Alonso vs Hamilton - Ding, ding. Seconds out, round two

[FB]

I read in an article in The Sun on-line the other day (don't laugh) that in the new book about Bernie (No Angel: the Secret Life of Bernie Ecclestone - available from all good book sellers) that Fernando asked Ron Dennis to under fuel Hamilton's car so he would run dry and (I think as we already knew) threatened that he would go to the FIA with incriminating e-mails unless he was made clear No.1.

As it was The Sun I didn't take much notice but this same story has now cropped up on ESPN.

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/41944.html?CMP=OTC-RSS

You have to ask, given the talent Alonso has, why he felt the need resort to such tactics. Greater drivers than FA have gone head to head with their peers in the same team and taken the risk of winning or losing. I wonder what makes Alonso so insecure? Was RD's super close relationship with Hamilton so strong that Lewis was always going to be number 1 no matter how well Alonso drove?

S'pose I've got to buy the book now - looks like the trickle of information has worked, rats!

 

[snowy]

The book was written by a biographer, the titillating revelations are not necessarily true. I have to ask the question: How does he know Fernando made this request? (I had to fight all my instincts and urges to use an expletive when formulating that question).

Then I have to ask the question: Is this really relevant? As Fernando was already aware that his Championship aspirations were in danger. There was an urgent need for him to get the team to back his challenge, however there was no way McLaren could put all their eggs in that basket. Lewis had already shown that he was a Championship contender and capable of winning it. Fernando had no claim for the number one spot or any claim he had had been snuffed out by Lewis's early performances. Fernando's least likely motivation was insecurity, it was almost certainly necessity.

The animosity between Fernando and Lewis that journalists and some others keep trying to ferment doesn't exist. We have seen drivers come to blows, slag one another off, belittle one another, snipe and criticise each other at ever opportunity. But in the case of Lewis vs Fernando they have seldom had a bad word for one another.

 

[Galahad]

I'll be getting the book, FB. You wait ages for a Bernie bio...and two come along at once.

How many people would have been present at this conversation? What is Bowers' source? That's what I'd like to know (though I'm sure he won't reveal it). Might not require too much of a stretch of the imagination, though. So...I've got a question mark there.

(off topic) What interests me more, is the story of what really happened at Interlagos that season.

 

[Porceliamone]

I'll be getting the book, FB. You wait ages for a Bernie bio...and two come along at once.

How many people would have been present at this conversation? What is Bowers' source? That's what I'd like to know (though I'm sure he won't reveal it). Might not require too much of a stretch of the imagination, though. So...I've got a question mark there.

(off topic) What interests me more, is the story of what really happened at Interlagos that season.

Are you referring to the mysterious gear box 'outtage'...and sudden recovery (as if nothing was wrong at all) that basically wrecked Hamilton's championship chances at that race?

 

[tooncheese]

The animosity between Fernando and Lewis that journalists and some others keep trying to ferment doesn't exist. We have seen drivers come to blows, slag one another off, belittle one another, snipe and criticise each other at ever opportunity. But in the case of Lewis vs Fernando they have seldom had a bad word for one another.

Exactly that.

 

[Galahad]

Are you referring to the mysterious gear box 'outtage'...and sudden recovery (as if nothing was wrong at all) that basically wrecked Hamilton's championship chances at that race?

I am.

 

[teabagyokel]

So Alonso acted like a moron when he was at McLaren in 2007.

In other news:

• Soviet Union falls
• Hermann Goering found guilty by Nuremburg trials
• Cromwell wins Civil War
• First Crusade conquers Jerusalem
• Dinosaurs extinct

 

[McZiderRed]

So Alonso acted like a moron when he was at McLaren in 2007.

In other news:

• Soviet Union falls
• Hermann Goering found guilty by Nuremburg trials
• Cromwell wins Civil War
• First Crusade conquers Jerusalem
• Dinosaurs extinct

Is this the "find a link with all the above" quiz?
Alonso, Soviet Union, Goering, Cromwell, The Crusades and the Dinosaurs.

Hmmm, this is a tough one. Let me think...

 

[gethinceri]

Is this the "find a link with all the above" quiz?
Alonso, Soviet Union, Goering, Cromwell, The Crusades and the Dinosaurs.

Hmmm, this is a tough one. Let me think...

Bernie is linked to all of the above.

 

[teabagyokel]

Is this the "find a link with all the above" quiz?
Alonso, Soviet Union, Goering, Cromwell, The Crusades and the Dinosaurs.

Hmmm, this is a tough one. Let me think...

Bernie is linked to all of the above.

More specifically, Bernie has played poker with all of the above.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

Apparantly a spanish newspaper asked FA about the allegations to which he completely dodged the question and talked about the title, however this comes from PlanetF1...

 

[Jen]

Anyone know why we spend hours speculating on the morality of the guys we, dare I say, idealise?

