They’re the European version of the Hatfields and McCoys. Instead of overalls and shotguns though, you’ll get three-piece Yves Saint Laurent suits and 750 horsepower racing machines. Still, the concept is the same when it comes to the animosity between Ferrari and McLaren within the Formula One arena. Jean Todt, current head of Gestione Sportiva, the formal name of the Ferrari F1 team, doesn’t much like his McLaren counterpart Ron Dennis. Recently departed McLaren driver Fernando Alonso didn’t much like Ferrari’s lead racer Kimi Raikkonen. Even the lawyers for the respective teams aren’t too fond of one another.
After McLaren’s golden boy Lewis Hamilton lost his driver’s championship this past season over the final few races to Ferrari’s Raikkonen, the team became a collective group of sore losers. Well, Hamilton excluded, but we’ll get to that in a second. Officially, McLaren filed a complaint, saying that cars belonging to BMW Sauber and Williams should have to rescind their finishing positions at the Brazilian Grand Prix for using fuel that was a tad “cooler” than F1 regulations would allow. See, Hamilton, who could have wrapped up the driver’s championship with a 5th place or better finish at the year’s last race came in behind the BMW and Williams drivers. So, if they were to be disqualified, Hamilton would in theory be eligible to be rewarded the driver’s championship. Hamilton for his part wants no part of this, but McLaren officials are pushing ahead with the plea.
This is pure desperation folks. Sure, the “cool” fuel may have been against F1 regulations, but if the folks at McLaren think they have a snowball’s chance in hell to reverse the final standings they’re probably standing a little too close to the exhaust fumes. There is little chance that the Formula One governing body will actually take the championship trophy away from Ferrari as a result of arbitration in a lawyer’s office – especially when the results were decided fair and square on the track. Ferrari and F1 fans in general would be outraged. Besides, McLaren probably has no perceived right to bring up issues of rules violations, after they themselves were caught cheating in a much more egregious manner earlier in the year. Tad hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?
McLaren needs to cut their losses, move on and find a driver next year to replace the departed Fernando Alonso. And, while there are is talk that the legendary Michael Schumacher may be a great fit alongside Hamilton on team McLaren, it seems just about impossible that a Ferrari blue-blood would ever set foot in a rival McLaren race car. The feud wouldn't allow it.
This is pure desperation folks. Sure, the “cool” fuel may have been against F1 regulations, but if the folks at McLaren think they have a snowball’s chance in hell to reverse the final standings they’re probably standing a little too close to the exhaust fumes. There is little chance that the Formula One governing body will actually take the championship trophy away from Ferrari as a result of arbitration in a lawyer’s office – especially when the results were decided fair and square on the track. Ferrari and F1 fans in general would be outraged. Besides, McLaren probably has no perceived right to bring up issues of rules violations, after they themselves were caught cheating in a much more egregious manner earlier in the year. Tad hypocritical, wouldn’t you say?
McLaren needs to cut their losses, move on and find a driver next year to replace the departed Fernando Alonso. And, while there are is talk that the legendary Michael Schumacher may be a great fit alongside Hamilton on team McLaren, it seems just about impossible that a Ferrari blue-blood would ever set foot in a rival McLaren race car. The feud wouldn't allow it.
Update: Thankfully, McLaren's appeal was denied. Ferrari's Raikkonen will retain his driver's championship.
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