Change in pit location for McLaren at Bahrain | FerrariChat
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Change in pit location for McLaren at Bahrain

Discussion in 'F1' started by jknight, Mar 30, 2008.

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  1. jknight

    jknight F1 Veteran

    Oct 30, 2004
    7,821
    Central Texas
    #1 jknight, Mar 30, 2008
    Bahrain Grand Prix organisers have apologised to McLaren fans after having to demote the Formula One leaders to the slow end of the pitlane for next Sunday's race.

    The garage allocation is based on last year's positions in the constructors' standings and McLaren were stripped of all their points in 2007 due to a spying controversy over possession of Ferrari data.

    However the Mercedes-powered team, with Britain's Lewis Hamilton leading the drivers' standings, were given the fifth set of garages at the first two races of the season behind champions Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renault and Williams.

    Bahrain organisers had expected McLaren to take a similar position at Sakhir but said on Sunday they had been forced to make a late change after being told by Formula One Management that would not be the case.

    McLaren will now get the last set of garages, next to tail-enders Force India. Thee organisers of the grand prix revealed that they had received "late notice" that instead of "garages 15-18, the Vodafone McLaren-Mercedes team would take up residence in garages 33-35."

    "In Bahrain we do our utmost to ensure that fans of each team get to sit opposite their favourite team's pit garages to see the action unfold," said the circuit's chief operating officer Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa in a statement.

    "Sadly on this occasion, we must apologise to McLaren fans and accept that this is force majeure."

    Bahrain's state-owned Mumtalakat holding company has a 30 percent stake in McLaren.


    Carol
     
  2. DM18

    DM18 F1 Rookie

    Apr 29, 2005
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    #2 DM18, Mar 30, 2008
    Seems harsh. Any idea why?
     
  3. GrigioGuy

    GrigioGuy Splenda Daddy
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    #3 GrigioGuy, Mar 30, 2008
    Good, that's where they belong.

    the only questions now are why Bahrain is different from the first two races, and whether that treatment will continue.
     
  4. Dubai Vol

    Dubai Vol Formula 3

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    #4 Dubai Vol, Mar 30, 2008
    That's where they should have been all along because they were excluded from the constuctors' points last year and thus finished last among the teams.

    Justice delayed is justice denied. Apparently Max was too busy with whips and chains to get it right before now.
     
  5. Etcetera

    Etcetera Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #5 Etcetera, Mar 30, 2008
    Kind of idiotic to enforce the punishment now instead of at the start. Not good for those fans that wanted to sit across from their team.
     
  6. Dubai Vol

    Dubai Vol Formula 3

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    #6 Dubai Vol, Mar 30, 2008
    There won't be any fans in Bahrain anyway. They'll fill the stands from the labour camps as always. Oops, did people not know that?
     
  7. Ferranki

    Ferranki Formula Junior

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    #7 Ferranki, Mar 30, 2008
    wonder if this will hold for the balance of the season
     
  8. Ambassiatore

    Ambassiatore Formula Junior

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    #8 Ambassiatore, Mar 30, 2008
    +1 ABSOLUTELY!
     
  9. R2112

    R2112 Formula 3

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    #9 R2112, Mar 30, 2008
    IMO, the GP organisers don't need to be apologizing to the fans....McLaren should be apologizing. It's not the GP organisers fault that Mclaren cheated.
    Honestly, I could care less where Macs pitlane position is. The only position I really care about is the one on top of the podium and I would rather McLaren not occupy that position. :)

    Just my .02
     
  10. Isobel

    Isobel F1 World Champ

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    #10 Isobel, Mar 30, 2008
    Being sans one neighbour is an advantage imho. I don't anticipate any complaints from Mclaren on the move.
     
  11. iceburns288

    iceburns288 Formula 3

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    #11 iceburns288, Mar 30, 2008
    I believe, though, that the facilities at most tracks for the first ten garages are nicer and a bit larger. However, this may not be the case at Bahrain, it being a new track.
     
  12. ferraridude615

    ferraridude615 F1 Veteran

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    #12 ferraridude615, Mar 30, 2008
    Finally where they deserve to be, hopefully they keep it up for the rest of the season and McLaren will be unable to use that gargantuan building of theirs.
     
  13. fluque

    fluque Formula 3

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    #13 fluque, Mar 30, 2008
    because they were foud guilty of cheating...
     
  14. kraftwerk

    kraftwerk Two Time F1 World Champ

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    #14 kraftwerk, Mar 30, 2008
    Mclaren won't mind..they will be to busy to care laughing at MAX.
     
  15. pdavid

    pdavid Karting

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    #15 pdavid, Mar 30, 2008
    I think so, too. The new tracks on the calendar most likely have relatively equal garage sizes across the pitlane. I would not be surprised to see McLaren get shuffled around throughout the season.
     
  16. jknight

    jknight F1 Veteran

    Oct 30, 2004
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    #16 jknight, Mar 30, 2008
    I remember reading about their garage location in relationship with their motorhome and other equipment - size being the factor.

    Carol
     

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