Questions Surrounding Charlie Whiting

Before moving on to preparations for the Italian GP this weekend, here’s one more post regarding the 2008 Belgian GP. McLaren has made it quite clear that Charlie Whiting’s comments to them during the race played an important role in how they managed Lewis Hamilton’s race from the pit wall. You are probably familiar with them by now, and an article on itv.com pretty much sums it all up.

Ron Dennis: “Of course Charlie can only give an opinion because he’s not the stewards, but he gave the opinion that we had complied properly to the regulations.”

Martin Whitmarsh: “From the pit wall, we then asked Race Control to confirm that they were comfortable that Lewis had allowed Kimi to repass, and they confirmed twice that they believed that the position had been given back in a manner that was ‘okay’.

“If Race Control had instead expressed any concern regarding Lewis’s actions at that time, we would have instructed Lewis to allow Kimi to repass for a second time.”

At face value, these statements form the foundation for a strong case favoring McLaren. And the common link that just might make-or-break the verdict is Charlie Whiting. If Whiting indeed made statements to this effect, then it will be of utmost importance to know what exactly he reported to the stewards.

It is inconceivable that Whiting could assure McLaren that Hamilton complied with the regulations while at the same time, act in accordance with F1 Sporting Regulations, Article 16. It states that the stewards make decisions regarding incidents based on reports from or at the request of the race director, one Mr. Charlie Whiting.

Clearly, there are important details missing from what the public knows about what transpired. I hope that in time, we will all find out what really happened behind the scenes.