Fernando from Oviedo sets the record straight

EG writes: Fernando from Oviedo sent this which I have been sitting on for a few days. Another excellent contribution to this forum. You get it all here... 

Fernando writes: "I have been posting comments from time to time to your blog. I have been critic with you and with Lewis and FIA. My critics to you were based on the fact that you were trying to sell your comments as "independent", while I saw them as clearly favoring Lewis and forgiving his cheats and what clearly looked to me a FIA's non-dissimulated support to the guy.

But I have kept my comments civil in every moment and I even tried to bring a bit of humor to the blog when I saw that posts where erratically going from simply non-sense to stupid nationalism. One thing is being a fan, even a “tiffossi”, and a very different one is being an idiot.

Of course I am an Alonso fan. Actually I was born in Oviedo; three blocks away from Fernando, although I am much older than him. Alonso is definitely THE local hero. This is understandable, isn't? He also has become quickly a national icon, and I see with pride and satisfaction that many comments on your blog supporting Fernando, come from Spanish regions traditionally "disaffected" to the national idea of Spain, like The Basque Country and Cataluña.

What is really annoying me is this lot of crap that your blog is getting from Spain. I decided not to post anymore just not to be mixed with this bunch of idiots that is posting every day the same comments, not adding anything new. These many Spaniards have taken your blog by assault because of the simple fact that they speak English (with different degrees of success) and "The Times" is the best known brand of the English press. Should they speak German, they would go to post the same nonsense to "Frankfurter Allgemeine". They insult British bloggers simply because of the anonymous way they can do it on the Internet. Pure cowardice. And I, and many other Spaniards, do not like this. Spaniards are not this way.

I would really like to apologize on behalf of hundreds of thousands Spaniards who have discovered F1 since Alonso and de la Rosa (by the way, Great guy) are there. We love the sport and we support our idols and we immensely enjoy every Sunday watching the races on TV. Despite of our opinions about McLaren's behaviour and Lewis as a sports man, we acknowledge he is a fantastic driver. He has been fast and regular across the season and he deserves to be where he is. We just hope that he makes the final mistake in Brazil and Fernando wins. We have the right to think this way exactly the same way you and all your  British country fellows have the right to support Lewis, even fanatically, although English character is not so tempted to show passion off.

Thanks for your blog, thanks for your insights into the complex world of F1, thanks for your patience and best regards."

Oviedo, Spain.

Comments

[Gary]

Thanks Oviedo, nice post.

It will be interesting to read this post in a couple of weeks when the world championship is over and some key driver moves have been announced. When there is nothing to fight for and all the passions (on both sides) have calmed down i wonder who will remain to pick at the bones of the season? I am sure there will be some entertaining (and more grown up?) discussions to be had then.

What are the plans for keeping the blog going after the season ends Ed? will it be in shut down for the off-season?

[Antonio Xixon but in UK.]

Well done Fernando, but this only demonstrates the obvious: there is idiots everywhere, but as a Spaniard, and although agreeing with our Carbayon ( from Oviedo )friend ( no offense, is with love : )), I'm still waiting for a British apology...and don't tell me that everything were flowers thrown by our island EU neighbours.

8 days to go...

[JLPasion]

I suscribe in full Fernando's comment, specially this bit "What is really annoying me is this lot of crap that your blog is getting from Spain. I decided not to post anymore just not to be mixed with this bunch of idiots that is posting every day the same comments, not adding anything new". I fear that if finally Alonso is the winner you will get, Ed, thousands of comments coming from this sort of people. Anyway, as Fernando also said, not all spaniards are the same.
By he way, don't worry Gary, discussions will be quite more interesting later on and I am sure the blog will keep going on.
Regards

[jircim]

hi, what fernando says makes sense, however, there are other people here who put aside insulting jingoism and basically i still read this blog due to their comments and the odd comedy lines plus ed's comments. there are good observations in every blog, from idr/augusto to john l/andy g (latter does have some good points although at times also has a few sarcastic digs - a bit like ed! - a nice bit of healthy british sense of humour which sometimes goes unnoticed), and so on (sorry if not included all good contributors). so, the people with interesting things to say must carry on, otherwise this blog would not have any success. i cannot waste my time reading crap.
on a different note, i missed the shanghai gp on sunday as driving to airport. i only managed to see the beginning at home and heard the rest of the race on livefive as i drove towards malaga airport on my way to buss oslo and i was really happy that lh dnf (i had mentioned this previously) i'm really pleased that there is a 3 man race and to be decided in the last race. all 3 sides will have good reasons for their drivers winning, but its interesting to note that drivers such as coulthard would probably value an alonso win more due to circumstances surrounding his relationship with mclaren (itv-f1 web). as stated on other occasions, they only winner no one could throw mud n thus recognise as a 'clean' worthy champion would be kimi, neither alonso nor hamilton would have the overall recognition that a wdc should have should they win. so, the little brain cell is telling me that kimi will hopefully win, even if my heart would want alonso. sometimes we have to take a step back in order to take 2 forward. also by stepping back, you can see a clearer picture of the scenario.
cheers and may good posters continue with their wise comments.

[IDR]

Fernando,

I am another Spanish Alonso Fan bloging here (one with lower degree of success in writing English)

As you, I’ve seen a lot of Spanish people here just posting nonsense or idiots comments, as for example “Javiervivaespania” one of the best samples of that kind of behaviour.

I just would like to point out some questions of your letter, that I agree at 90%.
.
First:

On the other side of the picture, I’ve been reading lot of scrap and prejudices coming from Britons, wrote in a very different style, but at the end, they are just the same scrap as the Spanish ones.

