Bridgestone Motorsport has announced that the company has finalized agreement with FIA. According to the contract Bridgestone will be an exclusive tyre supplier for the next three years (2008, 2009, 2010).

Hiroshi Yasukawa - Director of Bridgestone Motorsport, said:
"Becoming the 'Official Tyre Supplier to the FIA Formula One World Championship' is a prestigious honour for Bridgestone and we await the start of the 2008 season with great anticipation. Our participation in Formula One is a core element of our company's expansion and development and this is an exciting step for us as a company.

For now we can safely say that Kimi Raikknen is a Formula One 2007 Championship winner.

FIA International Court of Appeal met in London on 15th of November 2007 and the courts ultimate decision is not to change stewards decision. This means that the results of the Brazilian Grand Prix and the 2007 world championship standings remain unchanged.

The full FIA statement is given below (source: Formula1.com)

"The FIA International Court of Appeal met in London on Thursday, November 15,
2007, to examine an appeal lodged by the Motor Sports Association (MSA) on
behalf of its licence-holder Vodafone McLaren Mercedes against the decision
(document 41) of the Panel of the Stewards of the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix
dated 21 October 2007 and counting towards the 2007 FIA Formula One World
Championship.

"Following a report from the Technical Delegate indicating
that the temperature of fuel pumped into the cars N°9 - Nick Heidfeld, N°10 -
Robert Kubica, N°16 - Nico Rosberg and N°17 - Kazuki Nakajima, was more than 10
degrees centigrade below ambient temperature, the Stewards of the Meeting met to
consider whether a penalty should be imposed. Having heard the evidence they
decided not to impose a penalty as they had sufficient doubt as to both the
temperature of the fuel on board the car and to the true ambient temperature.

"Having heard the explanations of both parties and having examined the
various documents and other evidence, the Court decided that the appeal lodged
by Vodafone McLaren Mercedes is inadmissible.

"The International Court
of Appeal was presided over by Mr Jan STOVICEK (Czech Republic), elected
President, and composed of Mr John CASSIDY (United States), Mr Vassilis KOUSSIS
(Greece) and Mr José MACEDO e CUNHA (Portugal).

"The full text of the
International Court of Appeal’s decision is available, on request, from the
secretariat of the FIA International Court of Appeal in Paris."

2007 has been one of the most scandalous seasons ever seen in the royal motor sport. A new scandal has emerged recently. The FIA has requested Renault appear before the World Motor Sport Council next month over allegations that the team had unauthorised possession of confidential data belonging to rivals McLaren. As you can recall, there were talks about this to happen but now it's confirmed and official. Renault officials will now have to answer charges against the team. The hearing will take place in Monaco on December 6th, 2007.

Finally, FIA has approved the first ever night race in the history of Formula 1. The night race, which is scheduled for September 28th of 2008, will be hosted in Singapore. This will be not only the first night race ever, but the first street race in Asia as well.

Ink has not yet dried on the agreement, but the seal is already placed. India will host its first-ever Formula One race in 2010. Period. This news was announced by the Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi today.

It looks like Hermann Tilke has provided the Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone with a positive report about the situation in India. Thew new circuit will be built either at Greater Noida or Sohna, the final decision still pending.

I believe this is wonderful news for every Formula One in India. Congratulations guys.

$100 million in fines and 0 points in the 2007 season's constructors' championship is FIA World Motor Sport Council's final verdict for the McLaren-Mercedes team. McLaren-Mercedes drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton have not been penalized and are free to continue their fight for the drivers' title.

We expect the FIA to explain the reasons behind the Council's decision today. This should be followed by McLaren's decision to appeal or not.

On the Formula1.com website there is a poll about the verdict. It seems that the public opinion is divided evenly with a slight advantage to those who think that the decision was fair.

Yesterday, former Formula One world champion Sir Jackie Stewart accused FIA of witch-hunting the McLaren-Mercedes team.

According to Stewart, Formula One power people are more aligned to Ferrari than any other team.

Yes, it is true that historically FIA has been quite close to Ferrari. Nobody argues that the Ferrari-McLaren spy case is having extremely negative effects on the sport. Moreover, not only this season may get ruined, but the next season as well. After all, Formula One without the British-German team is a way less interesting. But we, passionate Formula One fans have a right to know the truth. This was clearly conveyed by Ferrari boss Jean Todt, speaking at Monza at the weekend. "It’s a taint on the sport. I think that we are sorry that it is happening in Formula 1, but we want the truth to appear." Mr. Todt, We all want the truth to appear once and for all.

