Hamilton loses out in the Year of the Spies

Oct 22, 2007, 7:56 GMT

British Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of McLaren Mercedes and Finnish Kimi Raikkonen of Ferrari embrace each other after the Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix at the Interlagos Circuit 21 October 2007 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. EPA/GERO BRELOER

Sao Paolo - Lewis Hamilton may have missed out on becoming the first man to win the Formula One driver's championship in his rookie season after Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen sensationally pipped him to the title at the season-ending Brazilian Grand Prix Sunday.

However, as exciting as the three-way fight between Raikkonen, Hamilton and his McLaren-Mercedes team-mate Alonso for the drivers' title has been, the 2007 season will be as much remembered for the spy scandal involving McLaren and rivals Ferrari as it will for the Finn's unexpected championship win.

The scandal saw the World Motor Sport Council strip McLaren of all the constructors' points it had won and fined it 100 million dollars for having used secret technical documents acquired from the Italian marque.

However, in what was regarded in some quarters as mild punishment, Hamilton and Alonso were allowed to keep their points and the British-German team escaped being suspended from racing.

'The logical step would have been to take the points from the drivers as well but the majority of the FIA World Council held a different view,' FIA president Max Mosley said in a interview with the German Welt am Sonntag newspaper ahead of the Brazilian GP.

While Mosley accepted that the decision to allow the McLaren pair keep their points meant a thrilling finale to the F1 season, there could be negative longterm effects.

'While I have a lot of sympathy for Hamilton and Alonso, the World Council made a fundamental decision that could cause serious damage one day,' he said.

The scandal erupted in July when a 780-page file on Ferrari's racing cars was found at the home of McLaren chief designer Mike Coughlan.

Initially, McLaren was found guilty of fraudulent conduct for having the documents in its possession was not punished as there was not enough evidence to suggest that it had misused the information contained in the documents.

But in September, motorsport's ruling body FIA announced that new evidence had been found that warranted a new hearing which resulted in the subsequent fine and constructors' points deduction.

Interestingly, the other 10 F1 teams benefited from the ruling, which also resulted in McLaren losing between 40 and 50 million dollars in television revenue.

The total television revenue is 400 million dollars, which is shared between the teams using a complicated and secret formula, which is based on the points they achieved and their standings in the constructors' championships.

Meanwhile on the track, Hamilton's relationship with Alonso broke down completely at the Hungarian GP in August when the Briton broke team orders and blocked Alonso from overtaking him in qualifying.

The defending world champion got his own back by hindering Hamilton in the pit lane just long enough so that his rival would be unable to complete a final qualifying lap.

Alonso was subsequently found guilty and handed a five-place penalty by race stewards while Hamilton went on to secure a comfortable victory from pole.

His fury was exacerbated by the feeling he had not received the priority treatment he expected as a double world champion.

However, McLaren have never followed a policy of granting one driver priority status and team boss Ron Dennis admitted at the 'spygate' hearing that the incident at the Hungaroring had seriously damaged his relationship with Alonso.

'We've not spoken. The relationship between Fernando and I is extremely cold - that is an understatement,' he said.

'He does not speak to anyone much. He is a remarkable recluse for a driver. He is not here by choice.'

While Hamilton's position at McLaren seems assured despite his implosion in the final two races of the season, Alonso's future remains uncertain.