As I’m visiting this superb blog from some time, I’ve read most of your comments, very well written and very respectful with everybody and everything (I fact sometimes I thought that you were a nephew I have, called Fernando that is extremely polite and very ironic)

But some of the most ironic ones posted by you here, were always referred to disrespectful comments against Spaniards just for being Spaniards.

Second:

Those guys (Spanish nonsense-scrap) don’t represent anything but themselves.

I don’t feel guilty about some Spanish bloggers, as I think that no one intelligent and well mannered English people feel guilty reading some of the comments posted by their compatriots.

Third:

You can buy a Renault Megane Sport and tuning it up to the limits (Thousands of flaps, colours and music megawatts) or you can buy 50 years old Austin Healy and rebuild it using only original parts up to the moment it looks as brand new.

Both cases are representing passion about cars but in a very different way, and both deserve the same respect independently of which one match with your view.

(And preventing some jokes about the example, my ideas about car’s passion are represented by the Austin Healy and Pat Moss racing at that time. What a heroine! )

English character shows passion as the Spanish one, but on a different way.

Finally, as in real life, you have to look through a lot of scrap to find authentic jewels. The ratio Scrap/Jewels in this blog is higher by far than in any other I have visited in the last few months (at least in English, Italian and Spanish press). I think this is one of the reasons of Ed’s Blog success. (As his hard work for keeping it updated, and only after have read all comments, btw)

Just let me send you my best regards and I hope you still posting here just to “balance” the “dark side”.

(Spanish, English… stupidity doesn’t have nationality)

And to all of you, please receive my excuses for my poor degree in writing English.

[Marco Garcia]

There´s always someone who thinks he is better than the rest.

What a magnificient role you play apologizing on behalf of all of us!!!!! I´d never be capable of thanking you enough

By the way my german is almost as bad as my english as english and slightly better than my spanish maybe I´ll take a look on "Frankfurter allgemaine"....

[Oliver]

It's been nice to read your comment, Fernando. But you should be more tolerant. I don't think you have to "apologize on behalf of hundreds of thousands Spaniards who have discovered F1 since Alonso and de la Rosa are there". First of all, most ot that Spaniards have had an excellent behaviour so, as IDR said, those few "idiots" don't represent anything but themselves. And second, who are you to apologize on behalf of them? Have you discovered F1 on 2003? And when did they tell you to be their voice? Well, maybe I should apologize on your behalf... But I won't do it because we all must be tolerant with other people's comments.

P.S. A long time ago, Ed Gorman used to write his own articles. I swear it's true!

[Nadie]

Fernando, I don't think any sensible person is going to judge spanish people only because how some of them behave in this blog. Would you do if your only reference about british people would be those you find in the "Costa del Sol"during summuer? You would come to absurd conclusions, like "most britons are redskinned and tend to stay drunk".

Don't excuse about what your compatriots do or say, and care only about you do or say. Everyone is responsible of their own acts and wise people already know nationality doesn't define personality. Let's talk about sport.

[uk sports fan]

I think any sportsman playing with a
sucessful rookie would find it difficult to consentrate on his own
game/stratergy,alonso who crashed out in previous race should have had championship tied up by now,
next season is something to look forward to, tis all in the mind
ask tiger woods?

[Pedro (Valladolid)]

Alonso, De La Rosa and... what about Marc Gene (Ferrari) and Roldán Rodríguez(Spyker-Ferrari)?

Roldán Rodríguez from Valladolid, Castilla & León, Spain.

[nard]

Better you remember who is the actual F-1 world champion, and who became Mc Laren a winner car...
Obviously Lewis is by now a learner and in my opinion will stay the same wile does not change his dialogue

[Enric]

I don't know where I signed to have Fernando as my official spokesperson. Anyway, even there are many things I agree, the speech line is the one you needed to sell a bit more in UK in a day when nothing special happened.
Eight days to go. Then, we'll turn the page and go another place.
Do not forget F1 just became the nowadays Panem et Cirquensis...
thanks btw for another comment not posted.

[Santiago]

GARY

His name is Fernando and Oviedo is his home-town.

[Peter]

I subscribe to everything Oviedo is saying. I have been watching F1 for over 15 days, waking up religiously every Sunday.
Needless to say, I am a FA fan and unfortunately I have no other choice but to post my comments on The Times. I will explain why; it is obvious to me that Spanish and British press on the subject tend to be biased towards FA & LH repectively. However, there is no way I could post threats in www.marca.com or www.as.com (the two most important sport-dedicated national spanish papers). Quite simply, they do not check the posts and you can find all short of shait, racist comments and in any way clever comments. This is the reason as to why many others post in more "civilised" papers!

Fernando Alonso is has been the best for the past two years but Lewis Hamilton is set to break all the records. Despite all the issues during the season he is also a great driver.

Cannot wait to see how everything evolves.

[Santiago]

UK SPORTSMAN FAN

Do not mix TIGER WOODS with these cheaters. Right?

[Michel Angstadt]

I generally agree with the arguments set forth by Fernando from Oviedo. I consider many contributors to be very biased towards Lewis Hamilton or Fernando Alonso depending on their nationality or sporting preferences. I am American but my 36 years in Spain weigh heavily.

I have been following your articles for quite some time now and I basically find the same pro-Lewis bias that can be found in Spanish media (pro-Alonso, of course).

It's only natural. You need to cater to your readers and give them a bit of what they want to read.

I very much appreciate the article on the 'slip of tongue', something a lesser journalist would not have dared to publish. It says a lot about the pursuit of objectivity.

Keep up the good work. I'll be routing for Fernando all the way. He deserves to win after all the opposition he's had to face, some of it due to his own 'overdoings' (basically because he can't stand to lose).

