View Full Version : Being a bit pedantic about Louis Hamilton...
Channel 4 news has just stated that Louis Hamilton is closer to becoming the first person to win the F1 championship in his first year.....
...second person surely?
Someone had to win it in the first Formula One season ever. Everyone would have been in their first year in Formula One.
Sloppy journalism.
plowsie
30-09-07, 06:02 PM
Or F1 has been running forever :) lol. But yes can see your point. Think it is worded wrong, should be suumit like, won his first season as a rookie joining the class, or suumit like that.
But then you could say all the others were rookies when it started lol.
Wideboy
30-09-07, 06:05 PM
i have to say today was one of the best F1 race's I've seen in ages
plowsie
30-09-07, 06:08 PM
I watched a couple of highlights, did Lewis spin off or was it Alonso like a million times?
The last lap battle between Massa and Kubica was the best bit of racing in F1 i have seen for a while. both knocked one another off the track at points and even though massa was off the track, he found better drive where he was than Kubica
Louis &, I think, Kubica's cars both kissed at one point.
Cracking race...if a bit boring at times - watching the safety car lead the pack for a billion laps.
Wideboy
30-09-07, 06:12 PM
did you see the supa aguri driver take out the car from the other team which his boss owned aswell and they where both heading for a podium, he was devastated
Why is it whenever I miss a race its always the really good ones, last race I missed was last year when Button won! I've been trying not to watch it because its normally so boring so I didnt watch it today (partly as I was going out for the day!)
fizzwheel
30-09-07, 06:53 PM
did you see the supa aguri driver take out the car from the other team which his boss owned aswell and they where both heading for a podium, he was devastated
It was Vetel in the Toro Rosso, he shunted Webber from behind and took them both out. Both teams owned by the big cheese of red bull, naughty naughty...
Mind you in that sort of weather, how they could see where any of them were going is beyond me.
I like it when it rains, its always chaos and more exciting, maybe Ecclestone should install a sprinkler system at each track and then turn it on at random intervals during a race. That'd be less boring.
Oh and Nino Farinia was the first driver to win the world drivers championship in 1950 so technically as said, he was the first driver to win in his rookie year as they were all technically rookies in that year as that was the first year of the drivers championship.
Next year should see some proper racing and over taking again. All forms of traction control is banned. I believe that also includes the automatic start systems most of the teams run.
Enjoyed the race today. First time I have said that in a few years.
thedonal
30-09-07, 07:05 PM
even though massa was off the track, he found better drive where he was than Kubica
[rant against massa mode] Rather than a better driver than Kubica, which he's clearly not. (I talk for the season, rather than the race). It's a traffic thing and I think that even the lottery that is an F1 race in heavy rain helped him regain position after klutzing it earlier on. He's only got those points cos he's in one of the fastest cars in the competetion. [/rant against massa mode]
Fair play to Kovaliainen for his first podium.
A shame button lost his nose early on (!)- he's normally a fine performer in the wet.
Pedrosa
30-09-07, 07:43 PM
Pah looks like that arrogant young Englishman with no respect for his team mate and defending 2 times World Champion Alonso, has now got a stroll to the title.
All down to his favours drawn as a conseequence of his cub and Scoutleader relationship with Ron.
It was obvious that Fernandos car had been tempered with in a manner that saw him exit the track at a suitable moment.
It's a conspiracy I tell you!;)
Pah looks like that arrogant young Englishman with no respect for his team mate and defending 2 times World Champion Alonso, has now got a stroll to the title.
All down to his favours drawn as a conseequence of his cub and Scoutleader relationship with Ron.
It was obvious that Fernandos car had been tempered with in a manner that saw him exit the track at a suitable moment.
It's a conspiracy I tell you!;)
Hehe, yes, absolutely. Ron probably broke into Alonso's locker, stole his dossier, or diary if you will, and probably found out all sorts of Alonso's upcoming secret race tactics and strategies, decided he wanted them for the golden boy, and to hell with Fernando- "let's put a powerful electromagnet somewhere on his car with a switch on the pit wall, and a massive block of metal just behind the barrier somewhere."
