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it could be the case the McLaren are 'letting' Alonso have the slight advantagne in qualifiying, as Lewis can afford to, with his points advantage.
That way it stabilies the team, and keeps Alonsos mouth shut.
Wait till the last next couple of races and I think you will see Lewis getting the upper hand again, as he had done up until a couple of races ago.
I dislike Ron. I don't know what it is but I've always disliked him. However, I am absolutely certain that Ron is utterly honest and fair. When it is said by various members of the McLaren organisation that there is a commitment to treating both drivers fairly frankly I believe them.
Its truly tragic that Alonso hasn't been able to beat Hamilton in the points race so far but that has as much to do with Alonso's mental state as anything else hasn't it? After all had he got his head down like Michael would have done he would have had Hamilton licked. Instead he had to play political games which backfired on him in quali in Hungary and with the revelations afterwards in the FIA hearing.
No I don't believe McLaren would ever harm Alonso's world championship chances and I believe that Max knows that. The lines in the FIA declaration referring to McLaren treating Alonso fairly were an insult and Max knows it.
Can Anyone else see Alonso going back to Renault next season? It doesn't surprise me, you can tell from the start of the season all was not well at Mclaren, i can't see Lewis-Alonso partnership lasting beyond this season.
fandango
Status: Offline
Posts: 2,279
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Barcelona, Catalunya, Spain 19th Sep 07, 15:11
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I think it's impossible to draw conclusions about this. We don't really know half of what goes on. Based on being a fan of F1 for a long time, I wouldn't expect any driver to sign for McLaren and get automatic, "Flavio-style" no. 1 status.
Based on what I have seen of Alonso, I don't think he'd go there unless he thought he'd be the no. 1, and he doesn't seem like someone who makes decisions lightly or fancifully. So why does he feel so hard-done by? I reckon there's more than simple ego that Lewis has been so astoundingly quick, but I don't know.
I don't believe Ron Dennis' claims about treating his drivers equally, I never did, neither with Coulthard, Hakkinen, Senna, Andretti, Brundle, Prost or even with Lauda and Watson. I've always found this "English gentleman fairplay" to be unconvincing, perhaps partly because I'm Irish (with apologies to real English gentlemen).
So now there's talk of getting on with things and getting down to the business of sport and racing, but the only one who seems to be capable of this seems to be Alonso (and I include us). At the moment that says more than anything to me...
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Very well said. Apparently Fred is able to cheese these guys off, and simply go on about his business. Occasionally venting over some slight he has received(either perceived or real)After iterating his position, he gets into his car, and as with last year, does some of the best driving of anyone in the field, just to put an exclamation point on it!
If you talk allot of **** you better be able to back it up. Fred always has backed it up on the track. This is his style! It is somewhat calculated. If RD really was concerned about Fred the gentleman, he never would have signed him. He didn't expect LH to be his equal. Never considered this eventuality, or, rather this set of circumstances. And the situation is still fluid. The British Gentleman now has to remain outwardly neutral. Fred has been feeding off this for some time now. And it probably had something to do with a "GENTLEMANS" agreement when he signed on. Fred is on his way out in a blaze of glorious self promotion. I'll be very surprised if any one can stop him
Not being a fan of SchM ever, forum members will see that anything positive that I say about Michael would efinitely not be biased.
Michael has always been a team man. I remember when he won one race and jumped into Flavio's arms. When Michael joined Ferrari, whatever anyone may say on how he behaved towards other drivers, he was always a Ferrari man. I am not aware that he ever showed disrespect towards Flavio or Jean Todt.
Having said all this, while I will admit that I was one of Fernando's greatest supporters at Minardi, I am extremely disappointed with his behaviour now. I think that he can take a leaf out of Michael's book in how to win friends and influence people.
In the not too distant future, Fernando might find that the only friend left would be his physio, because he certainly will not have nay respect from anyone else in F1. OK, there will be team principals who would want him in their team, but only because they want to do well in races. He will never be a valued mamber of any team in the future, and history will not remember him kindly.