The score is tainted by the FIA penalty in Hungary. It would now be 108 to 105 with Alonso on top, or 107 to 106 with Hamilton ahead (in the event Hamilton had won anyway starting from P2).

Alonso already took a world championship when the FIA favoured another driver (Michael Schumacher, who did not have 'untouchable' status). With hindsight, I'm glad there was no grid penalty for Hamilton in Shanghai. He gave us a remarkable performance that may be of consequence in a little over a week. It is yet to be seen whether Alonso can pull the trick again this year.

[javiervivaespania]

I totally agree with what you say, Fernando. You are a wise Spaniard. Thanks to you IDR as well for being just like me.
And... thanks too Fernando because you have honoured our flag today, the day of Spanity -when Columbus discovered America, many years ago- so it can flutter powerfully over this blog.

[Richard]

Oliver.... I think Ed's too busy writing 3 different versions of the final race for the Times front page/back page articles at the moment...

Appreciated post... as a Brit I can concur that we're all guilty at times of letting territorial principles come to the fore - but i'd argue that deep down we seem reasonable folk.

I have to say also that I do respect every single one of you Spanish contributors for having a go at this blog in English - the standard from all is very high - If it were me writing in Spanish, i'd probably be able to ask which way to the train station? - which wouldn't be very relevant to F1...

[Chris Taylor]

Hats off to you Fernando. For me, your key comment was: "Despite of our opinions about McLaren's behaviour and Lewis as a sports man, we acknowledge he is a fantastic driver. " The attitude of a lot of your countrymen, like many Englishmen when Schumacher and Damon Hill were battling, is disrespectful. There is a difference between a ruthless winner and a cheat. That's why the rules are there. The kind of rare aberrations from Hamilton we are seeing this season are miniscule and yet some Spanish fans seem to think they totally undermine his status as a driver of talent. I love Alonso and think he is a great driver and I want next year, when he is at Ferrari or elsewhere, to be as fierce as this year, only for the right reasons. You are a gentleman and a reminder that civilisation is important.

[Sam]

Pedro from Valladolid you must be well informed that the only two F1 spanish drivers at war with their team are Alonso and Pedro de la... there are others in the F1.
See this Marc comment from the media, where he recognised that the car's doctoring theories are excusses by Alonso to save his face
http://www.publico.es/deportes/006073/gene/mclaren/sido/imparcial

Now that FIA will officially monitor McLaren during the Interlago's GP, I'll be waiting to see the faces of these two men that spend more time with Antonio Novato than with their cars.
They make me think of the two women fighting for a baby. Alonso found his WDC's dream dead, wants FIA to kill Lewis's own and ban his team. FIA was as intelligent as King Solomon, sanction to the team based on Alonso/Pedro fraude evidences and Alonso sent back to the circuit to race for the WDC. Come on! there are better way to put an end to relationships than these shameful sportsmanship behaviour never known in the history of F1.

I believe that the real blogging here will be when Alonso wakes up from his dreams. When he found out that neither Ferrari nor Renault will payoff his contract to have him in their teams.
Then the boiling point to break the transfer news will be here on ED's blog.
Keep it up ED.

[joan]

Thank you, Fernando, nice try.
I really think it is funny what most of the Spanish Alonso fans are saying in this blog: the hearty passion, the total copycat attitude to everything that they hear in Tele5 or the other Spanish media, the victim-to-be vocation, the discovery and use or new words for most of them like "biased" so that they keep repeating them like if we were kids in a playground.
Yet,of course, there is the good Spaniard who basically shares the feelings but not the forms. Well, just like I said, I always find the feelings funny, and sometimes the forms rude.
I am Catalan and I have been verbally attacked here several times by the bloggers of my Spanish state because I said so. I was told not to bring politics in (!). I just said that I was Catalan, not Spanish, and that our motorsport culture is different. Many of us, Catalans, do not like Alonso, but not because he is Spanish. We do not like it because he -being a great pilot- is not the type of sportsman we feel attracted to. And we do not need Alonso to get interested in F1. We have a long tradition. That is all and that is not politics. Well, most of the Spanish here hated my saying that. Quite fair, unbiased and polite reaction. Well, I talked about F1 here as much as most of you. Nevertheless I cannot say the things that I just summarized, THAT IS POLITICS FOR YOU. Well, just let me say my opinion: It is not, it is just me telling you my background. I could say how I feel when I go to Madrid and how people treat me but I won't because this is a F1 blog, even if I have read the opinions of many Spanish guys writing similar things to what I just said I won't (not with Catalonia but with the UK).

Having said that it is funny, I also find it often irritating to have to be exposed to the Spanish nationalism in so many flanks.
Sorry, Ed, I know that this is going to give way to yet another attack on me but I think I have a lot to add to the simplifing version of Fernando about the good Spaniard and his behaviour in this blog.

Adding up, I think that not every person is supporting a sportsman because he or she is a countryman. There are other possible reasons, and the fact that many of you do not belong to this category does not imply that the rest is just like you ,even if they are English, Welsh, Scottish, Germans or Catalans. I think that is the key problem: like many Britons have said in this blog, it is not about Britain, England or the UK against Spain, the Spanish state or the Hispanic or Latin people.
I hope no one will ashame himself again insulting me in this blog just because I am Catalan.

[PDVISTA]

http://www.petitiononline.com/fealonso/petition.html

[Brian Morrell]

Yes I know Spanish eyes want their man to win, but come on, you are in danger, along with Fernando Alonso and this Max Mosely fellow of loosing any credibillity in your far fetched and acrimonious arguments. Mosely it would appear, seems to want to pit his self importance, first against the mclaren team and now has taken a pathetic and childish swipe at Jackie Stewart. When you can pull in as many spectators and cash into F1 Mr Moseley we will listen to you, in the meantime, put a stopper your insesant ranting against those who do not agree with you.