Wideboy
30-09-07, 07:59 PM
It was Vetel in the Toro Rosso
cheers fizzy i knew it was one of those teams
Pedrosa
30-09-07, 09:08 PM
Hehe, yes, absolutely. Ron probably broke into Alonso's locker, stole his dossier, or diary if you will, and probably found out all sorts of Alonso's upcoming secret race tactics and strategies, decided he wanted them for the golden boy, and to hell with Fernando- "let's put a powerful electromagnet somewhere on his car with a switch on the pit wall, and a massive block of metal just behind the barrier somewhere."
There you see? Even Sinbad knows about it!:smt118
fizzwheel
30-09-07, 10:46 PM
I heard that Lewis wrote a false even more incrimindating dossier and stole Alonso's locker key and gave the key to Ron so he could break in and switch them to really stitch them all up.
dont like F1 i think its boring, but............ i did watch the end of the race tody (only cos i was meant to be working) and fair play it was quite exciting, the weather was $hite. how they managed to see?
i perticuly liked the 2 cars at the end (hav'nt a clue who) that were fighting for the place
The bbc are at it now:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7020455.stm
"If Hamilton wins the championship, either in China or Brazil two weeks later, he will become the first man ever to win the title in his first season in the sport. "
Just emailed them over the sloppy journalistic practices nowadays....!
The bbc are at it now:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7020455.stm
"If Hamilton wins the championship, either in China or Brazil two weeks later, he will become the first man ever to win the title in his first season in the sport. "
Just emailed them over the sloppy journalistic practices nowadays....!
goodness, if only you were this assertive when i came to chatting up teh laydeez
Jester666
01-10-07, 10:15 AM
Channel 4 news has just stated that Louis Hamilton is closer to becoming the first person to win the F1 championship in his first year.....
...second person surely?
Someone had to win it in the first Formula One season ever. Everyone would have been in their first year in Formula One.
Sloppy journalism.
Far to much of a pedant for this early in the week! :D
But true!
Jester666
01-10-07, 10:17 AM
goodness, if only you were this assertive when i came to chatting up teh laydeez
If he was as assertive when you were chatting up the laydeez? :confused: :D
If he was as assertive when you were chatting up the laydeez? :confused: :D
er yeah, sorry, force of habit, i like to chat to the ladies
my badness
Jester666
01-10-07, 10:43 AM
er yeah, sorry, force of habit, i like to chat to the ladies
my badness
:smt046
glsuk1970
01-10-07, 01:23 PM
Channel 4 news has just stated that Louis Hamilton is closer to becoming the first person to win the F1 championship in his first year.....
While we're all being a bit pedantic, it's Lewis, not Louis ;)
While we're all being a bit pedantic, it's Lewis, not Louis ;)
Really? You'll be telling us next that it's not Jason Button, Reuben Barrichello and Mikey Kovalainen.
CoolGirl
01-10-07, 07:01 PM
Channel 4 news has just stated that Louis Hamilton is closer to becoming the first person to win the F1 championship in his first year.....
...second person surely?
Someone had to win it in the first Formula One season ever. Everyone would have been in their first year in Formula One.
Sloppy journalism.
I wonder what the stats are on firstborns?;-)
Pedrosa
01-10-07, 07:02 PM
But is Louise as good as the ladies favourite Fannio?:rolleyes:
Good race, good level head from a F1 rookie (but he's no rookie really).
I like the wet races, i think it gives the Brits an advantage as they have to drive in bad weather so often early in their careers. Most other people get warm sun all the time.... :lol:
Done a lot of sums and basically as long as Hamilton is always behined Alonso by 1 place, or doesn't fall out of the top 4 positions (likley), or doesn't have DNF, he'll take this championship. So pleased... Especially with my Toseland "looking" to take the WSB title still :D
Go British motor racers in 07 (oh, and possible Andy Prioux (?sp) in WTCC).
Pedrosa
02-10-07, 10:25 AM
Daimo I agree with your assesment of Hamilton's title chances. But your boy JT is not having it all his own way right now.
Max Biaggi rode like a demon last week to take a win and a second place with JT crashing in the second race to finally come home 11th.
With just 2 rounds to go,Max has reduced JT's points lead to just 29. Could be a real nail biting finish,
P.S...I would love to see JT win it, but would not be upset at all if The Roman Emperor was the eventual champ.
I watched it live...... ;)
Aye, Max rode very well this weekend. I liked that circuit, had a real nice flow to it. When MAx (2nd race) went from 6th and passed JT, you could hear the crowd roar!!!!
