Spying in F1

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Poverty

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Spy scandal rocks the 'Ring

A spying war has broken out at the Nurburgring, according to German reports. It is claimed that a communications specialist at F1 championship leader Renault has successfully tapped into Ferrari's encrypted radio systems -- and Ferrari know about it.

'Bild' newspaper said the Flavio Briatore-led camp 'monitored every word' spoken by Ferrari's engineers and drivers throughout Friday, including secret technical and race strategy information.

The Renault specialist is reportedly using a high-tech piece of equipment to do the spying, whose efforts could not be thwarted even by Ferrari changing its radio frequency several times.

F1's governing body is apparently aware of the alleged saga, with an 'insider' at the FIA telling Bild: ''It is not a secret that the top teams invest a lot to obtain the information of other teams.

''But without strong evidence, we cannot intervene.''
Click to expand...


Any other news about team spying? Just how extensive is the spying?
 
Look what F1 has become. I miss the times where this was a sport, rather than a tech war where people have to spy on others to gain that 0,1 second advantage. :rolleyes:

That's just sad!

Regards
the Interceptor
 
I was half expecting a picture of somebody from one team in or near the garage of another team, with the text "I'M IN UR BASE. EATING YOUR FOODZ LOL" over the pic. :lol:

But yeah, this is kinda sad. Amusing, but sad.
 
the Interceptor
Look what F1 has become. I miss the times where this was a sport, rather than a tech war where people have to spy on others to gain that 0,1 second advantage. :rolleyes:

That's just sad!

Regards
the Interceptor
Click to expand...

I agree!

Renault aye... Now look who's talking! If they are so good, why are they stooping so low to this level?

"'Bild' newspaper said the Flavio Briatore-led camp 'monitored every word' spoken by Ferrari's engineers and drivers throughout Friday, including secret technical and race strategy information."

So back in the day, you are saying, that spies could listen in on every word that their opposition were saying etc, like what Renault are doing?

Shame on you Renault! Now who is red faced? And now who is cheating?

''But without strong evidence, we cannot intervene.''

I bet if that was Ferrari, they would have got the book thrown at them!
 
Firstly, Bild is not noted for the accuracy of its checking...

Secondly, as has already been pointed out, every team monitors every other team. They use high-precision recording devices to determine the motion of vehicles on the track, from which they can reverse engineer data such as weight, power, gearing, fuel loads, aero setup etc. They pay highly skilled photographers to take specific pictures of cars on track to analyse body shapes. It's all supposedly very clandestine, but everybody knows that everybody is doing it, so why create a fuss? See point #1.

Thirdly, the FIA isn't interested in it because they are of the opinion that the secrecy is contributing to the financial waste of F1, and they would rather the whole thing was a lot more open in the first place.

Fourthly, if Renault have decrypted the encoding, then it's obviously not very well encoded. Either that, or Renault have spent a fortune on doing it, which I doubt.

Finally, since Ferrari are the only team to encrypt their radio traffic (which is why you never hear it on TV), they're likely to be a target for this kind of attention, and all the teams are listening to all of the other teams anyway. To me it's a classic case of Bild getting all frenetic over nothing, and since it's a quiet news week it gets reported all over the place.
 
So, it's just another yellow journalist hack practicing sensationalism in order to start a moral panic amongst the F1 world, huh. That's nice. I guess he faced too much competition bashing the US for our efforts in Iraq.
 
miss_schu
I bet if that was Ferrari, they would have got the book thrown at them!
Click to expand...

I'm quite sure Ferrari are allowed to listen to their own radio.


just kidding :dunce:
 
miss_schu
Renault aye... Now look who's talking! If they are so good, why are they stooping so low to this level?

Shame on you Renault! Now who is red faced? And now who is cheating?

I bet if that was Ferrari, they would have got the book thrown at them!
Click to expand...

*plays world's smallest violin*

A bit in denial, miss_schu?
 
Yes, it is true and it is no secret, I do dislike Renault and FA! And it is not just sour grapes talking! (Yes, I know you are all thinking ye ye)

But Renault in general, F1 team and motor vehicle, I have never really been interested in and FA just annoys me, sorry FA fans! Especially when he does his cheesey signature finishing moves in park ferme, but o well, gives me something to laugh at I guess :) But I wouldn't use the word hate! Because that is such a strong word!

Me in denial, hhhmm? No! I was wandering? How small is the world's smallest violin?

Yes, I know all of the teams monitor eachother! I am not saying they don't! But why go THAT far? Thats all!

Given that this is being reported everywhere, why can I not find any news about it?
 
