Mclaren Appeal Set on 15th November

The appeal lodged by Mclaren is set to be heard by the FIA Court of Appeal on 15th November.

Mclaren had lodged an appeal against the results of the Brazilian Grand Prix, where Lewis Hamilton, who finished 7th, lost out on the Drivers' Championship title to Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen by just one point. It was later found out that Williams' Nico Rosberg, BMW's Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld had fuel that was below the allowed temperature (it has to be at most 10 degrees below track temperature), thereby giving them a boost in their performance (lower temperature meant more fuel stored). Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld finished 4th, 5th and 6th respectively.

If Mclaren's appeal is successful, it could mean that Nico Rosberg, Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld could all be stripped off their positions, thus handing the 4th position to Lewis Hamilton. Lewis Hamilton would then have enough points to beat Finnish Kimi Räikkönen and win the Drivers' Championship title on his debut season.

However, FIA president Max Mosley has played down speculations that Lewis Hamilton could be handed the Drivers' title even if the trio were found guilty.

Certainly, if the FIA decides to strip Kimi Räikkönen of his first title and hand it over to Lewis Hamilton, it would be a cruel blow to the Finn, as well as possibly cause an uproar against the FIA's decision.

Brazilian GP:Kimi Räikkönen Wins Race, Wins Drivers' Championship Title

It was an epic buildup to the race, and the race itself certainly did not disappoint with the dramas that happened.

Right at the start of the last race of the 2007 season, Felipe Massa, showing he is a worthy teammate to Kimi Räikkönen, moved right in front of Mclaren's Lewis Hamilton, allowing Kimi to move up right beside the Brazilian. Going into turn 1, Massa went ahead while Kimi slotted in neatly behind his teammate's Ferrari. Mclaren's other driver Fernando Alonso did not make things any easier for his teammate Lewis Hamilton by overtaking him and forcing the young British driver to make a mistake and ran wide. Several cars overtook him as he steered back on track.

The two Ferraris pulled away gradually after 3 laps when Fernando Alonso's Mclaren could not keep up with their pace anymore. Lewis Hamilton then shortly suffered gear box problems and coasted around the track on neutral gear for nearly 40seconds. By the time he managed to get his car to working condition again, he was already down in the 18th place and effectively out of the title race.

William's Nakajima, in his debut race, was unable to control his race car to a stop effectively in the pit, knocking over one of the mechanics who had to be transported to the hospital but looked visibly alright other than a hurt left leg.

Felipe Massa built a small lead over his teammate after the first pitstop, however, a mistake by the Brazilian allowed Kimi to close in on him slowly and steadily. With a few marvellous laps while the Brazilian was having his second pitstop, and a brillantly executed pit stop for the Finn saw him overtook his teammate in the pits for the second time of the year.

Even when his Ferrari crossed the line, all Ferrari's supporters and Kimi himself were left holding their breaths as the other cars crossed the line. Lewis Hamilton was in the 7th place and if he remained in that position, then the Drivers' Championship would be Kimi's to take. Despite Williams' Nico Rosberg and the two BMWs of Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica engaged in a fierce battle, they did not take out one another to the relief of the Red team and kept Lewis in his seventh spot.


Kimi Räikkönen, grateful for teammate Felipe Massa's help (who could have enjoyed a home victory but understood his position in the team and showed great teamwork when it mattered), got out of his car and thanked his teammate immediately.


The newly crowned World Champion Kimi Räikkönen with former 2 times World Champion Fernando Alonso on the podium. The Iceman, as Kimi is known for his cool and calm demeanor, showed rare smiles on the podium and looked visibly delighted.



Perhaps that was the defining difference between the two teams - Mclaren Mercedes, which looked like they had the two championships in the bag at the start of the season, and Ferrari, which showed great teamwork and unity when it mattered. Mclaren's team principal and rookie Lewis Hamilton will be left wondering about all the what-ifs and what went wrong for them this season when they had such a strong start.