I think JT still has it in the bag tbh. Max is a long way behined still and with only 50 points on offer, he needs to win both races (or Haga), and JT needs to really have a very poor finish...
But with WSB, never rule out anything ;) But the title "SHOULD" be his. Its his to loose and Biaggi/Haga's to win. Will be watching the last races live thats for sure :D
Bad news him dropping it, but its a fighter to get back on and get a few points with a damaged bike...
You hear about his accident during qualifying. Bike bent all the chassis, forks, caused a lot of damage... Doh...
Pedrosa
04-10-07, 11:22 AM
Please anyone with a mucky mind, do not read the quote shown below. It is not from a questionable web site:
"I was sure Hamilton was retiring, he seemed to have no power any longer, but by the time I looked back, I was already in Mark's rear end."
Now I did say dont be filthy!
Well that is a quote by an F1 driver commenting on the crash that took Lewis out of the race in Japan? Anyways it was taken from BBC news/sport.
Lewis is to have his dri:-Pving on that day looked at. Rumours abound that points will be deducted!OMG Fernando is not gonna take this lying down!
For full article see here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7027743.stm
Rediculas.
Its down to the following driver to pay enough attention not to ram each other.
Don't sit behined each other on the track in the rain do you, you stay out of the car in fronts way and sit back. The drivers would be informed when the SC is coming in, and they can see it by the lights.
No excusse, the idea of being in front is to HAVE the advantage to speed up/slow down.
No-one complained about those tactics in F3 or GP2. I think Webbers just p1ssed because he got taken out of his best position of the year by his team mate.
We shall see though. But if found guilty, it looks as though F1 is going into a nanny state too.
Shame, the championship has not been this close for a long time, and gets overshadowed by all this cr4p going on off the track.
Don't see all this in bike racing. You do your qualifying, then race, then go home. Real racers ;)
Although.....
"Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within five car lengths of it."
And that could be his un-doing here. I'd have to re-watch it as i was on Sky+ and skipped all the pace car laps.
I thought it was for the safty car later on in the race, but they are going on about the first 19 laps. Then again about the accident later in the race.
See why reply with that? I don't get people who reply like that.
Either join in, or don't bother at all??? :lol:
Supervox
04-10-07, 04:56 PM
Although.....
"Once behind the safety car, the race leader must keep within five car lengths of it."
And that could be his un-doing here. I'd have to re-watch it as i was on Sky+ and skipped all the pace car laps.
I thought it was for the safty car later on in the race, but they are going on about the first 19 laps. Then again about the accident later in the race.
I don't think that rule applies once the safety car has switched his lights off (to signal that he's pulling in at then end of that lap) - it all becomes tactics by the leader as to when he puts the power on so as to gain as big an advantage as possible.
Wideboy
04-10-07, 04:59 PM
Webber is just being a baby, i reckon his boss is putting him up to this as he owns both teams.
if you watch replays ETC you can see the the visibility is poor and Sebastian Vettel had a lead foot going into the corner, so its not surprising that the collision happened.
cant believe them taking this complaint seriously as most people would agree (me included) that this was the best race seen in a very long time:rolleyes:
It wouldn't suprise me if the FIA deducted Hamilton's race points just so that the end of season was even more "nail biting".
Supervox
04-10-07, 07:54 PM
Apparently the initial complaint about LH's driving came from Vettel after he was given a 10 place grid penalty for the next race.
Ok - so maybe the old defence mechanism kicked in with a bit of sour grapes, but . . .
. . . who does Vettel drive for ?
Toro Rosso
. . . and who supplies Toro Rosso's engines ?
FERRARI !!
Am I alone in thinking there may be a bit more to this than merely a moan about someone's driving in truly dreadful conditions ?
I have to say that I would not be a bit surprised if Ferrari International Aid didn't deduct points or hand LH a similar grid penalty - all in the cause of 'being fair & even handed' after all !!
fizzwheel
04-10-07, 08:05 PM
I don't think that rule applies once the safety car has switched his lights off (to signal that he's pulling in at then end of that lap) - it all becomes tactics by the leader as to when he puts the power on so as to gain as big an advantage as possible.