FA signed with McLaren expecting to be treated like a 2x WDC - instead he was treated like ****. Using him to advance LH. If I were FA I would be pissed as well. RD is a certified POS but then again FA should have known before signing. FA is very quick and should be with a respectable team.
i dont get the british definition of fairness and gentlemanship
in your books its completely fair for lewis to chop on the starts, be craned of the sandtraps, overtake massa outside the track, and even to use alonsos expirence to his own benefit by simply using the same setup as him.
why do you insist both are drivers are treated equally when it is clear lewis was getting all of alonsos data.where is the fairness in that? what does alonso get in exchange? and dont tell me he gets 20 mil as that is just what mclaren agreed to pay. is it just a mere coincidence that alonso has 45 points out of the last 60 while lewis has only 33 from the last 60? or is it that alonso played a few tricks where he didnt setup his until the last second and left lewis struggling (silverstone) or that he has simply refused to benefit lewis with his setup since turkey.
these arguments are soooo ridiculouis I don't know where to begin.
1. Yes Alonso may have come into the season being the #1 driver and having a rookie as a teamate gave him little to worry about. Perhaps he didn't do his homework on LH but the guy has been a winner at every level and heralded a phenom since he got behind his go kart wheels.
2. LH drove exceptionally well at the beginnig of the year and simply did a better job than FA.
3. At Monaco, he was asked not to pass FA inspite of a very good chance that he would have takne it to FA.
4. At that point, LH made his move by more consistent driving to take the points lead.
5. He outdrove FA in Spain further adding to FA's problems, As well as establishing himslef as a contender for the WDC in 2007
6. FA starts bitching, complaining, whining, backdoor chatter about not being #1 etc. (instead of proving it on the track) Then the whole set up thing ensues. Complaing about LH taking his setup etc. which I think is completely overblown, but to humor you guys...If indeed that is true, then Hamilton does a better job with FA's setup than FA himself. So what does that say about FA.
7. Hamilton wins convincingly in Canada, USA, expanding his WDC lead.
So FA continues to bitch, I am not sure what hew can be griping about. He tried the setup complaint, goes to the press and badmouths the team, accusing them of playing favoritism,
8. Then we get Hungary, :down: FA's lowpoint
After the race he threatens RD with blackmail unless he be made #1 . The whole notion is so farcical that it defies logic. Stupidy at it's most refined.
9. RD goes to FIA to preempt FA's ghastly deeds. FA keeps his own set up.
In Turkey, LH has his number and save a cut tyre would have increased his wDC lead over him.
10. Monza, FA is already on non speaking terms, and Wins the race,
oh BTW LH finishes second
11. before Spa, LH is in Paris, FA doesn't bother to show up and does his own thing, while the RD and LH are over there desperatley trying to save the team ( and coincidentally FA's ride as well!!!) I think FA was somehow wishing that they did get banned and he could get a head start over at Renault.
12. LH is obviously not in the best frame of mind, after finding out all the backahanded attempts by his teammate to sabotage his drive. Despit all that he keeps his line at the start and Alonso tries to push him off it , entering eau rouge he moves wide around Alonso and alonso this time more blatantly tries to/nay succeeds at running him off the track.
13. with 3 races to go LH is still Leading the WDC, Alonso is second.
Lets not talk about the perfectly legal crane job in Germany ( show me where what he did was wrong. He kept the enging going and by the rules was allowed to be craned out)
FA has no friends left in F1 and much less respect in the community. As Valve said, his legacy will forever be tarnished by his actions in 2007.
What has evoloved is the true picture of an arrogant driver with no class, no loyalty and an absolute stinker of a personality. Someone who absolutely cannot cope with the pressure of a competitive teammate.
The final straw in my books were his antics on the podium in Spa. Not a hint of reverence, instead, chumming it up with the Ferrari guys and dousing the Ferrari tech Dir with Champagne. No hint of quiet defiance towards the situation. Or the team that nearly ended his season, then again he was part of that too wasn't he...
Someone said elsewhere that Kimi and FA are good friend, who said FA has no friend? FA would logically accept any treatment alongside Kimi instead of being the second to rookie.
Driving together with Kimi at the Ferari will absolutely empower the team to win both WDC and WCC and heave more opportunity to play hookey into Hamilton and McLaren.
:)
Instead he had to play political games which backfired on him in quali in Hungary
Alonso played political games in Hungary??? When he came to the pits for the second attempt, the mecanics put on his car old tyres because Ron wanted Lewis to take the pole and he couldn't punish him for disoveying team orders.
I think was LH who talked to the stewards and then came the sanction to McLaren.So I guess the only political one was Lewis.