Global Information2007 Formula One World Championship information
The 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 61st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship, which began on 18 March and ended on 21 October after seventeen events. The Drivers' Championship was won by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen by one point at the final race of the season, making Räikkönen the third Finnish driver to take the title. An appeal by McLaren regarding the legality of some cars in the final race could have altered the championship standings,[1] but on 16 November, the appeal was rejected by the International Court of Appeal, confirming the championship results.[2] Räikkönen entered the final race in third position in the drivers' standings, but emerged as champion after the chequered flag, a feat first accomplished by Giuseppe Farina in 1950.
A major talking point of the season had been an espionage controversy involving Ferrari and McLaren, which led to McLaren being excluded from the Constructors' Championship. As a result, Ferrari clinched the championship at the Belgian Grand Prix. [3] Defending double Constructors' Champions Renault proved to be uncompetitive with their R27 car taking them to third in the constructors' standings (after McLaren's disqualification from second) and ended up win-less for the first time since the 2002 season.[4] Renault achieved one podium during the season, with Heikki Kovalainen finishing second at the rain affected 2007 Japanese Grand Prix.
The 2007 season heralded the end of the existing Concorde Agreement between the existing Formula One constructors and Bernie Ecclestone. In particular, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Honda (collectively the Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association) had a number of outstanding disagreements with the FIA and Ecclestone on financial and technical grounds. They had threatened to boycott Formula One from the 2008 season onwards and instead stage their own rival series, before signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) at the 2006 Spanish Grand Prix.[5]
2007 also marked the seventh and final season, since its reintroduction in 2001, in which the use of traction control was permitted in Formula One. Standardised electronic control units (ECUs) were mandated by the FIA from the 2008 season onwards, which prohibited teams from using this kind of technology.[6][7] The season also saw the debuts of future world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.
Honda ran with an "Earth livery" on their RA107 car. It was the first time since 1968, the year in which sponsorship in the sport became widespread,[8] that a team ran sponsor-free for an entire season. Michelin's withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2006 meant that Bridgestone was the sole tyre supplier for 2007. As of 2023[update], this is the last Drivers' Championship won by a Ferrari driver.
- ^ "McLaren to appeal Stewards' decision". grandprix.com. 22 October 2007. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 22 October 2007.
- ^ "Court of Appeal rejects McLaren's claim". pitpass.com. 16 November 2007. Archived from the original on 8 June 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2007.
- ^ 2007 FIA Formula One World Championship Classifications, www.fia.com, as archived at web.archive.org
- ^ "Standings".
- ^ "Ecclestone signature ends breakaway threat". GPUpdate.net. 20 May 2006. Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 1 February 2011.
- ^ "Inside F1: Traction Control". Formula1.com. 2007. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
- ^ "FORMULA 1 ECU - McLaren Applied".
- ^ "History of Sponsorship in Formula 1". GrandPrix.com. 26 February 2007. Archived from the original on 20 March 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2007.