This is correct as far as my understanding of the rules goes. He was playing games with Alsonso, but I'm sure Liz said she had read somewhere where Vetel said someting like "I was distracted and when I looked up webbber was right in front of me"
Anybody else reminded of McLaren Versus Ferrari in the 1976 world championship ? all this investigation and politicking, theres a long long history between Mclaren and Ferrari...
thedonal
04-10-07, 08:47 PM
I think it's all getting a bit silly with people seeing McLaren/their drivers as an easy target to pass on blame. Also, how come it's taken so long for this to come to light? A driver error, like Kubica's, which has a direct penalty during the race is fair enough, but as mentioned above, teams/drivers trrying to take chunks out of each other between races is just a waste and diverts attention away from the races themselves.
Don't get me wrong- I'm not too keen on the whole thing of Lewis Hamilton's status as Uncle Ron's lapdog, but he did a great job on Sunday, with little experience in such extreme driving conditions- to take that away from him retrospectively is unfair.
Though I do think that penalties are very inconsistent in F1 and therefore not fair as equal decisions are not made for each different driver/team/situation.
Never heard about the 'five car lengths' rule being brought up before. The same stop-start tactics have been used to great effect by Schuey for years, and plenty others. I'm reminded of the Coulthard vs Schuey incident, at Spa i think, where MS claimed David braked too hard. :rolleyes:
So was Lewis supposed to whip out his measuring tape and mark out the distance. What a joke. For a start the safety car is chucking up a huge rooster tail and so is every car behind it.
If you cant see the guy in front for spray whilst under the SC, you're too close for comfort and if you crash into the back of someone then you're to blame. Is that so hard to take Mr Vittel?
Wideboy
04-10-07, 09:43 PM
changing the topic here a tad
i cant really see the point in all the finger wagging bye the FIA ETC, because "IF" McLaren did happen to find out about the aerodynamic information from Ferrari then how come they are beating them (regardless of drivers skill) because surely Ferrari would realize how well it works and already or start using the design to keep up with McLaren, all seems a tad odd to me, all 4 drivers in Ferrari and McLaren are pretty much equal in being able to win.
Wideboy
04-10-07, 09:52 PM
omg just saw it on ITV news again , and what a flipping joke, it has absolutely nothing to do with him, as some one said its was vettel's fault for not looking where he was going, if webber was worried about accidentally overtaking lewis he should have followed his line not take the one he did where he would have overtaken him regardless if lewis did brake or not
Supervox
05-10-07, 03:55 PM
The stewards have decided that no penalty be inposed on LH for the incident. They have also reduced vettel's penalty from the 10 place grid penalty to an 'official reprimand'.
Pedrosa
05-10-07, 04:14 PM
Supervox, I am sure that just like me you are devstated at the rule bending that sees Ron's puppet once again come out smelling of roses. What a laugh! That nice boy Fernando has every right to be a little sassy around that MClean garage.;)
BTW..How much cash do they throw around on the F1 circus every year? This case came to light following a piece of amateur footage that was placed on youtube FFS! There was no official camera that caught the incident?
Wideboy
05-10-07, 05:15 PM
The stewards have decided that no penalty be inposed on LH for the incident. They have also reduced vettel's penalty from the 10 place grid penalty to an 'official reprimand'.
good to hear
Pedrosa
07-10-07, 09:52 AM
Oopsa daisy Lewis!:p:p
Ah well 2nd place in Brazil gives him the title. Fernando to employ Schumaker like first corner tactics there?:rolleyes:
glsuk1970
07-10-07, 10:01 AM
Oh well, at least it should make Brazil one to watch in 2 weeks time.
Pedrosa
07-10-07, 03:32 PM
Bernie Ecclestone that horrible little dwarf who has creamed offensive amounts of money from F1 has the audacity to state in The Guardian that Alonso has given NOTHING to F1
Alonso states in MARCA today:
If Lewis wins it is because he has been the best all season.
It is better to stay quiet rather than lie, something Dennis should learn.
The Ferrari scandal was ALL brought about by and with the full knowledge of Dennis.
Dennis defenbds and looks after his protege so much that it is difficult for any team mate to have any confidance in the team.
What you reckon folks?
Supervox
07-10-07, 04:56 PM
Bernie Ecclestone that horrible little dwarf who has creamed offensive amounts of money from F1 has the audacity to state in The Guardian that Alonso has given NOTHING to F1 - Even I can't agree with that & I loathe The Poison Dwarf with a passion !!
