5/29/2007

McLaren Investigation

It looks like McLaren are under a little suspicion. It seems they’ve been accused of employing team orders in Fernando Alonso’s victory at Monaco. The FIA will be investigating.
Announcing the probe FIA in a statement said: “The FIA has launched an investigation into incidents involving the McLaren Mercedes team at the 2007 Monaco Grand Prix in light of a possible breach of the International Sporting Code.

“The relevant evidence is under review and a further announcement will be made in due course.”

McLaren were quick to respond, a spokesman for the British team telling AFP: “We are very confident about FIA’s investigation into our race strategy.”

He added: “All the decisions that we took before and during the race respect perfectly the International Sporting Code.

Ron Dennis says McLaren didn’t break the rules.

“I don’t like to slow drivers down, I don’t like them to be frustrated but it is the way you have to win the Monaco Grand Prix,” he said.

Dennis insisted to reporters that the situation was a ‘one off’, created by the unforgiving Monaco barriers and also McLaren’s performance advantage over their nearest competitor here.

He said: “We don’t have team orders - we had a strategy to win this race.

“There will be places where they will be absolutely free to race, but this isn’t one of them.”

There will be an investigation and no fault will be found. There has to be an investigation to make the sport look fair. In reality, Ron Dennis can do whatever he likes. They are his cars to race.

Credit AFP  and F1_Live.com for the quotes.