Alonso showing his lack of class - yet again

I must be seeing this in a different way than most.

In Austria, I was disgusted with Ferrari -- but not for *how* it was done: I thought it was appropriate to give Ruben's his due and show that it was only team orders that took the race from him. He deserved the credit. But I was disgusted because Rubens needed the points more than Schumi did -- with that package, the team should have been shooting for nothing less than the trifecta -- first and second in the WDC, plus WCC. Giving Schumi the points meant that they were willing to settle for less than their package should get.

In Monaco, I was watching a digital satellite feed, and I distinctly saw Shumi's back end get flaky -- the same thing that put Massa into the wall earlier. But with Shumi's experience, he didn't spin out ... but his corner was hosed. He fetched up near the wall ... from the car mounted camera, and with the sun position, it didn't look like he had room to get around (although it looked like he did from every other camera angle -- which Shumi didn't have access to). Notice that Kimi fetched up in exactly the same spot after botching Rascasse this year. I still think that was an honest mistake. Schumi might have tried a little harder to get out of the way, but I think getting stuck there was for real.

The whole question of whether it was Ron or Fred blocking Hamilton, at a time it was pretty obvious that the team plan was to block Kimi, is like asking which thief is more crooked -- the whole team was engaged, at various levels, in activities that don't have anything to do with cars going out to "qualify" that they're fast enough to be in the race.

Lewis has shown himself a class act -- something that has no value on such a team. I think putting up with this @#$% for one year will pretty much clear any debt he may feel to McLunk after this year.


Edit: Okay, when we talk about a culture of meddling with the results, I think the first finger has to be pointed at FIA.

Grooved tires, odd engine and tire rules, meddling with team orders, that whole "bowling for grid spots" qualifying -- when FIA started micromanaging F1 for "entertainment" purposes, turning a sport into a dope opera started with FIA itself.

 

he might want to go, but i wonder how much of a contract he has - and if theres any way out of it.

 

A little early with the leap off the fence.
Seems the stewards used their wits instead of prepared statements when relegating FA to 6th.
However an appeal should be coming soon.
Perhaps one should wait till that process is over before commiting to an opinion.
Better yet there might be a counter appeal so we can wait till the end of the season before a decision can be made.
Or perhaps to get the real dirt, when their respective memoirs are published.

 

Valid question - You can bet that Lucifer has him by the balls in a lot of ways.

But, hopefully he got at least a little legal advice on the thing, and in general, the "thou shall not f^^k up" clauses ("Bring the sport/the team/yourself/etc into disrepute and so on) work both ways - I woudn't be surprised if there's someone reading small print right now (his Dad?)

Now, I think it'll have to get even worse at Mcl before he really feels his "paid his dues", but it's sure looking like their wheels are about to fall off - As much as you can say that after they finished 1 and 4 of course..... [I live in hope ]

Cheers,
Ian

 

Why? - They just finished 1 & 4 [Not too shabby....]

It's looking more and more likely LH is going to be WDC.

Why would he want to move? - Unless the wheels *really* fall off in 08 of course.

Fred OTOH may decide he wants out of the "British team", OK - Whatever - He's not going to SFM so I really don't care.....

[My somewhat contrarian viewpoint is above of course.]

Cheers,
Ian

 

did you see this interview?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/6932307.stm

While I think alonso would be crazy to move to bmw i'd love to see them get a fantastic driver again. Plus we all know alonso is a little premadonna and unless he's given the royal treatment whereever he goes he'll never be happy. He really wants a situation where he is the $1 driver and the backup driver is there solely to support him. I can't say I blame him completely though I think have a real #1 driver is proven to be more effective at winning championships (i.e. schumacher era).

 

I found this among other things that Lewis said over the weekend to really show this guy's class. Yet another thing that re-enforces my like of Lewis.

Carol

Part of a report from today:

Hamilton said he had apologised for a row with Dennis on the radio during qualifying and had also spoken to team members.

"With Ron, obviously yesterday he wasn't very happy. We just had to be professional and sat down and spoke about it and I told him my views," he said.

"He respected those and said 'Okay, I respect that because its part of your personality'...so we came to a mutual understanding and started with a clean slate from today."

The Briton recognised however that he had arrived at the circuit on Sunday with some trepidation.