[Rosa Pages]

I am among those hundreds of thousands of Spaniards who have discovered F1 since F. Alonso and de la Rosa are there (but not this season). Must I be ashamed for it? I do not think so. I have posted my comments on E. Gorman's articles on a couple of occasions,but never published, though I think I have not been rude and have not written non-sense, just have expressed my feelings. Be assure that I am not an idiot and I would like to ask you, please, do not ask for apologizes on my behalf, because I have nothing to be apologized for. I shall continue to send my comments because I think I shall not be considered an idiot by the Bristish, though they do not like what I write, because they are intelligent enough to distinguish what is rubbish and what is someone's opinion. By the way, I am a fan of Fernando Alonso and find myself among those who wish that Fernando wins.

[Pablo]

I only agree with Fernando's view that most of the comments add nothing to the conversation.

Personally, I think blogs are new ways to express confronting views.That's their purpose and the reason they are so popular. You don't have to read all the comments. I skip many of them.

Why so many Spanish in this Englis blog? Well, no-one can deny the influence that anglosaxson press has worldwide. People from many different nationalities have access to the English press and news (flooded by them would be more accurate). This and other blogs are ways for people to critize and question uniform views from journalists and newspapers that otherwise would become "accepted truths" (objectivity is just a funny word). Of course, we should all learn to "think" before we collapse this blog by excess of rubbish.

The problem is not that many Spanish can write in English. That is a good thing. The problem is that there not many British than can do the opposite. That is one the reasons I do not read blogs from Formula One in Spanish newscraps like Marca. The imbecility overwhelms my senses. It is a competition to see who is more "Superalonso fan": "that litte nigger", "daddy-boy", "Alonso is the best"... You get the point. The only reward you get if you critize Alonso is harsh insults.

You learn much more participating in this blog than reading the "motor" section from 25 Spanish newspapers. So I'll keep posting comments as long as it is allowed.

[AJ]

Ed, now that RD has recognized publicly they are against FA, agreeing with Alonso's complaints and many Spaniards, and that the "fair" british press has gone from equality to "of couse we shoulf favor in McLaren the british one". Now is time to draw attention somewhere else, isn't it right?

[cfkane]

Sam and Chris Taylor, I just want to point out the following issues:

1) the link to Marc Gene comments prove that not everybody in Spain are Alonso-biased fans, and that some Spanish media are objective about the issue.

2) All the Spanish media and most of Alonso fans acknowledge the huge and unquestionable talent of Hamilton. Only very few blind Alonso fans show disrespect to him, but they are a minory, and they post in not reliable blogs, such as Marca or As, which are the sport equivalents of British tabloids.

I have even read on several Spanish media stories praising Hamilton for issues other than his driving skills. For instance, after Alonso´s accident in China, Hamilton sent an SMS to Alonso hoping for his welfare. It appeared on the front page of several newspaper praising what was considered as a very noble gesture (Alonso later stated that he appreciated it very much, and thanked Hamilton as soon as he could).

3) the common thought in Spain is that Alonso has a problem with the McLaren directors, not with Hamilton. Alonso has stated several times that he has no problems with Hamilton.

4) Although I prefer Alonso to win the Championship, I acknowledge that Hamilton is a great driver and deserves to win it this year.

Alonso has stated too that if Hamilton eventually wins the Chapionship, he deserves it, because that would mean he has worked more and better than him.

5) I don´t swallow the "conspirancy" theory of certain Spanish media, but neither I swallow the "Alonso is a devil theory", nor "the FIA sanction to McLaren was only due to Alonso/Pedro fraude" theory of almost every British media.

There is also a common thought that the Bristish media is lynching Alonso in the most ruthless and distorted way (which I partially share). The reaction in Spain is usualy not against Hamilton, but against the picture of Alonso portrayed in the Spanish media. Mr. Ed Gorman doesn ´t make any efforts to hide his hatred towards Alonso, and sometimes states things about him that are not proven, at least publicly. And he does not even try to show any evidences about his statements.

6) As far as I know, Pedro de la Rosa has not shown (at least in public) his disappointment with McLaren. Neither the McLaren directors have said anything bad about him. So he might continue working with McLaren next year.

7) There is no doubt that Alonso is also a great driver, as well as rather problematic. But I have no doubts that he will not have too much troubles to find a seat next year. We will see.

Regards

[cfkane]

Joan.

I was born in Valladolid and I am living in Madrid since 2005.

When you say things like "I was Catalan, not Spanish, and that our motorsport culture is different. Many of us, Catalans ..." you are making political statements. In other words, you are stating that Cataluña doesn ´t belong to Spain.

I respect your political point of view regarding the issue, although I don´t share it. Neither do I share "javiervivaespaña" political point of view regarding the said issue.

But if you introduce politics in an sport debate, you might face the risk to obtain politic answers. Certainly not by me.

When you say "I could say how I feel when I go to Madrid and how people treat me but I won't because this is a F1 blog" you are suggesting you are treated badly in Madrid because of your Catalan origins.

Let me tell you my own experience.

I have a lot of friends born or living in Cataluña. Some of them consider themselves Spanish. Some of them consider themselves Catalans only. And then there are some of them that consider themeselves as first Catalans, then Spanish. They have no problem among them. They get along very well in spite of their different feelings.

When they come to visit me to Madrid, there are usualy not any troubles, although I have to acknowledge that we have had a couple of troubles because they were speaking Catalan. Of course I felt ashamed, but as I have already said, it has only happenned twice, so no big deal.

