufacturer switch from grooves to proper racing slick tyres?


Blundell’s view: 2007 season review part one
– Thoughts from the ITV F1 pundit.

Sponsor to rejoin Alonso at Renault – Mutua Madrilena, who followed Fernando Alonso from Renault to McLaren this year, and recently ditched McLaren denying the loss of Alonso had anything to do with it, have returned to Renault…

Ferrari chief’s big thank-you – Luca di Montezemolo wants to meet the photocopy shop owner who informed Ferrari about McLaren’s possession of confidential Ferrari documents.

Nelsinho: I’m in F1 on merit – Nelson Piquet Jnr denies that having a three times world champion father is the reason he’s making his F1 debut with Renault in 2008.

Six Christmas demands for those in sport – This Scottish newspaper wants Max Mosley to resign following his remarks about Jackie Stewart.

Why Mosley is happy with the season that had everything – Talking to The Guardian, Mosley revealed he was happy that Ferrari and their drivers won the 2007 titles.

2007: The season of F1 in review – Another look back on the controversial 2007 Formula 1 season.

Lewis Hamilton: InGear’s Man of the YearThe Times picks Hamilton as its number one.

Ralf Schumacher splits with F1 manager – The German driver loses his second manager in two years having ditched Willi Weber in 2006.

Bourdais ready for the F1 challenge – Champ Car champion is ready for his 2008 debut.

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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12 comments on “F1 news review: Mosley backs Raikkonen”

  1. Of course Max was thrilled a Ferrari driver, either of them, won the title. If Hamilton or Alonso had won, is there any doubt in anyone’s mind that Ferrari would have demanded their expulsion and points forfeiture?

    The next season will continue to see whining from Luca and Jean about how McLaren have an advantage; if Hamilton had won there would be no way to bury the ongoing contentiousness into the ’08 season at serious levels of vitriol. And I think we’ve all had enough of that.

  2. I think there is an additional reason why Max is happy Ferrari won. He named Todt as his ideal successor a couple of years ago. If Ferrari had not won a championship this season Montezemolo was going to sack him. So Max would have been looking for re-election while his self-appointed successor was unemployed. Much easier for him if Ferrari win and Todt stays there.

  3. If anything you must give Max his due he is not biased in any way towards any team other than ferrari – so the rest as well as mcclaren are just wasting their time and money – and if jean todt was to replace max? – I’m sorry just pack the whole thing in and rename it the ferrari challenge – and if mcclaren do win a few gp’s – yes you were right they were ferrari’s in disguise – using there full intellectual(sic) knowledge(yawn)

  4. What if the “Spy Story” was the other way round? Suppose Mc Laren claimed that Ferrari spied on them? Let’s not be hypocrites, I think that by now we are all sure that Mc Laren did thing that shouldn’t have been done. We all know that Mc Laren will be competing next simply because “money” is still far more important then the sportsmanship. Hat’s off to Max Mosley, a real British gentleman in all senses. Let’s not be hypocrites, Ferrari deserved both drivers and constructors championship last year!

  5. Mamzee,

    I suggest you read the open letter Nigel Stepney wrote to Max Mosley where he said he was getting McLaren information and passing it on to Ferrari colleagues.

    It is complete fantasy that McLaren were doing anything that other teams were not. The only difference was the FIA’s response.

    Renault were found guilty of exactly the same thing. Toyota had two engineers jailed who for taking info when they left Ferrari. The FIA did not investigate it. Colin Kolles presented the FIA with an STR drawing to prove that their car was a Red Bull. The FIA didn’t even ask him how he came to be in possession of the drawing and strangely they didn’t launch an investigation.

    Max has clearly been very fair. Five incidents, two investigations, one team penalised. Very fair. Clearly the behaviour of a gentleman.

  6. I would not 100% trust what Nigel Stepney says although the possibility he is telling the truth can’t be discounted. But have to rememeber that guy’s career is over and he still faces criminal charges with a chance to end up in jail … If he can’t keep saying he did nothing wrong any longer, he needs to point the blame elsewhere …

  7. I wouldn’t be inclined to trust Stepney either, but to dismiss his accusations without even a cursory investigation is frankly idiotic.

  8. Steven, correct me if I’m wrong. Am I correct to state that Mc Laren admitted its wrong doing? I suggest that you take a look at this; https://www.racefans.net/2007/12/13/mclaren-apologises-over-ferrari-spy-scandal/

  9. McLaren has admitted a degree of guilt as has My point is simply that many if not all the teams were doing the same thing. You asked what if the story had been the other way round. Well according to Nigel Stepney the information was travelling in both directions.

    Like everyone else who has suggested that there is a witch hunt against McLaren I have not said so because I believe they have not done wrong. I have said so because of the punishments they have received compared to other teams. Don’t just look at the spying. Alonso parks his car in the pits and McLaren lose constructors points from both cars. That punishment has never in 58 years been handed to any team for the behaviour of one of its drivers. Schumacher twice rammed drivers and parked his car at Monaco to stop Alonso getting pole. Not once did his team receive any penalty. A bit unfaur to say the least.

    Be clear I am not saying Schumacher’s teams should have been penalised or that he is the only driver ever to have committed offences. I am simply pointing out that the rules are applied harshly to McLaren whereas Ferrari almost always get an easy ride. For example when there barge board was illegal when measured on the car but legal when measured on a jig in Paris a week later.

    There is blatant bias.

  10. mamzee – I agree with what stephen has to say in that if ferrari transgrese – mininimal if nil punishment is given and as for teams having each others info as soon as you think of an idea someone is copying it!!

  11. Clearly there is some bad personal blood between Max and Ron. I think that in all of racing getting an edge over the competition will increase the bottome line. Some call this cheating. Max said that the McLaren cheating is worth 100 mil us. But from what I have read Renault is far more culpable as a team for industrial espionage than McLaren as a team ever was. The investigation on Renault is over. We have all been looking at these two events and comparing what should have been done to Renault. The driver here is Ferrari. If a hint of “crime” against them, the suspect is guilty and that is it. If Max dealt with all “spying” the same (instate a zero tolerence policy for example) I would have no issue with him. But the favoratism that is constantly shown to Ferrari is so blatent. Think, who will benefit the most from a 10 year engine freeze? It sometimes feels as if policy for the FIA is started in Maranello not Paris. My utter contempt for this man aside I am really looking foward to 2008.

  12. How can max make comments like this then still claim that he is neutral, it is quiet clear that his middle name is Ferrari, and he is obviously biased. I personally hate him, he is a far bigger blight on the sport than any of the teams (except ferrari) are, and I want him out.

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