Latest F1 news in brief
- Bernie backs spy saga conclusion
- Ferrari must determine teams' title value – Haug
- Raikkonen's neck now fully recovered
Bernie backs spy saga conclusion
(GMM) Bernie Ecclestone has thrown his support behind the FIA's decision to penalize McLaren for spying.
"There was a process, and the process showed that they did something wrong," F1's chief executive told the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
He reiterated: "Information transferred from another team to theirs on a nearly daily basis."
The 76-year-old thinks the $100 million fine and championship exclusion is a good deterrent for the future.
Ecclestone said he believes every team boss in pitlane will currently be ramping up their outfits' internal processes to "ensure that such a thing does not happen to them".
"The judgment is a clear warning: don't do it!" Bernie added, despite backing the decision to leave Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in the fight for the drivers' title.
Referring to Max Mosley's offering of immunity for the McLaren drivers in exchange for information, Ecclestone said: "If he had taken their points away, he would have broken his promise."
Ferrari must determine teams' title value – Haug
(GMM) Norbert Haug says he refuses to judge the value of Ferrari's inherited victory in the 2007 constructors' world championship.
With former runaway leader McLaren kicked out for espionage, engine partner Mercedes-Benz's competition director said: "That can only be determined by the team that has benefited.
"For us, we are finished with this issue," Haug, who fully backed the decision not to appeal the World Motor Sport Council's sanctions, told the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport.
The German, however, seemed to question how satisfied Ferrari could be with the achievement of winning effectively by default.
"We had collected our points advantage in the races before Spa in a sporting way and with a legal car. I cannot imagine that our points lead would have been caught up," Haug said.
"We are now concentrated on the fight for the drivers' title."
Haug also declined to predict what value will be placed upon the winner of the drivers' championship; particularly if Hamilton or Alonso emerge with the trophy, but hoped it will have more "shine" than "shadow".
What is clear, however, is McLaren's anger with its suspended chief designer Mike Coughlan, who might soon be facing another problem.
Haug suggested that the team may choose to pursue the rogue Briton civilly, as well as hand out some sort of other "punishment" for getting McLaren into such hot water for his actions.
Raikkonen's neck now fully recovered
(GMM) Kimi Raikkonen says his neck is now fully recovered following his high speed practice at Monza.
The Finn subsequently struggled through qualifying and the Italian grand prix with a stiff and sore neck, and he even told reporters after Spa-Francorchamps a week later that his neck still was "not perfect".
Raikkonen, 28, fully rested the injury by not testing after Belgium, and now says it is feeling "perfectly fine".
"After the Belgian GP I took a short break," he said. "Now my neck is perfectly fine and I can move my head without any problem. I played some hockey with my friends to stay fit."
Raikkonen arrived in Tokyo on Wednesday.