Current Fernando Alonso

Suprised there's no thread (although I had one for his blogs), so i'll start off:

A double world championship vs Raikkonen and then Schumacher in 2005 and 2006 respectively elevated Alonso's status but, apparently, no one told his rookie teammate at his brand new team of a theoretical 'pecking order' the following season ... and the Spaniard was 'seen off' by the young Englishman, Hamilton, into two years of Wilderness while both Hamilton and an even younger Vettel began to make their mark through '08 and '09.

Arguably, Alonso was in the Top 3 of all the Formula One 'Aces' in the 2000s following Hakkinen's retirement - up there with either Schumacher/Raikkonen and, then, Raikkonen/Hamilton - and remains so in the early 2010s along with Hamilton/Vettel...with only Kubica knocking on the door until the Pole's horrible Rallying accident.

A question mark initially over 2004 during which Trulli lead him in the standing until the Italian fell out with ex-manager and team boss Flavio Briatore (Alonso's then business manager) under dubious circumstances after the French Grand Prix.

Another question mark is...Who has progressed more since the end of 2007: Hamilton or Alonso?

A fan. Then came the unfortunate blackmail allegations against McLaren boss Ron Dennis on the morning of the 2007 Hungarian GP which came to light at the highly costly FIA 'Spy-Gate' hearings before Spa...followed by the odour of the deliberate crashing of the Number 2 Renault car at Singapore in 2008 which lead to Alonso finishing 1st in the event and ended in the banning of Briatore and Pat Symmonds a year later.

2009 was a poor year with 'Nando's' mind likely on the prospect of Santander paving the way to better prospects at Maranello one year earlier.

2010 was a fresh start at Ferrari (who no longer had Schumacher walking through the premises regularly) but first half season mistakes ultimately cost him a title inspite of being infamously aided by a Team Orders switch w Massa at Hockenheim (which lead to more world-wide criticism).

Relatively fast, relatively consistent but prone to mistakes and a possible insecurity complex (*) based on wanting sole focus from a team and being only happy with a Number 2 in the other car running behind him. Anything else and it seemingly rattles him.

(*) This is my own personal opinion.

..and so to 2011...

He's underperformed only at Malaysia (hit Hamilton) and China (invisible while Massa challenged McLarens and Red Bulls) and, arguably, Canada...but has maximized his chances in the other 6 races culminating in the British GP win.

He said in his post-Monaco blog that 'Silverstone would be the WDC cut-off'...and so, after some major upgrades, the Ferrari looks a winner again. It might be too late for 2011 given Vettel's finishing rate...but the 2012 regs means they should keep the hammer down at Maranello.

He's signed on through to 2016...So hopes are high of a WDC at some juncture...but not yet.
 
Bloomin' 'eck

From the article on the 2007 Hungarian GP "Alonso insisted that McLaren make Hamilton run out of fuel in the race."

Makes one wonder about what really happened in Singapore...
 
alonso great guy, but his legacy will always be "but" because you have to talk about the the man & the talent. the man he was caused his own problems. ill admit if you'd asked me In 2011 when I hated the guy enemy number 1 I would been a gracious I am now as he grown on me. he extremely divisive causes trouble wherever he has gone bar minardi. McLaren 2007, Singapore scandal & germany 2010 will leave a huge stain on his career arguably bigger than Schumacher when he retired.
  • 2007 was absolute disgrace as Alonso internally imploded what he did in hungary to self sabotage your teammates run by making sure he didnt have enough time to get a out lap was disrespectful to the whole team & he was effectively sacked then, Alonso knew which caused the spy gate in later months, as Alonso getting revenge.
  • Singapore weirdly probally not at fault as you'd think because 1st piquet was in charge of his car should've retired the car & he made the decision to carry it out. briatore should've had some common sense just because your best driver has some idiotic scheme doesn't mean you have to implement it. & it shows how far alonso had sunk at the point to become that desperate
  • germany 2010 infuriated me because I remember wanting Ferrari chucked out of the championship after this race because it was another where rules dont apply to Alonso, oh team orders are banned & im not quick enough to overtake my teammate. well i'll just force my bosses to break the rules for me well it wouldnt be the 1st time.
although going though all that & bringing up old wounds, males you wonder why ive soften towards himLOL but talent wise last 20 years Alonso & Hamilton 2 of the best world champions, arguably both in all time top 10. as he has proven in inferior machinery all through his career what a quality driver he is
  • at minardi when he was seconds quicker in qualifying than marques
  • at Renault winning 2003 Hungarian gp lapping Schumacher
  • at Renault part 2, the forgotten Fuji 2008 started 4th ahead of Massa & won the race in impressive style all in a car that finished 4th in constructors
  • at Ferrari in 2012 we all admit that how he was 20 laps from being winning a 3rd world championship beating vettel whose red bull between 2010 & 2013 was in different league. was nothing short of miraculous
  • at McLaren mark 2 then some great drives, 7th on the grid in spain 5th in Hungary & this season with 1 of worst chassis McLaren since probally before my time maybe 94/95/96. he currently beating Ocon Sainz Grosjean & Leclerc all in superior cars
 