It will be extremely unfortunate if McLaren's championship leader Lewis Hamilton's dream gets wrecked because of the scandal. But on the other hand, if the McLaren has even slightly benefited from possessing Ferrari's confidential material, then it would be extremely unfair if Rod Dennis team gets away unpunished.

It looks like that in Formula One the battle from the circuit has shifted towards the court rooms and FIA World Motor Sport Council summits.

Tomorrow may prove to be a crucial day for the leading team. If the McLaren-Mercedes team is found guilty, not only does the team face multi-million dollar fee, but potential punishment includes disqualification from this season and from the next as well. Not a promising outlook for the British-German team.

Unfortunately, some sources speculate that McLaren will drag other teams as well in the case and will require adequate sanctions against such teams. According to the sources, Flavio Briatore's team is the one that McLaren will try to drag into the case. But the Renault boss is calm and accuses his vis-a-vis at McLaren Ron Dennis of “throwing stones everywhere” in an attempt to deflect pressure. This might prove to be a good strategy for McLaren to shift attention from the main point but it might turn to be a critical decision as well.

But what do we, passionate Formula One fans gain from this? I have been a big fan of Formula One for many years now and the royal sport is experiencing degradation.

Come on guys, be serious about the sport. Concentrate your resources and energy on your cars, drivers, the team. We like Formula One because of the joy that it brings to us on the grid not in the room. We love observing the battle of your pilots, not the battle of your lawyers.

This post has been featured on BLOGVASION.COM

The International Automobile Federation has issued a statement according to which, the federation had summoned their World Motor Sport Council again for a hearing in Paris on September 13th to consider the development of a Ferrari-McLaren spy case.

The meeting on the 13th is in effect replacing the appeal hearing, which has been filed by Ferrari after the WMSC decided not to punish this year's leading team in July.

The situation up to date is that McLaren was found to be in possession of Ferrari's confidential 780 page material. However, as the WMSC has found, the team has not benefited from it in the championship battle. FIA's representative has mentioned that new evidence had emerged in the spy case but the representative has not made any comments.

The bottom line is that if McLaren is found guilty, the team may get disqualified not only from this, 2007 season, but from the 2008 season as well. So, quite much is at stake for the McLaren-Mercedes team, which at the moment is leading the constructors' championship by 11 points to Ferrari.

Finally, you may like to read the following articles about the spy case:

McLaren face second Stepneygate hearing by Planet-F1.com

UPDATE 1-F1 body says has new evidence in spy case by Reuters UK

McLaren and Hamilton face fresh threat from Ferrari by The Independent

Ferrari say truth will out in F1 spy hearing by GUARDIAN

Hamilton Dream Under Threat by Daily Express

The international governing body for motorsports, FIA, will announce next month whether Singapore Grand Prix will proceed with a night or day race.

Meanwhile, the work at the circuit has been going at a wild pace and instead of a muddy area of the land at the Marina Promenade we'll see an ultra-modern pit building in exactly nine months. Not much time time but Mr. Lim Neo Chian, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of the Singapore Tourism Board is confident that the infrastructure for the Grand Prix will be fully ready by the deadline.

Simple yet modern and environmentally sustainable structure will accommodate 36 garages for the 12 race teams on the first floor. The second floor will be taken by the Media Center, hospitality lounges, race control center and the winners’ podium.

A controversy between Scuderia Ferrari and the McLaren-Mercedes team reached High Court in England this week.

Ferrari are accusing their former engineer Nigel Stepney in supplying the rival team McLaren's chief designer Mike Coughlan with secret Ferrari technical information in April. It is believed that the 780 page secret material was stored on two computer disks.

Ferrari representative, the lawyer Nigel Tozzi told judge Michael Briggs that the Coughlans should not have had documents which were found during the search.

Stepney does not plead guilty and denies any wrongdoing. But he is facing a criminal investigation under a separate process in Italy where Ferrari is based. Moreover, Stepney says that Ferrari is terrified that what he has in his mind is valuable. "I guess I know where the bodies have been buried for the last 10 years, there were a lot of controversies." continues Stepney.

The FIA is conducting its own investigation into the allegations. According to their representatives, McLaren may face points deduction as a form of punishment.

India may stage an Indian Grand Prix in 2009. According to the Indian Olympic Association, the Association has signed a memorandum of understanding with the FIA. The very first Indian Grand Prix will become a reality if the Indian Olympic Association manages to build the track and the infrastructure by 2009.