When I go to Cataluña, I am usualy treated very well, although I have to say that I have been treated badly due to my Castellan speaking condition (I cannot speak Catalan). But then again, it has only happenned a couple of times, and I never focus on those 2 idiots when everybody else is so kind.

Please note that this is my personal experience, I don´t dare to say that is what actually happens. Please also note that wasn´t born in Madrid, and that I have only been leaving here for 2 years, so I don ´t consider myself a "madrileño". I invite you to come to Madrid as many times as you wish (there are some wonderful things to see and do, though I think Barcelona is more beautiful), and I am sure you will be welcomed by most of the "madrileños" and the millions of people who, like me, were not born here but have had to make a living here.

[IDR]

TO JOAN

I sincerely hope your last comment has worked properly for your own therapy.

In any case, I strongly recommend you to take a cup o tea and two or three pills of Valium or Transilium, and make a long siesta.

If you have had problems visiting other places, I am afraid was not because you are Catalan or whatever you consider as the most important thing in your own scale of values. People in real life don't make judgements based on where you come from or the colour of your skin or the language you talk.

People judges you based on your own behaviour as your sons, friends, colleges and family do.

Then, may I suggest you to assume the reactions of people and not try to find excuses as your origins, or whatever you think.

As I have written in many occasions here, stupidity doesn’t know anything about nationalism; in fact every language has the proper word to define it, Catalan also.

[JACOB]

MARCO GARCIA:

Thank you s omuch for your comment. You have expressed perfectely my thoughts... There is always someone who belives is better than the others...

[Santiago]

EG writes: Santiago from La Oliva (Fuerteventura) sent this which I have been sitting on for a few days. Another excellent contribution to this forum. You WILL NOT get it all here...

Comments are moderated, and will not appear on this weblog until the author has approved them.

ED, WHY DO YOU DISLIKE WHAT I ANSWERED TO FERNANDO AND YOU?

WHY DO YOU SIT ON MY COMMENTS FOR A BETTER TIME THAT IS NEVER?

AS I TOLD YOU, MANIPULATION IS YOUR FLAG. USING SENSE OF GILTINESS (3. having or showing a sense of guilt, whether real or imagined), PLAYING WITH HUMAN FEELING´S.

DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ANSWERING ME, BECAUSE I´M NOT GOING TO SEE IT, I´LL NOT READ OR WRITE IN THIS BLOG ANYMORE. BUT TRY TO SEE WHAT THE OTHER PEOPLE THINK.

I KNOW BY NOW YOU AGREE WITH ME BECAUSE YOU FOUND IT TOO FLAMMABLE FOR YOU.

[Pau]

To Joan: please stop generalizing. Why do you claim that "Many of us Catalans do not like Alonso..." Well I am catalan as many of my friends and I do like Alonso. I am not a fanatic and I acknowledge he is not perfect and he screws up. But I do like him being direct and saying what he thinks even when it is not nice. As opposed to his boss and his coworker who only say nice things in front of the camera and then the backstabbing goes on when we do not see it.

I have followed Formula One since 1988 after the Japanese Grand Prix. I still watch from time to time the 1989 Senna-Prost incident. I cried when Senna died in 1993. As a matter of fact, I WAS A MCLAREN FAN and loved to see the red and white cars win everything. This is why I think what Alonso has achieved is incredible. He comes from a country with few tradition and no Formula One car makers. He is not german, british, french, or italian. He started in Minardi, and he won two world championships when he did not have the best car. The irony is that the year he does have the best car he has not been able to beat his teammate.

He has made several mistakes that cost him the championship. He screwed up in Barcelona, Canada (he was pissed off with the Monaco incident and drove a shitty race, also he was very unlucky there with the new and stupid safety car regulations), Turkey (where he was very lucky) and Japan.

And let's face it. The best moments of this season have involved Fernando. How he passed Heidfeld in France, Massa in Nurburgring and China, how he tried and failed to pass Hamilton in Indianapolis ... I don't think Hamilton has given us very exciting moments this year except the Indie one.

And then Bernie goes and says Fernando has not done anything for the sport!

[Ex-pat Kiwi from London]

Dear Ed, my generation generally started work at age 15 (only 3% went on to Uni from high school) and in the years of post-war austerity, our financial and practical contribution to our families was needed: consequently, our fun had to be cheap and mostly home-grown - pre-war rebuilt motorbikes, Ford 10 and Austin Seven specials were a great beginning in motorsport and I wouldn't have missed it all for quids! Go see the movie 'The Worlds Fastest Indian' to get the flavour of doing it yourself at the back end of the world in those times when 'make do' was not only essential but a matter of pride in one's own handwork and ingenuity.

I have become a Lewis Hamilton fan for a number of reasons: apart from being a gifted driver, he seems a pleasant, well adjusted young man who respects those who are older and more experienced, and his relationship with his Dad is to be admired. I do worry, however, that the British sporting press will turn on him if he stumbles badly at any stage.

Until I read Fernando from Oviedo's blog I was beginning to worry about mental health issues in Spain and other parts of the world. It was refreshing to read something from a bloke who knows the difference between supporting your local sporting idol passionately and without apology and blind, unreasoning fanaticism.
Warmest regards,

[Jose Luis]

Fernando, what a brainwash my dear! Being polite and respectful is alright, but not with people is cheating you! Sometimes learning the language is not enough!!!!

