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So, have they explained what was illegal about BAR's sytem?
I'm just curious, I haven't seen anywhere a description of what exactly was wrong with their system. I'm not exactly a huge BAR fan or anything, but I personally feel that they weren't intentionally trying to break rules.... although they may have been using very literal interpretations of rules (like retiring voluntarily to get a new engine after the first race, nothing illegal about it at the time).
On article I read, BAR's Geoff Willis said outright he never once felt their fuelsystem was illegal.
http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/formula_one/news_story.asp?ID=124062&hubName=auto_racing-formula_oneThe car had been approved by the stewards. The car had been examined at previous races. The car was aparently never underweight... I wish someone would come out with the court documents and the rules they are referring to, and also an explanation of BAR's system. I mean, if it is illegal, why keep it secret, right? If you can't use it, there's no point in not describing it....
Ravlen
Comments
The 'accepted' interpretation (that is, the long-standing convention) is that the 600kg minimum weight does not include fuel, or (and i'm not sure about this) other lubricants.
BAR would have been aware of the long-standing accepted interpretation of the rule, but because it wasn't spelt out in black and white, they decided to bend it to what I guess they thought they could get away with. They have been using the 5.7kgs as a form of ballast hidden inside the tank-within-a-tank fuel system.
My view? The FIA really didn't have a leg to stand on as BAR, whilst technically breaking the rules, really weren't breaking any rule as the rule wasn't set down in stone - it was just kind of a gentleman's agreement. BAR were flying in the face of the spirit of competition, but then again so are TOIT every day aren't they?
BAR's punishment is yet again the FIA bullying their way out of a sticky situation where frankly they should have backed down and just clarified the rules more carefully. BAR should have been advised that they were not operating within F1's accepted convention, had their points taken away, and told to change it before Spain (ie overnight) or be excluded from competition until they did. The two-race ban crap is over the top.
I note that the other teams are saying very little about BAR's indiscretion, probably understandably as they don't want BAR leaving the group of 7. Even TOIT are leaving the shit-stirring to Mosley and Bernie.
Byt, Max said yesterday that when the stewards asked BAR to drain the car, BAR let 15kg of fuel in it !!!!!!!
How's that ????
The situation occured where BAR's fuel system was able to hide 5.7 or so kilograms of fuel within its so called 'secret' tank. When a car is weighed after a race, it is weighed by itself (minus the driver) and then again with the fuel tank drained - theory being should the car weigh less than 600kg with no fuel it is possible that the car could be run at some stage of the Grand Prix (prior to a pitstop) at less than 600kg.
The FIA said that a BAR mechanic was asked at Imola "Is all the fuel drained?" and he replied "yes." The FIA then went about checking the fuel tank and found an extra 15 litres of fuel, which when drained made the car weigh 595kg or thereabouts.
BAR say it was legal - and yes there's nothing wrong with the tank. The FIA's point of view is they knew about the cars tank-in-a-tank system from Malaysia, but BAR was not aware that they knew, and when they tried to use it to their advantage they were caught. Remember the BAR's were not scrutinised in Malaysia and Bahrain because they didn't finish the races!