Send us your Spygate questions for a LIVE Q&A!
Added 2024-09-26 11:30:01 +0000 UTCTo celebrate the early release of episode 1 of the second series of 'And Colossally That's History!', hosts Matt Bishop and Richard Williams will be joining Glenn Freeman for a LIVE Q&A here on Patreon at 4pm UK time on Friday.
You'll be able to join the live YouTube chat once the stream starts (we'll post it here, don't worry!) but if you want to get a question sent in ahead of time, drop them in the comments under this post.
We want to hear your questions about the Spygate episode, but you can also ask Matt and Richard about the show in general ahead of the rest of season two.
If you can't join us live, don't worry, the Q&A will be available to watch back any time afterwards.
This Q&A is available to anyone in either of our Racers tiers as well as those of you in Champions. And we'll have more Champions-only live broadcasts coming up soon!
Comments
Thinking back to that time I wonder how much Spygate changed how the business of Formula 1. In the subsequent years, what was F1 like in the paddock? Did it become more cutthroat or more close knit?
Alexander Law
2024-09-27 11:02:15 +0000 UTCSo many questions to ask but I have always wondered why McLaren paid up! Even now the sum involved was so astronomically more than any damages caused to anyone! IP of that year’s Ferrari would have been of limited value - and by all accounts they didn’t seek this data, it found them from Ferrari itself! A good lawyer might have been cheaper than £100m! Finally (sorry!) how come Alonso’s image hasn’t suffered more from this whole issue. Talk about not being a team player.. With the Singapore 08 race the following year also apparently being nothing to do with him, one begins to wonder how he could be so innocent - and so accident-prone. Thank you for the pod. Love it!
Hugo Pring
2024-09-27 09:11:40 +0000 UTCSeeing how the Hungarian GP controversy was a big focal point for the whole case, had Mclaren kept De La Rosa and Not promoted Lewis, or had Lewis not been as good, how would the case have gone? The same way or would it not have concluded until a later date ?
Μάριος Γαντζούδης
2024-09-26 22:58:05 +0000 UTCHey from Hungary. My question would be: What precedents the 2007 Spygate created F1 and are we experiencing its consequences in any way today? Either rule books or procedures. Thank you!!
Ádám Dovics
2024-09-26 19:08:32 +0000 UTCGreat podcast, I really enjoyed listening to the episode. I'm a long term F1 fan, so I remember Spygate at the time (and reading about it in F1 magazine...), I have 2 follow up questions if that's allowed. Firstly, how aware of the situation do you think that Ron Dennis really was - I've long had suspicions that he knew a lot more. Secondly, could this happen in F1 again or are there enough safeguards in place?
Tamara Salter
2024-09-26 18:21:54 +0000 UTCLove the podcast gentleman. Fantastic coverage, as always. Here’s my question: Let’s say that, in an alternate reality, Hamilton was a little more vocal/threatening during Spygate and ended up being the driver forced out of McLaren instead of Alonso. What do you think would’ve happened to the driver market for 2008 given how stellar Hamilton’s rookie year was? Where do you think Hamilton would’ve ended up, who would that have evicted, and how does that shape the next 15 years of F1 history?
Too_81indingly_Fast
2024-09-26 13:49:16 +0000 UTCWe'd already decided we were going to ask them your second question anyway 😉
The Race
2024-09-26 13:32:38 +0000 UTCWell, I look a bit of an idiot sending in the question before listening to the podcast... very much dollars
Jasper Pendlebury
2024-09-26 13:31:04 +0000 UTCHow likely is it that Mclaren never paid the fine, in exchange for not winning the championship? Lewis has eluded to things that went on bts in an interview (think it might have been with Andrew Benson) and that he couldn't talk about it. Wonder if he ever will after he retires.
Aidan Dulohery
2024-09-26 12:57:51 +0000 UTCNot sure if i’ll be able to attend live … Australia does have some pitfalls 😊 Firstly … Matt and Richard - thank you for these brilliant pods. I can’t overstate how good they are. My question … with the passing of time, how do we view the severity of the sanctions/fines imposed? [I believe this still remains the largest fine in sporting history.] At the time, I felt it was excessive. If this were to happen in 2024, what type of sanctions do you reckon a team would face?
Michael Holden
2024-09-26 11:42:16 +0000 UTCIs there any value to the conspiracy theories that McLaren or someone else deliberately ensured Lewis didn't win the title that year? Noone has ever confirmed this but not many have gone out to deny it, Lewis himself alluded previously to there being something up. Is there anything there? Or is spy gate just that crazy of a story that it creates more crazy stories through its own gravitational pull
Ben K
2024-09-26 11:37:16 +0000 UTCI might be sneaky and get in 2 questions... 1) Obviously 100 million dollars? Euros? Buckaroos... is a lot of money. I'm vaguely aware that it went into various FIA programs. Have you seen the impact of these programs in motorsport, and where do you think the sport would be without this massive injection of cash because Ron Dennis is a ... 2) What made you want to make and colossally that's history? Did you feel there were things that needed covering outside of BBV10's? Or was it more of a passion project that found a home at the race? Much love from down unda.
Jasper Pendlebury
2024-09-26 11:36:51 +0000 UTC