[FERNANDO LC]

Richard, do not worry about your contributions in spanish being relevant to F1. I personally believe that posessing the knowledge of asking the way to the train station is far more valuable than anything we might write in this blog, at least those of us who did not have a clue about F1 until 3 years ago.Your kind post is, nevertheless, sincerely appreciated ( by me, far be it from me to try and represent anybody but myself, and perhaps, my dog, since he will surely not complain). Despite this fact, we are allowed to post contributions, and we all remember what Dirty Harry thought about opinions.Naturally, after this foreword, nobody could actually expect that I was going to say anything that had the slightest relation to F1. As a matter of fact I would like to tell Joan that he should not accuse FA of whining and so on and so forth, and just after that, start to cry about the essence of catalanism and how catalans are mistreated by the alien spaniards, despite the fact that in this particular sport the tradition in Catalonia is deeply rooted whereas the spaniards are just a bunch of agricultural nouveau riches, jingoistic bigots, and not too put too fine a point on it they are loud and rude.
As a catalan myself I have been able to see at every race in the last 3 years that TV3, the public TV, payed with my taxes just as much as anyone else's, has continually shown support for Ferrari and McLaren agaist Renault. And now the comments of their speakers are tantamount of what can be said on the Mc Laren wall itself.
The blogs of catalan sport papers are cramming with anti Alonso messages, far more insulting than the few that can be found in this blog.As a Catalan Spaniard I feel really disgusted everytime that some of my countrymen assume that their feelings and opinions can be extended to us all. As far as I am concerned, I will not give my opinion any more importance than Dirty Harry did. I sincerely hope that everybody did as well, but I am afraid that that is a contradiction in terms.

Keep it up Ed.
Any news about the safety cows will be welcome.
Cheers

[Gonzalo]

Brazilian GP: I hope KR won the WDC. Neither FA nor LH deserve the title this year...

What a comic post Joan!! Now go and check your passport...

I was planning to end my post here but after thinking it carefully...

I'm about to declare the independence of my own country. I will be the only citizen and the only law will be: "Citizens do not pay taxes under any circumstances(that includes foreign states such as Spain)".

I'll soon enter negotiations with the Spanish authorities and would ask for a poll that my government will certainly win since I'm the only voter in my soon-to-be-born country.

On a more serious note...

Your purported country is just a province of the Kingdom of Spain. That's now. In the past it was just a province of the Kingdom of Aragon.

Did they teach who were Queen Isabel of Castilla and King Fernando of Aragon? We are talking HISTORY not invented fairy tales...

Perhaps you should also ask our British audience to update their HISTORY books. The soldiers of Queen Isabel I were not fighting those of Felipe II, King of Spain. They were battling the soldiers of the Spanish state...

Stop tainting the name of my country using moronic terms such as "Spanish state"...

[Jose]

Please, let's ignore Joan or any other confrontational person. Let's share ideas and ignore other controversies that have nothing to do with f1. They will erase themselves from the map. Thanks, Fernando, btw.

[Isildur]

- Let´s talk about another Fernando, like Torres, should´nt we?. Perhaps it would be a way for more agreement whitin bloggers.
¡saludos a todos!

[Ignacio]

Perhaps I have been reading a different blog, because I don't recognize many of the things said in these latest contributions.

Although every one has the right to decide what comment to read or not to read in a blog, I think it's unfair to categorize every fanatic behaviour as "crap". As we all should know, the word fan comes from the term "fanatic", so being a fanatic is not bad in itself. Perhaps it's a Latin trait, but we get passionate in what we do, in what we love, in what we believe. We Latins mostly are rotund, loudspoken and vehement (forgive the generalizations), so what?

Perhaps I have been reading a different post, but I feel I haven't found such a lot of nonsensical fanatic and idiotic comments posted by Spaniard to deserve a general apology by Fernando.

Firstly, this blog is moderated, so if we see a commentary, it has previously been found acceptable by the moderator. You may agree with it or not, but at least it has passed some level of "meaning" or "reasoning".

Secondly, some people seem to think that we are boringly and constantly repeating the same subjects off-topic, and that is a "fanatic ranting". If I believe in something, I will repeat it a million times if necessary. I personally will be willing to engage a battle of reasonings with someone who defy me, but if I openly state that this championship is tainted and that I don't like Hamilton, I feel I don't deserve to be categorized as "rantings of a Spanish lunatic". Moreover, I don't feel I even have to be politically correct as to admit he's a great driver. It seems as if, in order to make a criticism, we have to compensate it somehow with a flattery. As if we were scared of criticizing.

It makes me laugh (or perhaps worries me) how many times the word FACT and PROOF have been subject to abuse in this blog. Those words are usually employed typically to furiously attack the previous post. And unfortunately, people's ideas about what IS a fact or a PROOF are a little insignificant. Mostly, in this state of affairs, there are few proofs and facts, many suspicions, and then, our own inner logic.

That said, I state that yes, this championship has seen too many dark things, too many suspicions, and I do believe Alonso has been unacceptably ridiculed, insulted and vexed by British press and McLaren management team. I will not repeat myself explaining point by point the bunch of irregular, suspect or strange behaviors, but I have not seen 1/100th of the same attacks against Hamilton, so I definitely won't accept somebody categorizing my assertion as a rant or a piece of crap.

It's always the same..I'm so jaded of people saying that" Most Spaniards...Most Britons...", come on, what are we talking about? Sport or Politics?

I know some brits that doesn't like Hamilton and, for instance, I'm Spaniard and I don't like Alonso and I really like Hamilton. Am I Spaniard or not according to you? It's not about nationalities, it's all about sport. As simple as that.

I've been watching F1 since 1997 so I know what I'm talking about. And honestly, I don't need anyone to apologise for any comment I make. My comments reflect just what I think, not what the majority of people in Spain think.

So please, stop talking like you were politicians and you had the Truth in your mouths.

