Kimi Räikkönen Official 2007 World Champion After Mclaren Appeal Fails

Kimi Räikkönen's status as the F1 World Champion 2007 remains unchange as the FIA Court of Appeal ruled that Mclaren's appeal for BMW's Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica and Williams' Nico Rosberg to be disqualified from the Brazilian Grand Prix after being alleged of having used fuel at an illegal temperature.

Initially, Mclaren had launched the appeal claiming to seek clarity of the regulations, after the two teams were not penalised for using fuel at 10 degrees lower than the ambient temperature. Mclaren's lawyer Ian Mill QC then called for the disqualification of the 3 drivers and a review of the championship result.

If Nick Heidfeld, Robert Kubica and Nico Rosberg had all been disqualified, Mclaren's rookie Lewis Hamilton would have moved up a few positions and would have won the World Championship.

However, Mclaren, which are fined $50 million and disqualified from the Constructors' Championship, had no better luck in this appeal as the court ruled it 'inadmissable'.

Where's Fernando Alonso Going?

As the news of the release of former 2 times world champion Fernando Alonso broke out, teams are rushing to snap up the Spanish drivers, aside from Fernando's previous team Renault, Red Bull, Williams and even BMW Sauber are reportedly trying to woo him over.

Toyota was also reported to have offered the Spaniard a wonderful offer, but was turned down.

According to AS Daily, a Spanish sports newspaper, Fernando would try to secure a short deal with one of the smaller teams in order to prepare for a transition to Ferrari in the near future, when either Kimi Räikkönen or Felipe Massa's contract is over.

Over at the Mclaren Mercedes camp, where they are now short of one driver, Lewis Hamilton has given some hints on who his future teammate might be. Naming a few candidates like Heikki Kovalainen, Nico Rosberg, Nick Heidfeld and Adrian Sutil, he said that the only prerequisite is that the teammate will have to be a 'team player'.

However, things will have to be seemingly put on hold as everyone waits for Fernando Alonso's eventual decision with bated breath.

Fernando Alonso Out of Mclaren

Shocking news of the season - Fernando Alonso is out of Mclaren.

It was yet another worse-kept secrets of a very messy season. Fernando Alonso has been a long-disgruntled employee of Mclaren Mercedes, right down from the moment when he realised that he would not get to enjoy his status as Numero Uno in the British Mclaren team. Often accusing the team of favouring rookie Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso has surely not made his animosity with his team a secret.

In the Hungarian Grand Prix, he threatened team principal Ron Dennis that he would go to the FIA with the evidences that Mclaren's ex-employee Mike Coughlan had information from Nigel Stepney, if Ron Dennis does not accede to his request of favouring him over his teammate. An incensed Ron Dennis volunteered to call Max Mosley (and he indeed did) to show Fernando that he was ready to see through the ultimatum set by the Spaniard.

Fernando Alonso had another 2 years of contract left with Mclaren, but now he has been ordered to leave Mclaren Mercedes wtih immediate effect. Questions will be raised - where will he go? And most importantly, who would be the teammate of wonder-rookie Lewis Hamilton next season? Williams' Nico Rosberg, Renault's Heikki Kovalainen and Honda's Jenson Button are prospective choices, but it will have to be seen if the teams are willing to let them go.

Ralf Schumacher Set to Leave Toyota

Yet another of the worst-kept secrets of this crazy F1 season has been confirmed by the man himself - Ralf Schumacher, after 3 years of less-than-impressive performance, has decided to part ways with the Toyota team.

He has yet to announce where he is headed next, with no team having explicitly expressed their interest in the German driver. Ralf said that he would announce his plans at the end of this season, and has also mentioned that money will not be an important factor in his new job search.

Meanwhile, the Toyota team would be on the lookout for a new driver to replace Ralf. Nico Rosberg, from the Williams-Toyota team, looks to be a prospective candidate, but Toyota would face a fierce competition from Mclaren and any other team eager to land their hands on this rising star who has proven himself worthy (and pipped to be as good as Lewis Hamilton by team boss Sir Frank Williams) more than often this season.

But of course, now everyone will hold their breaths to see what reigning world champion (soon we probably wouldn't be using it on him anymore)Fernando Alonso would do. Renault has supposedly offered him a contract with a likely promise of the Number 1 status in the team (and probably partnering Heikki Kovalainen). If Fernando Alonso choose to take that, Renault would have to buy out the remaining 2 years of his contract with Mclaren, and Giancarlo Fisichella could be left without a job and Mclaren would be looking for a partner for Lewis.

It's all one big driver-movement circus.