FIA probes McLaren for Alonso sabotage – report
At the conclusion of the espionage saga last month, FIA president Max Mosley warned that the Paris body would closely monitor McLaren for signs of retribution against the Spaniard's involvement in providing evidence that ultimately cost the team $100 million and exclusion from the constructors' world championship.
The Spanish newspaper La Nueva Espana claims that Alonso's tires were extremely over-inflated due to being heated too much prior to the 'Q3' section of qualifying in Shanghai.
"I think they are still investigating," the 26-year-old had told reporters on Sunday, 24 hours after the incident that left him baffled and six tenths slower than his teammate, championship rival and pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton.
Alonso added: "I think the tire pressures were quite high, more than normal, but I don't know if it was that or another explanation."
La Nueva Espana said the FIA is now investigating the claim.
Meanwhile, it was reported by Italian media that Fernando Alonso on Tuesday traveled to the Modena magistrates office near Ferrari's headquarters to be interviewed as part of the criminal probe into McLaren for allegedly spying.
Ron Dennis and fellow team chiefs were at the Italian grand prix last month served with 'avviso di garanzias' — formal warnings that they may be charged for sporting fraud, espionage and embezzlement.
10/08/07 Ron Dennis, the team principal of the McLaren Mercedes Formula One team, let one very large cat out of a very expensive bag after Lewis Hamilton’s retirement from the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Sunday. Speaking about the disastrous decision to delay Hamilton’s tire change, which led to the British rookie sliding off the track while trying to get into the pits, Dennis said something that will have convinced Fernando Alonso’s supporters that there is a conspiracy within the team against their hero.
“The problem was rain and his [Hamilton’s] tires were in the worst condition," Dennis said to a group of British journalists in the paddock at the circuit. “But we weren’t at all fazed about Kimi [Raikkonen, of Ferrari]. We weren’t racing Kimi, we were basically racing Fernando."
Slip of the tongue it may have been – there were efforts by McLaren to explain it away – but, in one stroke, Dennis had made a nonsense of his claims to be treating his drivers equitably in the World Championship run-in.
What is more, Dennis’s remarks have turned into articles of faith the deep suspicions in Spain and elsewhere that McLaren could be deliberately doctoring Alonso’s car to present the championship to Hamilton. In large parts of the motor-racing world, it is regarded as gospel that Alonso is battling against not only Hamilton but also the whole McLaren team for his third consecutive drivers’ championship.
It is possible that the public will never know for certain exactly what is going on in a team who have been torn apart by the feud between their drivers and between Alonso and Dennis. The team principal says that McLaren are treating their drivers fairly and giving them equal chances to win, while Alonso says – or implies – that he is being cheated of his chance.
One element that does seem to be becoming increasingly obvious is that McLaren as an organization have, in recent weeks, turned their collective backs on Alonso. The team are going through the motions with their unhappy Spaniard, but are deriving very little pleasure from the process and it is undoubtedly the case that, as a group, they would prefer to see Hamilton win the title.
In Spain, this regrettable state of affairs is regarded as having held sway since near the beginning of the season. In truth, there is little evidence to suggest that Alonso had anything other than a clean slate when he arrived at McLaren. But his unsportsmanlike attitude to the challenge of trying to beat Hamilton, plus his allegedly threatening behavior towards Dennis and recent refusal to deny suggestions of “car-fixing", have pushed him beyond the pale. More the Times of London