[paquirry, empordà]

Hi Ed, Hi Fernando, sorry but is very very crappy day for me and can not help it..

!!Freedom for the valles occidental and for yorkshire county!!

oh.. and the more important thing..

!!god Shave the queens!! (from an anonimous tax payer..)

OK, Ok.. I know this is f......1 blob!

so, maybe one little memory for the f-ones falling in the highway..
Long Live Scotty Speed! (who given you that name mate?!!?)

Cheers for everyones!!

[Jose]

Hi EX-PAT KIWI,

New Zealand has indeed made a great contribution for motorsport earlier on, humble, stoic, dignified in spite of beeing so remote and having to rely on itself with a fantastc degree of ingenuity as shown in the movie (great movie) you mention. Communication has been the great evolution of last century and it has been very good and very bad. Everyone gets caught in it: be it adulation or hatred or self-purpose or whatever, and in F1 this means drivers, teams, team leaders, FIA, etc. Kimi Raikonen been mentioned a few times as the guy who seems to be less affected by it and I totally agree. I am afraid he will be, like Stirling Moss or Carlos Reutemann or Ronnie Peterson and to a lesser degree Coulthard and Berger, one of the great drivers not to become WDC. But he just goes about his business, which is driving the car, and I am not sure if he really worries too much about becoming WDC, it would probably clash more with his temperament than reward him. I want him to win as I believe he deserves to be WDC, but so does Lewis. In regards to how the media can affect people in the spotlight the following article on pitpass.com is very interesting.

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=33145

Jose Perth Australia

[Fernando]

My nick is Fernando (is my real name, but also a common name in Spain) and I have been posting in this blogg for a long time. In fact, I don't remember comments signed by another Fernando. I didn't write this text

I disagree with insults and nonsenses in the comments, no matter if they come from Spain, Britain, Japan or Emyrates, but I also disagree with the "philosophy" of this post.

I have always asked for good manners and respect in the posts. We "come" here to have a nice time "talking" about F1, and there is no need to show anger.

We are individual persons with different minds. So there is no need to apologize for what others do, it would be just a way to a accept generalizations.

There are not "comments written by spaniards or britons" and it's quite clear that there are completely different people behind each post.

Finally, I dislike the link to this post that you can find in timesonline: "A spaniard apologise".

[MAXIMVS]

Alonso is already the Triple World Champion:

1) He has had no cranes that illegally put him on track again.

2) He has been given a five position grid penalty, mainly because his team mate wasn't following instructions nor behaving as agreed.

3) He has had a team that (quote) "were racing Fernando, not Kimi"

4) He has been constantly portrayed as a plainly stupid kid at best by British media and it hasn't worked!

5) He has not put in danger the integrity of ALL pilots by driving 'erratically' (adjective also used for drunk drivers) in front of a safety car, and gotten away with it.

7) It is unbelievable, incredible, amazing, astonishing, science fiction, that after all what's happened, FA is still in the situation of being able to win the championship. It really is.

6) He's just not a 'son of Ron'.

8) Thanks to Ferrari, Mosley and FA, the paddock will be careful not to swim in seas of piracy.

See, Spanish don't fancy pirates.

[JIRCIM]

can i ask a silly question: do people actually by a certain car just because they've won the formula 1 champs? i'm not a car fanatic i just want a car that can safely take my family from a to b and to have a decent radio/cd. i'm not criticising those that do, i'm just wondering as i cannot really imagine the sales of mercedes in spain or britain being affected by the success of their drivers. most people like mercedes but i don't suppose most people can afford to buy one or even if they could, they may decide to spend the money elsewhere.
just wondering...

[IDR]

TO ED

The last comment seems that the authentic Fernando who has been posting here from a while, is not the one who wrote the letter you have published.

The letter you publish came frome another Fernando, wright?

Fernando I “The Saint”?
Fernando Alonso Diaz?
Fernando Esteso?
Fernando Abba's Song?
Fernando my nephew?

Who is this Fernando?

[MAXIMVS]

Hmmm, nice article... but, if I may, I must say I almost missed you asking sorry for wanting FA to win.

This blog would not have received this much crap from anywhere should the Brits hadn't written tons of it in the first place.

We are free to express our despise to all the perfidious and treacherous commentaries being published, no matter how disguised, unpassionately presented nor coldly conveyed.

Secondly, I wouldn't dare to speak on "behalf of thousands of Spaniards" (pero tu que te has pensado??. Please sir, speak for yourself, for I myself have nothing to apologise for to these pirates.

I am honestly proud of Latin character (see, at the end of the day we don't grow up in the rain like mushrooms) and I am also quite distrustful of England's reigning hypocrisy. Their utterly atavistic views and behavior are often rather insulting.

I short, English media has lacked RESPECT for the Double World Champion ever since the beginning of the season and for THE PERSON WHO CHANGED MCLAREN. They have shown disrespect for all what's Spanish (business as usual); it is just that this time round they didn't count on a globalised World where free people are instantly ready to counterfeit them in their own language, and do that feverously if needed, when they distort reality like they intend to do. I am amazed at all the things you have published as quotes from FA, entire paragraphs between brackets that are the most free translations the World has ever seen. This is unforgivable for a journalist: to gently sprain things up constantly and to twist translations to make look FA as a stupid brat.

Back off. Don't play the gentiles with me, it stinks.

FA is already THE Champion.

[Annabel]

Hi,everybody.
I'm a Chinese's girl.Maybe i can say i'm an Alonso fan.But acutally i think i take more notice of F1.And Alonso is a driver i support.
For me what you said wasn't important.I support Alonso.That's all.I think it's the thoughts of most of Chinese's F1 lover.
So give you an advise.If Alonso wins we will be happy,just happy,don't do anything else.If not,it's ok.Don't swear at anyone!And we still love our hero,not change.
So let's pray for him......