....
  • 2007 was absolute disgrace as Alonso internally imploded what he did in hungary to self sabotage your teammates run by making sure he didnt have enough time to get a out lap was disrespectful to the whole team & he was effectively sacked then, Alonso knew which caused the spy gate in later months, as Alonso getting revenge....

Nothing to do with McLaren running a system where the drivers got the preferential qualifying runs alternate races; it was Alonso's turn but his teammate broke the agreement and defied an instruction to correct the situation by Ron Dennis then?
 
You do wonder how Alonso being the best driver since 2005 has only won 2 championship and his last win was 5 years ago

Schumacher and Senna would never let that happen to them. I know it is a different era where testing is limited now but Alonso seems to land himself with the wrong drive

What he accomplished at Ferrari was amazing and he probably would have annihilated Raikkonen and won this year's championship

Alonso allowed the situation with Hamilton get to him and he seriously burnt all bridges then.. the atmosphere at Mclaren those months was stressful and tense
 
Nothing to do with McLaren running a system where the drivers got the preferential qualifying runs alternate races; it was Alonso's turn but his teammate broke the agreement and defied an instruction to correct the situation by Ron Dennis then?

Another added tactic used by Alonso, to that outrage as he felt by Hamilton, was to Demand of Ron Dennis that the team put too little fuel in Lewis's car. So that he wouldn't finish the race.

Alonso 'tried blackmailing McLaren to sabotage Hamilton'
 
Inhibiting Lewis from being able to get in a last qualifying run, just wasn't going to be enough, to satisfy the likes of an Alonso.

There a system set up by Ron Dennis to acheive fairness by giving each driver the preferentil qualifying strategy in turn, but that wasn't good enough for Hamilton. He effectively cheated on his team.
 
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but that wasn't good enough for Hamilton. He effectively cheated on his team.

Alonso didn't really cheat on the team....really. He only tried to attempt, and blackmail Dennis, which was later to cost the McLaren team a $100 million dollars. Alonso truly showed what a team player that he was, by costing the McLaren team a $100 million dollar fine.
 
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I don’t see it that way, Alonso surely put pressure onto Dennis but he was the one calling up Mosley, not because Alonso (or just because him) but given the situation the team was in, he had no choice
 
There a system set up by Ron Dennis to acheive fairness by giving each driver the preferentil qualifying strategy in turn, but that wasn't good enough for Hamilton. He effectively cheated on his team.

Apart from your taking nonsense because ive just watched the 2007 qualifying from European gp (nurburgring) guess who went last & given preferential treatment yep Alonso. So lewis was well within his rights because 7 days later in Hungary it was Lewis turn go last & given preferential treatment
 
Pretend that we have a tardis & time travel back to november 2006 & Can you imagine watching this moment & saying to people. He will never win another world title. You wouldve been laughed at & odds would've been astronomical on Alonso staying a 2 time world champion

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F1Brits_90 I remember seeing Hamilton going past where we were sitting, then up the hill and crashing heavily due to a wheel coming off. This seems to have meant that this race was not counted by McLaren.

Regardless of that it is definite that Alonso was given the preferential position at Hungary and that Hamilton should have respected that.

2007 Hungarian Grand Prix - Wikipedia

"The team stated Hamilton's hold-up was not Alonso's fault (although Alonso gave the stewards a different explanation, that he was inquiring about his tyres), and that Hamilton had disobeyed team orders to let Alonso pass him, which put the two drivers out of sequence for their pit stops."

QED
 
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