Alonso states in MARCA today:
If Lewis wins it is because he has been the best all season.
Sounds to me like someone has been having a chat with his PR person - shame he didn't say it when being interviewed on camera isn't it ?
It is better to stay quiet rather than lie, something Dennis should learn.
Where is the evidence that Dennis lied ?
The Ferrari scandal was ALL brought about by and with the full knowledge of Dennis.
Whilst omitting to state that it was Alonso trying to blackmail McLaren into giving him preferential treatment that raised the issue in the first place.
From what I have read (& I don't believe that the full facts will come out for a long, long time) the only people who had any dealings with the info gained from Nigel Stepney (allegedly) were Mike Coughlan (admitted it); Pedro de la Rosa (admitted it) & Alonso (admitted it) - so who comes up smelling of roses & who are the cheats ??
Dennis defends and looks after his protege so much that it is difficult for any team mate to have any confidance in the team.
BULLSH*T - show me any evidence (other than Alonso's claim) that the team has shown any favouritism towards Lewis.
Alonso's bleating started after Lewis had the audacity to start getting good results. If he, or his advisors, neglected to ask for a guaranteed No.1 position in the team that's his fault !!
What you reckon folks?
Hopefully, Alonso will return to Renault where Flavio can massage his ego & bend over backwards to please the litle brat. Even better would be if Heikki Kovaleinen is part of 'the deal'.
fizzwheel
07-10-07, 06:00 PM
I think today Lewis showed his inexperience, I was shouting "go in the pits your tyres are knackered" at the TV this morning for 3 laps before he slithered off into the gravel. But Hindsight is 20 / 20 isnt it. I could see he was struggling, why did he and the team not come in earlier. DC said to MB when he interviewed him on the grid, tyre choice in conditions like this and when to switch is the drivers choice at the end of the day. The lap before he spun off you could see that the rear tyres were delaminating. The team should have called him in, they dithered to long and it cost them big today.
Lesson learnt me thinks, hopefully.
As for Alonso, how can Ron Dennis continue to let him moan, bitch and complain to the press, If it were me I'd have given him a rocket and told him to shut up and keep his mouth shut.
I had a lot of respect for FA, purely for taking the battle to and beating Schumacher, but this year I think he's rattled under the pressure, plus the changing of teams has got him well out of his comfort zone. If his brain were in gear, he'd have let his driving do the talking instead of all this moaning, Mind you its certainly nice for a change to see an F1 driver say what he thinks. Instead of spouting PR drivel all the time.
I like Lewis he's got that ruthless streak in him, he showed it again today, he didnt need to battle with Kimi, if he'd been sensible he'd have let him by and settled for points, but thats what he's like he wanted to race and he wanted to win. Fair play to the bloke.
leemole
07-10-07, 06:07 PM
looked a bit odd to me today!! they prob did it on purpose to make more drama in brazil, just think how much more hats, tops and other tat mclaren are selling this season !!!!
Pedrosa
07-10-07, 09:56 PM
All good stuff folks. I wonder your additional thoughts on another quote I have translated to English also...
Fernando somewhat puzzled,bemused,angry and suspicious that his car had been knobbled....
"I have never been 6/100ths down on anybody throughout this entire weekend. I have driven more than 100 laps and never been so far down. How can it be that my qualifying lap sees me 6/100ths down on the pole time????"
Also inviting the obvious retorts from the good peeps here Alonso mentioned that..."Some 10 teams are chasing his signature." Are there 10 teams in the competition?:rolleyes:
Is anyone else expecting Schumaker-esque demolition derby antics at the first corner in Brazil?? Personally I hope not.
I got up yesterday morning very quietly so as not to wake the mrs....crept downstairs.....got me cornflakes, coffee, lucozade.....got the headphones on cause if I woke the nipper then I wouldn't get peace to watch it.....lewis went off.....a mouthful of cornflakes hit the screen as I screamed also spilling the coffee over the essentials making me scream more.....had to apologise profusely as the whole house was wakened up so early on a Sunday morning!
