Not a long ago Renault confirmed that Fernando Alonso had joined the team. Now, we learn that Renault's ex-pilot Heikki Kovalainen has joined McLaren-Mercedes team.

Norbert Haug, Vice President of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport commented: "Heikki is a talented driver who showed his skills during his debut season in Formula 1 this year. Heikki’s most impressive performance was at the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji where he finished second behind Lewis in extremely treacherous wet conditions. He is not only a quick driver but also one of the most consistent having finished in every Grand Prix except the last which puts him in the top five together with our drivers who covered most laps in 2007. Everybody in the team is looking forward to a very fruitful co-operation. Lewis and Heikki will form one of the youngest driver line-ups, and I am convinced that both will be very strong and at the same time co-operative competitors."

This is a great progress for a 26 year old Finn, who joined Formula 1 last year. Moreover, Heikki has a long-term contacts with McLaren.

Source: http://www.fosagold.org/F1SA/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4885&Itemid=2

The Renault Formula 1 team has just announced its driver lineup for the 2008 season. Double world champion Fernando Alonso is back to Renault. His team mate will be Nelson Piquet Jr.

Renault's sponsor ING looks quite happy with this. The company's Head of Group Marketing, Isabelle M. Conner said:

"With a successful first year sponsorship behind us, we're very much looking forward to the new season and welcome Fernando and Nelson as the 2008 drivers. Their combination of talent and experience will help the resurgent ING Renault F1 Team through 2008, as ING drives its own sponsorship activity, both on and off the track".

It's really interesting to see Fernando's performance in Renault. After all, Renault is the team where Spaniard was grown and has become the world's one of the best drivers.

On Thursday's hearing the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council did not impose any penalty on Renault. The team was found in breach of the International Sporting Code for possessing confidential technical information belonging to McLaren. Moreover, Renault had already admitted that data had entered their factory via a former McLaren engineer, who joined the team in September 2006. However, according to the team, no use had been made of the information.

Detailed reasons for the decision will be issued by the FIA on Friday and along with the transcript of Thursday’s proceeding.

Source: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2007/12/7157.html

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.

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.

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