They are racers - a few have stretched the bounds too far (and we know who they are) - most just want to win against all odds, natural or artificial - there are few of them and they should all be applauded (unless, of course, they turn out to be moneyed crap, and we know who they are too!).

 

[teabagyokel]

Anyone know why we spend hours speculating on the morality of the guys we, dare I say, idealise?

Come on, jen, this is a Formula One section of a motor racing forum. We need to have something to do until the end of the month.

 

[Jen]

Come on, jen, this is a Formula One section of a motor racing forum. We need to have something to do until the end of the month.

Early Spring cleaning, perhaps. Cut your toe nails, after a long Winter with socks on; fill the freezer with the hope that we might have a decent Summer! Endless possibilities - just leave our heroes alone

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

I firmly believe that the drivers should be allowed, nee encouraged, to express their natural characters more, both inside the cockpit and out. I am sure that most supporters would react positvely if that happened.

To that end, by way of a small step in the right direction, I would propose an immediate banning of two things:
1. the wearing of those crisp, clean pseudo 'race suit' tops in the post-race press conferences, just so that the sponsors' logos look nice and shiny. How false! What's wrong with seeing how hard they've been working for the previous 90 minutes or so, like we used to? Lets see that sweat, oil and grime!
2. the wearing of a certain type of headgear item, originating from a north american game not unlike rounders, anywhere within the confines of a circuit for the duration of the race weekend. And especially indoors (such bad manners, wearing a hat indoors). Let them wear anything they want on the podium and around the paddock, from a 'Jackie Stewart' type corduroy cap, to a bandana with a skull & crossbones emblem on the front, to nothing at all.
Let's see their hair! (or lack thereof)

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

To be honest, even if true, the 'revelation' about Alonso's alleged sabotage attempt sounds relatively tame compared to some instances between drivers I can recall from past seasons, such as:

Nelson Piquet's fisticuffs with Eliseo Salazar at Hockenheim.
Ayrton Senna going into the motorhome to remonstrate with Eddie Irvine at Suzuka and ending up punching him, after Eddie had unlapped himself by passing Ayrton as he himself was stuck behind Hill.
Michael Schumacher storming down the pitlane to Coulthard's garage at Spa after crashing into the back of David in zero visibility. Only the mass of people in the pitlane managed to prevent him reaching his target.
Mansell and Piquet hated each other by all accounts. Didn't Nelson once refer to Nigel's wife as a 'dog'?
James Hunt, crashing into teammate Jochen Mass at Canada while trying to lap him, after extricating himself from his car stayed by the circuit edge to distract Mass every time he went past, not realising that Mass had braked to let him past, then punched the marshal who had tried to get him away from the trackside.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

2. the wearing of a certain type of headgear item, originating from a north american game not unlike rounders, anywhere within the confines of a circuit for the duration of the race weekend. And especially indoors (such bad manners, wearing a hat indoors). Let them wear anything they want on the podium and around the paddock, from a 'Jackie Stewart' type corduroy cap, to a bandana with a skull & crossbones emblem on the front, to nothing at all.
Let's see their hair!

While it would be nice to see more of a personal side to the drivers it simply isn't realistic with regards to the sponsors as they pay millions upon millions every year. I also doubt drivers would have time to get changed right after the race, and in fact I suspect they like no having to think about what they wear all the time.

Although I would agree with you on the point of drivers expressing their opinion more and not being corporate robots. The most annoying thing is when they go to a new track and not one driver has a bad word to say about it, although I seem to remember Webber saying something along the lines of "we're being paid by the circuits, so we can hardly fault it, can we?" and to be fair if I was being paid as much as they get to say a circuit looks great and its fun to drive then I bloomin' well would!

 

[teabagyokel]

Although I would agree with you on the point of drivers expressing their opinion more and not being corporate robots. The most annoying thing is when they go to a new track and not one driver has a bad word to say about it, although I seem to remember Webber saying something along the lines of "we're being paid by the circuits, so we can hardly fault it, can we?" and to be fair if I was being paid as much as they get to say a circuit looks great and its fun to drive then I bloomin' well would!

I do seem to remember Lewis Hamilton describing Singapore turn 10 as "the worst corner in F1" and Mark Webber slating the Valencia Street Circuit though!

 

[FB]

Picking up Chad's point in post 16 (I didn't want to copy the whole thing) the difference I see between drivers "having it out" and what Alonso was asking for is massive. Alonso was basically asking the team to sabotage Hamilton's car and his chances in the race. Cold, calculating and not the actions of a sportsman. Makes you wonder even more about the Singapore "incident".

At least at Hockenheim he was as honest as he could be (give the rules at the time) about wanting Massa to get out of his way.

 

[Andyoak]

After so many incidents where Fernando is the central character or beneficiary I find it impossible to believe in Mr Alonso's innocence, lack of knowledge or involvement... he has a phenomenal ability to stretch credibility to breaking point.