Brazilian GP Results:
01 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:28:15.270
02 F. Massa Ferrari + 1.493
03 F. Alonso McLaren + 57.019
04 N. Rosberg Williams + 1:02.848
05 R. Kubica BMW + 1:10.957
06 N. Heidfeld BMW + 1:11.317
07 L. Hamilton McLaren + 1 laps
08 J. Trulli Toyota + 1 laps
09 D. Coulthard Red Bull + 1 laps
10 K. Nakajima Williams + 1 laps
11 R. Schumacher Toyota + 1 laps
12 T. Sato Super Aguri + 2 laps
13 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso + 2 laps
14 A. Davidson Super Aguri + 3 laps
Did not finish
15 A. Sutil Spyker F1 + 28 laps
16 R. Barrichello Honda + 31 laps
17 H. Kovalainen Renault + 36 laps
18 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso + 37 laps
19 J. Button Honda + 51 laps
20 M. Webber Red Bull + 57 laps
21 S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 + 69 laps
22 G. Fisichella Renault + 69 laps

Source: PlanetF1

Brazilian GP Qualifying: Felipe Massa in Pole Position

Times
01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:11.931
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:12.082
03 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:12.322
04 F. Alonso McLaren 1:12.356
05 M. Webber Red Bull 1:12.928
06 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:13.081
07 R. Kubica BMW 1:13.129
08 J. Trulli Toyota 1:13.195
09 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:13.272
10 N. Rosberg Williams 1:13.477
11 R. Barrichello Honda 1:12.932
12 G. Fisichella Renault 1:12.968
13 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:13.058
14 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:13.251
15 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:13.315
16 J. Button Honda 1:13.469
17 H. Kovalainen Renault 1:14.078
18 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:14.098
19 K. Nakajima Williams 1:14.417
20 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:14.596
21 A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:15.217
22 S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:15.487

Source: PlanetF1



Home hero Felipe Massa did not disappoint the Brazilian fans. Fastest in Free Practice 3, Massa carried his wonderful form into the final qualifying of the 2007 season by clinching the pole position ahead of Mclaren's Lewis Hamilton and his Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen.

Lewis Hamilton was embroiled in more controversies as he was allegedly blocking Kimi Räikkönen on his flying laps twice as he came out of the pits to do his installation laps. However, the stewards did not conduct any investigations, nor were there any formal complaint filed by the Scuderia Ferrari team.

Mclaren's Fernando Alonso managed a 4th position, and will line up behind his teammate. He admitted that the hopes for any championship title is grim now, and blamed having to start Q3 behind his teammate, "The main problem was starting behind my team-mate as usual," he told Italian television RAI. He would certainly be hoping for some miracle to happen as he believes that the two Mclaren would be on identical pit-strategy, so Lewis Hamilton will have the upperhand on him by starting in the front row.

Mark Webber was a surprise in his Red Bull, taking the 5th grid, but perhaps the recent races have shown Red Bull's improvement, while his teammate David Coulthard qualified on the 9th position. Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica's BMWs were normal in their performance taking the 6th and 7th spot, while the 8th was taken by Jarno Trulli in his Toyota.

Williams' rookie Kazuki Nakajima, replacing Alex Wurz who retired with immediate effect after the Chinese Grand Prix, managed a lowly 19th position, while a surprisingly horrible performance by Renault's Heikki Kovalainen put him in the 17th position on the grid.

Brazilian GP Prac: Home Hero is Fastest

Times
01 F. Massa Ferrari 1:11.810 22 laps
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:11.934 18 laps
03 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:11.942 21 laps
04 M. Webber Red Bull 1:12.446 14 laps
05 J. Trulli Toyota 1:12.461 23 laps
06 R. Barrichello Honda 1:12.478 24 laps
07 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:12.579 25 laps
08 F. Alonso McLaren 1:12.594 12 laps
09 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:12.767 18 laps
10 N. Rosberg Williams 1:12.823 20 laps
11 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:12.893 20 laps
12 G. Fisichella Renault 1:12.913 20 laps
13 J. Button Honda 1:13.015 22 laps
14 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:13.046 23 laps
15 H. Kovalainen Renault 1:13.090 20 laps
16 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:13.117 12 laps
17 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:13.299 16 laps
18 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:13.331 16 laps
19 K. Nakajima Williams 1:13.474 17 laps
20 R. Kubica BMW 1:13.525 14 laps
21 A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:13.684 21 laps
22 S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:13.872 21 laps

Source: PlanetF1

Homegrown hero Felipe Massa topped the timesheet for the first time this weekend in his homeground. On a contrary condition from yesterday's weather, today's third practice session was held on a dry track in a sunny weather.

Lewis Hamilton, Mclaren's hope for a Drivers' Championship in 8 years (their last Drivers' Championship crown was obtained in 1999), set the second fastest time during the last 3 minutes of the timed session. Ferrari's other driver Kimi Räikkönen was the third fastest, while the other title contender Mclaren's Fernando Alonso was a lowly 8th.