"It was difficult to stay focused because obviously you had this feeling in the team, that the team weren't getting any points," he said. "So you didn't know whether the team hated you, or whether they just hated the situation, who they blamed.

"I just tried to come in with a smile on my face and try to remain positive through it all and do the same procedure as always," he added.

"So I did go around to the whole team and I said 'come on, let's do this, good luck.' There was only one person that didn't (respond). That didn't really affect me, I just got on and did my job."

Hamilton said that despite the frostiness of his teammate, he still respected the Spaniard even if he had evident misgivings about his sportsmanship.

"I thought that because of the argument I'd had with Ron over the radio earlier - and he was obviously angry - I thought he was just teaching me a lesson (in qualifying) and so I just took it on the chin.

"That's why when I came to the (Saturday) press conference I said that I wouldn't have thought Fernando would do something like that. But I have reasons to believe otherwise."

 

Yes indeed - Thanks. I think his best comments came at the end:

"Obviously I was two points behind, now I am seven. But two races ago I was 14 and that was looking much worse. So seven points is still good. I feel I can win.
"We have equal opportunities for each driver. We try to be fair with the championship.
"It's up to me if I win the championship in the remaining six races. If I cannot make it is because I was not good enough."

Sounds more conciliatory than anything else to me.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

Lewis Hamilton, at his young age, is wise beyond his years.

He is the only class act at McLaren, this year.

Whatever happens with the courts and investigations, I think that Lewis, is a Champion.

Hail, Lewis!!!

Ciao...Paolo

 

This kis should shut his mouth. He has been gifted the most fortuitous run of anyone ever into F1 and should sit back for a while and just remember how he got to where he is.

The fact that his team mate is threatened and coming apart at the seams is neaither here nor there.

He may want to reflect om what life may be like for him outside of the Mclaren fold.

 

He hasnt said much and maybe he has the right to say more than he has as he is leading in points and is one of the better drivers since MS. How can you even critic him like that when you have never been anywhere near where he is.

 

Here's a guess...
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It's fair to assume he escaped spending a year with the likes of Spyker, but a talent like that doesn't remain with a bottom-feeder for very long. We must still remember that he is beating the 2x defending world champ in the same car. He shouldn't even be in his exhaust fumes as a rookie...

 

Take your own advice..

 

The FIA didnt have anything to do with it. It was the stewards of the race that arrived at the decision. The FIA will consider the matter upon appeal, and hopefully act in a more reasonable manner.

 

Let me repeat....

I said the rules were intended to apply to the RACE, not qualifying. You said that qualifying affects the race, so it applies. By that rationalte, we could apply them to anything that affects the race - clearly a ridiculous position to take. My retort had nothing to do with getting rid of qualifying. The FIA were not the ones who made the decision - it was the race stewards. Hopefully McLarens points will be reinstated on appeal. The bottom line is a team should be free to run qualifying however they see fit. If they tell Heidfeld to do a single lap, then tell Kubica to do all the laps he chooses, that should be their right. They should not be called out for artificially impeding Heidfelds qualifying. They should be able to hold the driver at the start of the session (and they do), or at the end of the session, or whenever they see fit. Its quali, not the race. The stewards overstepped their bounds.

 

Kind of +1

But, one of their "big deals" it seems is "bringing the sport into disrepute" - Pi$$es Mad Max off big time as we know.....

When the *perception* of the global TV audience is that LH got screwed, the stewards were forced to act IMHO. We'll have to wait and see the outcome of the appeal, but history tells us it's unlikely to be good for Mcl.

As to whether or not the "sporting code" applies within a team, in its pitbox, that's maybe another debate.....

Cheers,
Ian

 

He obviously said enough to RD over the team intercom.

Your other comment is well whatever......... it's an opinion just like mine.

 

No question he is doing an outstanding job.

Not my point though.....

 

Getting bored with the Soccer?

 

No way that LH will stay with his team next year because of that?

 

Whoever said that Alonso was the next Schumi was not kidding!

 

The race stewards are part of FIA and I believe there will be no appeal as Norbert Haug, the No. 1 at M-B said " we are going to move on and we are considering not to appeal". It looks like RD is now also under pressure by mighty M-B...but time will tell what happens.