Small_Fryz
Because if they didnt, they wouldnt be at the top.

Buddabomtish!

:lol:
Click to expand...

I removed that part from my post too slowly didn't I!

Anyhow, spying on other teams does not take you to the top! It takes more than just doing that to make a winning Formula!
 
miss_schu
I removed that part from my post too slowly didn't I!

Anyhow, spying on other teams does not take you to the top! It takes more than just doing that to make a winning Formula!
Click to expand...

Quite right it takes time, hard work, dedication, a certain degree of engineering brilliance, exceptional drivers, a degree of luck and knowledge of what the competition is up to.

Every team on the Formula one grid does it, actually scratch that, everyone in motorsport does it. Go to any race meet and you will see people from teams looking around the paddock at what other people are doing, what set-up is being used, what tyre and compound is being run. The only difference with Formula One is the degree to which it is done.

As you hinted at above, in may not win you the championship, but not doing it almost certainly will lose it for you.

As far as the historical side of it goes, teams and owners have spied on each other, hidden things from each other from the begining of Gran Prix racing (as a side note the first every GP race was won by a Renault over 40 years before Ferrari was even founded), read almost any book on Formula One and its discussed.

Motorsport as a whole is well known for ignoring patents and 'borrowing' ideas from each other, this months Racecar Engineering has an article on the very subject. As an example, did you know that technology used in the vacuum traction Chaperral 2j was originally patented in 1929 by a French engineer for use on road cars.

Have a read of the following to see the lengthes that teams will go to

http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ft00345.html


At this point I must confess to being a Renault fan and an admirer of FA, so as a quick rebute to your naughty comments about FA's victory salute I give you one of MS's, captured in its full glory. Now this is cheesy.

fig004.jpg


Regards

Scaff
 
miss_schu
Given that this is being reported everywhere, why can I not find any news about it?
Click to expand...

Given that what is beign reported everywhere? Bild's article or the widespread nature of F1 espionage?

The former is not appearing on the specialist sites because even if it's true it's so expected as to be uninteresting. The latter is not appearing because it's not news as everyone knows about it, but still it's not actually acknowledged.
 
Scaff
so as a quick rebute to your naughty comments about FA's victory salute I give you one of MS's, captured in its full glory. Now this is cheesy.

fig004.jpg

Regards

Scaff
Click to expand...

I agree. Unfortuntaly the picture does not appear but before you commenting on another drivers victory salutes maybe check the person you so admire for some embarrasing moments. They can always be dug up. Personally I think you can't beat Button for a victory salute, so british and so very reserved!!!!!!
 
TMM
I agree. Unfortuntaly the picture does not appear but before you commenting on another drivers victory salutes maybe check the person you so admire for some embarrasing moments. They can always be dug up. Personally I think you can't beat Button for a victory salute, so british and so very reserved!!!!!!
Click to expand...

All done tounge in cheek, but its wierd the pictures not apearing now, it was earlier. It a Ferrari conspiracy, the only answer, now I have to go and find another one.

:)

Scaff
 
I knew that the Schumi podium leap of victory, was going to come up :) But its all good! I am not afraid to admit, that yes, Schumi has done a couple of cheesey victory leaps, which did make me laugh!

Sorry Schumi :)



By the way, thanks for the link!!

F1 Fantasist: "To me it's a classic case of Bild getting all frenetic over nothing, and since it's a quiet news week it gets reported all over the place".
 
miss_schu
I knew that the Schumi podium leap of victory, was going to come up :) But its all good! I am not afraid to admit, that yes, Schumi has done a couple of cheesey victory leaps, which did make me laugh!

Sorry Schumi :)



By the way, thanks for the link!!
Click to expand...

No problem at all 👍

Glad it was of interest, the whole site the link is too is a great one for any F1 fan.

Regards

Scaff
 
miss_schu
I agree!

Renault aye... Now look who's talking! If they are so good, why are they stooping so low to this level?

"'Bild' newspaper said the Flavio Briatore-led camp 'monitored every word' spoken by Ferrari's engineers and drivers throughout Friday, including secret technical and race strategy information."

So back in the day, you are saying, that spies could listen in on every word that their opposition were saying etc, like what Renault are doing?

Shame on you Renault! Now who is red faced? And now who is cheating?

''But without strong evidence, we cannot intervene.''

I bet if that was Ferrari, they would have got the book thrown at them!
Click to expand...
Agreed. I smell someone whos scared and doesn't have faith in his team. If it wouldn't be the tires last year and some reliability Ferrari would have sweeped the championship just like 2000-2004.
 

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