I honestly believe that Ron dennis is a man of extreme integrity and is mortified by all that is going on in that team. Lewis is an aggresive, accomplished driver who is a breath of fresh air in a sport that (while still unmissable every weekend it's on) was going a bit sour. Alonso (whom I did have a lot of respect for) is a spoilt little brat who has been shown how to drive a car this season and his ego can't cope with it. I honestly think ron Dennis would have loved to dump him ages ago but it would probably cost them millions in a get out clause and let's face it after the fine they wouldn't want that.
I really hope Lewis can do it in Brazil and gets on the podium with one of those blow up hands flicking the bird and waves it right under Alonso's nose.
Just my 2p's worth!
Oh and yeah I do expect Alonso to do something daft but then he can't take himself of as well so has to be careful. Maybe he'll slip Sato a tenner lol.
Nev.
fizzwheel
08-10-07, 07:37 AM
Is anyone else expecting Schumaker-esque demolition derby antics at the first corner in Brazil?? Personally I hope not.
I really hope not. That wont help him as he'll need to finish the race. Unless like somebody else said, somebody else takes him off.
It'd be a shame IMHO for the championship to be decided like that.
Pedrosa
08-10-07, 10:50 AM
Am I naughty to keep this theme rolling?:rolleyes:
Well an interesting quote from the totally impartial, fair minded Mclaren team boss yesterday....
"The problem was rain and his (Hamilton's) tyres were in the worst condition. But we weren't at all fazed about Kimi. We weren't racing Kimi, we were basically racing Fernando"
So are we talking team or individuals in the team here? What a disastrous PR exercise all of this is, your coup of signing the defending world champion, (who has arguably given enough input to turn the Mclaren in to a consistantly winning car.) your looking at the best end to a campaign ever for your team and one of your drivers...yes the defending world champion has been made to feel totally disenfranchised and isolated.
I agree Fernando has been a little "arsey" at times, but put yourself in his shoes? Would you be happy? It is one thing to find that you have been teamed with an outstanding new talent, but to feel that divisions within the team have undermined your own aspirations. I think I would be throwing socket wrenches around the place if I am totally honest.:rolleyes:
fizzwheel
08-10-07, 11:00 AM
So are we talking team or individuals in the team here?
That sounds like Hamiltons race engineer talking. I suspect he means that in terms of world champioship that FA is a bigger thread to Lewis that KR is. So in that respect that's who they were making sure that they beat home in order to secure the championship. Or alternatively they realised that KR had more speed and decided to let him go and not worry about trying to push the car to the limit and thereby protecting Lewis that way.
We dont know whats gone on behind the doors of Mclaren, I just can't see Ron Dennis favouring one driver over another, he is a man of great integrity and he never stopped Prost and Senna racing each other to the point that they took each other off at Suzuka that year.
I think what we're seeing with FA is that at Benetton Flavio would let him chuck his weight around and give him what he wanted and now he cant do that he's behaving like a spoilt bratt. If he wanted preferential No 1 treatement he should have gone to Ferrari who have a history of having defined No 1 or No 2 drivers or he should have had it written into his contract.
You dont here Colin Edwards whining in Moto Gp that Rossi gets better stuff do you, Capirossi is on the back foot in Moto GP to, but you dont here him whining about Stoner giving him a whupping. Alonso has his mental attitude all wrong. He's not been focused on winning, he's been distracting himself with thinking that the team favour Lewis etc etc and thats what's done him in this year.
Pedrosa
08-10-07, 11:19 AM
Fizz interesting comments, you obviously are very keen on F1. I am being Devil's Advocate here because as you can understand the media exposure that I am exposed to in the main is not UK based and so a different spin is placed on the whole thing.
Let's consider this then.......
Saint Ron knows that the final jigsaw piece for the car will be in place for 2007.......reliability. He also knows that his young protege due to his education in the sport and to a large degree the controls of an F1 car being no more than a glorified Playstation console.....can be a winner.
Does Saint Ron explain his view to Alonso when courting him to join Mclaren?
"We want you on board because you are the best driver out there. We want you to spearhead our title challenge and bring it on home for us. You will get the best support and techinical back up that money can buy. With us your 3rd title is a guarantee."
A conversation of that kind coupled with a juicey contract would of course have attracted the Spaniard.
Could the hidden conversation that never took place be more like this....