Robert Kubica faced technical problems when his car around Bico de Pato, bringing out the yellow flags.

With just half an hour to go before the final qualifying session of 2007, 3 title contenders, who will get the pole position?

Will Felipe Massa attempt a shot at glory in his home race, or would he help teammate Kimi Räikkönen by playing shotgun? Will Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton lose their cool?

Only time will tell!

Lewis Hamilton's Title Hope Hangs by a Thread

Lewis Hamilton, current leader in the Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, will be investigated after he was found to be using 2 sets of wet tires during Practice 1.

Ron Dennis admitted that it was a "100%" Mclaren's fault, and now Lewis Hamilton, for the third time of the year, will be at the centre of controversies as he faces a steward's hearing.

According to article 25.3 of the F1 Sporting Regulations: "No driver may use more than one set of wet and one set of extreme weather tyres during P1 and P2." Other than Lewis Hamilton, Honda's Jenson Button and Super Aguri's Takuma Sato are all guilty of this offence. All three will be holding their breaths to see what punishment or penalty would be meted out to them as there has been no penalties set for the breach of this offence yet.

Brazilian GP Prac 2: Lewis Fights Back

Times
01 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:12.767 27 laps
02 F. Alonso McLaren 1:12.889 28 laps
03 F. Massa Ferrari 1:13.075 30 laps
04 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:13.112 30 laps
05 G. Fisichella Renault 1:13.579 22 laps
06 R. Kubica BMW 1:13.587 34 laps
07 N. Rosberg Williams 1:13.655 33 laps
08 K. Nakajima Williams 1:13.664 38 laps
09 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:13.706 30 laps
10 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:13.785 44 laps
11 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:13.829 29 laps
12 H. Kovalainen Renault 1:13.879 28 laps
13 R. Barrichello Honda 1:13.892 45 laps
14 J. Button Honda 1:14.095 44 laps
15 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:14.152 33 laps
16 J. Trulli Toyota 1:14.179 25 laps
17 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:14.409 37 laps
18 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:14.431 27 laps
19 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:14.477 31 laps
20 M. Webber Red Bull 1:14.543 35 laps
21 A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:15.095 35 laps
22 S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:15.715 32 laps

Source: PlanetF1

Practice 2 saw the Mclaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso topping the timesheet, a stark contrast from Practice 1 where they only managed a 5th and no-timing respectively. Kimi Raikkonen, the man who had set the pace on the first practice, managed only a disappointing 4th, behind his teammate Felipe Massa.

The session was without any rain, but the track was wet when they started, and was nearly totally dry towards the end of the session.

Brazilian GP Prac 1: Kimi First on a Wet Session

Times
01 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:19.580 9 laps
02 F. Massa Ferrari 1:20.062 10 laps
03 H. Kovalainen Renault 1:20.829 19 laps
04 N. Rosberg Williams 1:21.064 14 laps
05 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:21.121 10 laps
06 R. Schumacher Toyota 1:21.243 22 laps
07 S. Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:21.598 22 laps
08 M. Webber Red Bull 1:22.104 12 laps
09 J. Trulli Toyota 1:22.104 26 laps
10 V. Liuzzi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:22.250 17 laps
11 R. Barrichello Honda 1:22.434 23 laps
12 J. Button Honda 1:22.477 22 laps
13 D. Coulthard Red Bull 1:22.667 16 laps
14 T. Sato Super Aguri 1:22.929 19 laps
15 A. Sutil Spyker F1 1:23.248 30 laps
16 K. Nakajima Williams 1:23.261 26 laps
17 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:23.551 20 laps
18 S. Yamamoto Spyker F1 1:24.366 25 laps
19 N. Heidfeld BMW no time 1 laps
20 R. Kubica BMW no time 1 laps
21 F. Alonso McLaren no time 1 laps
22 G. Fisichella Renault no time 2 laps

Source: PlanetF1


Kimi Raikkonen came up on top of the timesheet for the first practice of the Brazilian Grand Prix. As predicted, it looks like we could be in for a wet race in Brazil following the wet ones of the Japanese Grand Prix and the Chinese Grand Prix.

Championship title contender Lewis Hamilton looks lacklustre in his first Brazilian GP by setting a time that only puts him on the fifth place, while his Mclaren teammate Fernando Alonso, together with BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica, as well as Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella failed to set a timing.