Alonso - a man who knows how to play the game ?

[DavidT]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsp ... 016137.stm

[derdle]

I'm sorry but he has gone way down in my estimation. When he was at Renault he behaved like a gentleman .. now he's arrogant and pig-headed. His tactics at the first corner of the Belgian GP were just like M Schumacher...pushing the envelope to the very edge - and that was to a fellow team mate. I'm sorry but Alonso

[DavidT]

Yes, he cheats with fellow Spaniard De La Rosa the test driver, tells Dennis in an argument about why he should be favoured (in the form of a threat), Dennis then tells the FIA, Alonso agrees immunity with the FIA in return for telling all and the team is punished, Alonso (and Hamilton) are not. Go figure!!!

I cannot see how he can stay with McLaren, but his stance is to appear to be 100% with them, it gives him the best positioning in the negotiation.

I wonder what Dennis and the rest of the team 'want' to say about him?

[derdle]

rest of the team 'want' to say about him

I think Ron has said it all..by saying nothing at all - he hasn't "stood up" for Alonso's actions or said that he has been a good boy for bringing this matter to the attention of the FIA etc. Sometimes it's a case of "what isn't said" ratehr than what is said.

The whole saga with Alonso makes me so mad...guess I'd better stop now before this turns into an unwarranted rant. It's getting me all wound up. I just hope Alonso has an engine failure or similar to put him out of the Chinese GP this weekend. I've never wished "ill will" on anyone before...that's how mad I am about it all.

Shall I get my coat or wait for the boys with the straitjacket to cart me off.

[s4woody]

he should stick to promoting dolmio..spoilt brat that he is..

[DavidT]

It sort of suggests that Flavio did a great job with him and that the team was built around him more than I previously thought.

Lets face it, he's some kind of genius, look at his results with Renault & McLaren

I remember go-karting at Silverstone about 10 years ago and the lap record was held by some 15 year old kid called Alonso and I wondered then who he was

Cheating so blatently, then attending the first FIA hearing and saying there was no evidence, then using the evidence to try to bribe the team a month later is hard to take for everyone involved, whether you want to call is sport, business or a bit of both, eh

[Dippy]

Cheating goes on all the time, its just a question if you get caught, that's all. I'm surprised that no-one has yet suggested that Ferrari engineered the whole thing: Lets face it - their own employee provided the dossier, it was not stolen. Whose to say that Ferrari did not plan the whole think when they realised that they weren't going to win this season? History shows us how much Ferrari cheat, and how the FIA have always sided with them.

As to Alonson and McLaren - why would he leave and why would Dennis want him to? As long has he gets in the car and scores points he is doing his job.

Having said that it would be great if Alonso did leave and somehow Button went to McLaren. Jensen deserves so much better than he is getting at Honda.

[derdle]

I agree....Jensen and Lewis would be great tea mates.

[s4woody]

yeah i agree..although he,d have to shave that thing off of his face..Ron Dennis dont do facial hair in his driver line up...im suprised he lets alonso get away with his eyebrows...

[DavidT]

Cheating goes on all the time, its just a question if you get caught, that's all. I'm surprised that no-one has yet suggested that Ferrari engineered the whole thing: Lets face it - their own employee provided the dossier, it was not stolen. Whose to say that Ferrari did not plan the whole think when they realised that they weren't going to win this season? History shows us how much Ferrari cheat, and how the FIA have always sided with them.

As to Alonson and McLaren - why would he leave and why would Dennis want him to? As long has he gets in the car and scores points he is doing his job.

Having said that it would be great if Alonso did leave and somehow Button went to McLaren. Jensen deserves so much better than he is getting at Honda.

I agree with the Ferrari comments generally but lets be fair, Alonso & De La Rosa were stupid and naive in the extreme to be involved, then to tell all the lies about it !

I can't see Alonso staying with McLaren, it will be too much for Ron & others (including sponsors) to bear IMO. I think Alonso knows it and thats why he is positioning now. It's not like they will need to hire a top line driver to have one, Hamilton is proving to be a top 4 driver IMO.