"You know Fernando you are a very worthy champion and a real threat to what we hope to achieve. If we sign you then we can control your assault on the title. We have our own boy that will fly the Union Jack proudly. The spin off's for us as a team if Lewis wins the title stand to be far more lucrative than should you do it for us."
You see I do have this problem with Ron Dennis's integrity. I take on board that in the past he has indicated no favouritism to his drivers. But simply because that is how it was once,does not mean it is a "gimme" that this is always the case. The entire Mclaren operation is not like it was way back when, it is a multi $$ business operation and success is vital to be able to attract the sponsors and manufacturers to your team.
I then find it extremely dificult to accept that Ron has been whiter than white in all of this. I am not at all saying that he is a complete liar and fraud, but I do suggest that his behaviour and actions have been far from impeccable on a number of occasions this season.
Come on shoot me down!:p
I agree that FA may be a bit peed off about things but does he really have a right too? Just cause he's the current world champion? Definitely not. It's a sport about driving a car fast/well and winning not egos.
I agree with Fizz. I think he was given what he wanted at Renault and can't cope with the "team" ethics at McLaren.
Note that Jean Todt when he was asked would he take FA on if he left McLaren rolled his eyes as if to say no way we would want him in our team.
I think Renault are the only people that would take him. What team boss is going to want someone who threatens to shop the team for something if he doesn't get his own way?
LH is one of the best drivers I've seen in years and remember this is his rookie year. I honestly think listening to some of his comments over the weekend that if this stupid politics thing keeps going he will jack it all in and that would be a big big shame. It's like a football team - it shouldn't all revolve around one player.
Nev.
fizzwheel
08-10-07, 11:35 AM
Pedrosa, have you seen the latest incarnation of an F1 steering wheel. there was a picture of one in yesterdays paper, its mental, it must have at least 15 seperate switches on it, most of which look they are multi ( i.e. they have 9 different settings on them ) I think its a tad more complicated than a playstation controller, but I do agree the modern electronics do take away alot from the driver and make the cars easier to drive, not saying you and I could get in one and be quick straight away, I think the first thing I'd do is go into the gravel trap !!!
I think that Ron wanted a proven winner in his team, and thats what Fernando is. You can't take anything away from the guy, double world champion in the schumacher era is nothing to be sniffed at, and that proven winner would be a mentor to Lewis, I dont think anybody not even probably Ron, expected to Lewis to be as quick as he's been and its only the last few races that we've seen him make rookie mistakes, maybe due to pressure, or perhaps as has been aluded to he's having trouble setting the car up as Alonso has stopped sharing his data ( nowt wrong with this, look what Mansell used to do to Patrese, he used to go out with the car setup one way and then when the brought it back into the pits he'd change all the dials about rideheight etc and then in the team de-brief say that they had run the car a different way )
Fernando after having been beaten a few times, then starts to critise look for reasons outside of himself as to the different performances ( i.e. favouritism etc etc ) rather than holding his hand up and saying "I could have done my job better" a bad workman always blames his tools would you not say.
Then he chucks a proper wobbly, threatens Ron with the FIA, so Ron calls his bluff, I reckon those two have gone passed the point of no return. I cant see them ever having a decent working relationship, but thats not the important thing, if Alonso could work with his engineers and mechnics then he could have had a better chance, but when he has a temper like he seems to have how do you talk / motivate somebody like that. Having a driver spouting the kind of stuff that Alonso does isnt exactly sponsor friendly either is it.
I accept what you say, F1 is about making money rather than going fast now. I think its alot of what is wrong with the sport. Its got its priorities all wrong.
What I wouldnt give to be a fly one the wall in the Mclaren garage or workshops, now that would be very interesting.
Crazy talk Pedrosa ;)
Any driver signing to any (or, either, I guess) of the top teams has to accept that their team mate is not just there to make up the numbers. There's no way that McLaren would personally value a Hamilton championship so greatly that they would reduce their chances of either driver winning it (with Ferrari still so competitive) by handicapping Alonso in one way or another. McLaren haven't won the driver's title since Hakinnen won in '99. I genuinely believe they signed Alonso with the hope that he would win the title for them, and certainly not as you say (altho of course I noted the devil's advocate bit, job well done btw) so that he would be less of a threat to Lewis.
I'm sure Lewis surprised McLaren as much as anybody, and why shouldn't they rally around the championship leader, whoever that may be.
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