Newsgroup: it.sport.formula1.moderato
Titolo: [ENG] The decision by the race stewards - in full

Source: pitpass
http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=32362
During the final minutes of Qualifying, the car driven by Fernando Alonso
remained in its pit stop position at the completion of his pit stop
notwithstanding the fact that his team-mate Lewis Hamilton was waiting
immediately behind him to commence his own pit stop. The delay prevented
Hamilton from being able to complete his final flying lap of
Qualifying.The Team Principal, together with the team manager and both
drivers were called before the Stewards and asked to explain their
actions. Reference was made to video and audio evidence. The facts and
the explanation given by the team are as follows:At the commencement of
the third period of the Qualifying practice it had been agreed within the
Vodafone McLaren Mercedes Team ("The Team") that Fernando Alonso would
leave the pit exit ahead of Lewis Hamilton in order to benefit from the
possibility for purposes of fuel burn allowance of being able to complete
an additional lap.In the event, the car driven by Lewis Hamilton arrived
at the pit exit before that of Fernando Alonso and when the pit lane
opened he left in front of Alonso . The team required Hamilton by radio
communication to allow Alonso to pass in order that he might endeavour to
complete his extra lap. Because of the proximity of the Ferrari driven by
Kimi Raikkonen , however, Hamilton declined to allow Alonso to pass
despite repeated requests from the team to do so.Reference to the radio
communications passing between the team and its two drivers shows that
the team told Hamilton at 14:56:44 to "box this lap" and required him to
do a "hard in lap" but advised him some 32 seconds later to "slow the
pace a little, just lose a couple of seconds before the end of the lap
because Fernando is pitting in front of you".At 14:57:34, just 18 seconds
later Alonso was told that when he pitted "we are going to hold you for
20 seconds".At 14:57:46 Alonso's car arrived at his pit stop position,
his tyres were changed and the jacks removed just 6 seconds later. The
car then remained in position from 14:57:52 to 14:58:12 when the signal
known as the "lollipop" was raised indicating that the driver was free to
leave.By this time Hamilton's car had arrived and stopped immediately
behind that of Alonso. Alonso, instead of leaving his pit in order that
his team-mate Hamilton could complete his pit stop, remained in position
for a further 10 seconds. He then left the pit lane in sufficient time to
reach the Control Line before the end of Qualifying, completed a flying
lap in which he set the fastest time and secured pole position.Because of
the delay caused by Alonso, Hamilton was unable to complete his pit stop
in time sufficient to enable him also to complete a flying lap.The team
were asked to explain why having indicated to Hamilton that he must stop
at his pit on the next lap, they then informed Alonso whilst he was still
on the track that when he also pitted on the next lap he would be held
for 20 seconds.The team stated that they frequently give estimates as to
duration of pit stop to their drivers before they pit and that the reason
the car was in fact held for 20 seconds was that it was being counted
down prior to release at a beneficial time regard being given to other
cars on the track.Alonso was asked why he waited for some 10 seconds
before leaving the pits after being given the signal to leave. His
response was that he was enquiring as to whether the correct set of tyres
had been fitted to his car. When asked why this conversation did not take
place during the 20 second period when his car sat stationary all work on
it having been completed, it was stated that it was not possible to
communicate by radio because of the countdown being given to
him.Reference to the circuit map shows that at the time Alonso was told
he would be held for 20 seconds there were but 4 cars on the circuit, his
own and those of Fisichella , Hamilton and Raikkonen . All but Raikkonen
entered the pits such that there can have been no necessity to keep
Alonso in the pits for 20 seconds waiting for a convenient gap in traffic
in which to leave.The explanation given by Alonso as to why at the
expiration of the 20 second period he remained in his pit stop position
for a further 10 seconds is not accepted. The Stewards find that he
unnecessarily impeded another driver, Hamilton, and as a result he will
be penalised by a loss of 5 grid positions.The explanation given by the
team as to why they kept Alonso stationary for 20 seconds after
completion of his tyre change and therefore delayed Hamilton's own pit
stop is not accepted.The actions of the team in the final minutes of
Qualifying are considered prejudicial to the interests of the competition
and to the interests of motor sport generally. The penalty to be applied
is that such points (if any) in the 2007 Formula One Constructors
Championship as accrue to the team as a result of their participation in
the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix wilt be withdrawn.The team is reminded of
its right of appeal.
Copyright 2007 Pitpass.com
-- 
Automatically gathered from the web
Subscribe/unsubscribe/info at
http://www.grandprixpassion.com/mailman/listinfo/webnews

 in which to leave.
La McLaren dice "lo abbiamo fatto aspettare 20 secondi per evitare 
traffico in pista" e i commissari dicono "non è vero, secondo noi non 
c'era traffico". Ah beh. E poi cosa succederà? "Avete messo le morbide e 
invece dovevate montare le slick, significa che favorite la vettura 
dietro di voi". "Il pilota A ha fatto passare B dopo tre curve in 
doppiaggio ma C dopo quattro, penalizzazione"?
-- 
Alessio F. Bragadini            
ale...@sevenseas.org
"I think it's a clear indication for the future that we've got to get
out of this corner that we've painted ourselves into, because you can't
race these cars. It's more about pitstops and maybe the driver in front
making a mistake than actual racing now."  -- Ross Brawn, 2005

 c'era traffico". Ah beh. E poi cosa succederà? "Avete messo le
Concordo che la seconda parte della sentenza fa acqua da tutte le parti.
Ma dubito che ci saranno sviluppi particolari, è che la McLaren di questi
tempi gode di attenzioni particolari...
-- 
Cordialmente
                        Davide
_____________________________________________________
                 Ho bisogno di fare qualcosa di speciale.
      Ogni anno qualcuno vince un titolo. Io voglio fare di più.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Ayrton Senna da Silva¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
Per non dimenticare:  
http://ayrtondasilva.net/