The Honda situation is about as bad as Toyota, it seems to be down to the cultural differences between Europe & Japan as much as anything. The successful teams have one big character in charge !

Button ? naa, they have Gary Paffett to slot in, De La Rosa will be ushered out come November I reckon.

[quattrosteph]

There is something really wrong with him. Just look at every after race press interviews: Hamilton always smile, dooes some nice comments about the team....and you have Alonso who look miserable (some others as well) not happy at all even if he did finish first for god sake!!!! Send him back to spain, i can imagine him working in a tappas bar or driving a taxi so customers will not need to see his face

[DavidT]

There is something really wrong with him. Just look at every after race press interviews: Hamilton always smile, dooes some nice comments about the team....and you have Alonso who look miserable (some others as well) not happy at all even if he did finish first for god sake!!!! Send him back to spain, i can imagine him working in a tappas bar or driving a taxi so customers will not need to see his face

You're so right Steph, he said nothing about the team in the press conference again today (that I heard at least) and how deleriously happy were the team when our Lewis popped that lap in I've met him you know, did I mention that & again.

[confusionhunter]

My dislike of Alonso was confirmed when he "waited" in the pits to delay Hamilton so that he couldn't get another qualifying lap....I think that was at the hungarian? Dont get me wrong he timed it to perfection, but what a <beep>! Hardly a team player.... quite disgusting and I really felt angry for lewis.

[tartan_rob]

Alonso is playing the game boys. He got caught trying to make his car go faster. Don't think for one moment that any info gained to the benefit of the team (ie a faster car) would not be shared with Lewis - remember McLarens own views - the drivers are equal, information is shared between both.

Ferrari are desperatly corrupt IMO. How many times did MS get away with dodgy moves etc. And lets not forget one very obvious fact, Ferrari provide the FIA board with road cars FOC...! Ferrari were caught (as a result of Stepneygate) with having a dodgy rear wing and false floor that dropped during a high speed stint, making the car quicker. Both were discussed with race director in March/April and Ferrari advised to change the design. None of this has been made very public.

Strip all the crap away and what has really happened, McLaren have been offered hints and tips that may make their car go faster. So they did (or did not) use the info to their benefit. Show me one motorsport team anywhere in the world that would not jump at the chance to get on an even keal or to get ahead of their opponents. Don't read too much into what Alonso has/has not done. We only know 50% or less of the whole story.

As for the holding Lewis at Hungary, I thought it was a masterstroke, especially after lewis refused to pull over to let Alonso through at the start of Q3. Bear in mind Alonso was light fuelled to do an early fast lap and Lewis was heavy fuelled.....F1 needs characters like Alonso, like DC giving MS the bird at Magny Cours a few years back, like Senna punching Irvine for saying he was too slow, like Jackie Stewart being outrageous. Without these characters it would be very dull.....

As for the whole spying thing, the FIA should have slapped both teams together and had their cars on display for the a few days for all the other teams to learn from. They should have done this because the teams should have dealt with this internally and it should never have got into the public domain to hurt the sport. Ferrari were as much to blame as McLaren.....

As for Lewis, he a is bit too arrogant for me (and I too have met him several times at Silverstone testing). In Monaco, to call the back markers "monkeys"....easy for him to forget that he has been groomed and is easily in the best car. Put him in the Super Aguri for a year and lets see what he can do, I'll reserve judgement until then. Remember what happened to Jenson as a rookie, he was in the best car, but in season2, he was in a poop car and did absolutely nothing.

As for all the drivers complaining that it was too wet at the weekend, they are having a laugh aren't they? Are these not the days they are paid for? The days when the sun is shining and the tyres/strategy is going well and they have no issues are the days they get paid for doing exactly what they love...

[Dippy]

Agreed on the last point - we all love to see the cars flying off the track in the rain don't we? It was really disappointing to see Fuji start behind the safety car.

Jenson made be laugh - before the race he was saying how much he was looking forward to a race in the wet, and then when his race was a disaster because he lost his nose-cone he then said that the race should never have started!