[Santiago from Spain. España in fact.]

So, in the end FERNANDO, is not who is supposed to be!.

ED, tell us who that hell Fernando is.At least where the post comes from.

Have you censor another post placed here by mi tocayo? (Tocayo=namesake)

[Ed Gorman]

To IDR: Yes you are right. This post was written by a "different" Fernando who is from Oviedo and used to write comments on the blog using two different names, neither of which was Fernando.

[ALLMAN]

Now when is going Ed and many other British memebers of this blog to aplogise for insulting Spain and Spaniards all the time with its racists and elitists comments? When is going Ed to aplñogize for being a liar?

Probably never.

[IDR]

TO FERNANDO, UNKNOWN NICKNAME 1, UNKNOWN NICKNAME 2

"...They insult British bloggers simply because of the anonymous way they can do it on the Internet. Pure cowardice."

As in this F1 season, nothing is how it's seems to be.

I remember when I read the letter, this paragraph sounds me a little bit out of context.

But now, knowing that you have gone beyond your words, I understand why you wrote this.

"The thief believes that everybody have the same condition"

[Pablo]

What is missing is a rebuttal of Mr. Sharp in a previous post (only saw one about the pressure of the tyres in FA's car).

This post as well as the one from Dan Gurr only critizes the personality of Spaniards and Fernando Alonso respectively.

With such a solid arguments, how could we, the bunch of fanatics, could not be satisfied about the equality reigning in Formula One? >

And by the way Ed, "Fernando from Oviedo sets the record straight" is a very unfortunate title for the post. It is just the opinion of guy who cannot even keep his own nickname, not a list of anthropolical facts about Spaniards.

[Andy G]

SHOCK REVELATION: THERE IS SOMEONE WHO CAN DRIVE FASTER THAN ALONSO

New revelations this weekend that there is NO FIA INVESTIGATION into the McLaren sabotage of Fernando Alonso's qualifying performance.

Sources familiar with the matter commented "Fernando and his father, manager and close advisors are finding it hard to understand that someone else might be a little faster than him".

"The Spanish media and Alonso's father have suggested that we are investigating the claims of Spanish bloggers on the Timesonline site".

"However there is no investigation and these desperate fanatics will have from October until March to come to terms with reality".

"We have been quite amazed at the vociferousness of the pro-Alonso gangs. They have organised themselves into a very disciplined propanda organisation. There is a Goebbels-type figure at the centre of it, but we have not discovered who it is yet."

"Daily, they launch attacks on any individual who will not bend to their will. Their favourite targets are not the English fanatics who support Hamilton but the neutrals".

"Their main objective is to generate credibility for their extreme, mindlessly aggressive and contrived position. Clearly by attacking established and respected commentators it becomes more likely that the weak and easily-led will take more account of their expressed opinions."

"We are concerned that they may move closer to establishing a kind of literary and cultural fascism."

Other commentators have expressed concern over the phenomenon in which several thousand aggressive and vituperative bloggers from Spain have overwhelmed the voices of their more reasonable countrymen.

We understand that recently the focus of the blog has moved from Spanish vs English to reasonable Spanish vs aggressive Spanish.

"These gangs may be organized by jingoistic media sources e.g. Telecinco, often referred to as TeleSICKO for its extreme campaigns against those who threaten Spanish sports stars".

The most worrying aspect is the underlying suspicion of racism. Hamilton is believed to be under attack in part because of his colour. Sources close to the sport said:

"Some of this stuff seems very close to racism. It seems to me that racial abuse is a lot more acceptable in Spain than most places in the western world. Just look at business with Aragones and Thierry Henri and the fact that this man who is now Spain's national coach was totally unpunished. Most places around the world he would have beensacked and possibly never work again."

Now it remains to be seen whether the likely demise of Alonso as a force in F1 will result in a congruent demise of the Gonzo-Nasties.

Alonso may will be in breach of his contract (if he has signed a letter of intent with Renault) and will need to either buy himself out of his McLaren contract or sit out until 2009. Either way, he is thought to be greatly devalued because of his breach of trust, extortionate behavior, uncontrolled anger when he feels beaten and emotional immaturity.

Never has such an obviously talented young man so spectacularly self-destructed. Key to this has been the cronyism in the Alonso camp; his father and manager are the only people he listens to and, contrasting with Hamilton close team who seem determined to challenge the 22 year old to discipline, are already pandering to his insecurities.

The final race of the season in Brazil is approaching but the bigger sunset is potentially that of Alonso's career.

[IDR]

ANDY ANDY ANDY… LA MARIMORENA!

I was preparing myself for going to have dinner with a couple of friends, when I have read the "wonderful piece of contemporary literature" from our friend Andy G.

May I suggest Andy G to return back to your farm, feed your cows and try to find the light again.

Meanwhile, you can sing a song of Janis Ian that says:

I hear your voice in every corridor
I see your face in every picture frame
I feel your eyes in every starry skay...
Alonso, I am coming home again.

When you’ve gone the sun don’t shine
Light a light, light a light for me…
Bring me back home again
Bring me back home again

[Pino]

AndyG
I have many british good frieds, some of them extraordinary people, not as british or whatever, just as persons. I´m afraid you can´t be one of them (wich I suspect you don´t care much).
I´ll try not to waste much time talking about any blogger. But I think you "deserve" a couple of lines. Obviously, you dont give a dam about "Fernando from Oviedo sets the record straight". You are determined to bore the hell out of us with your bitter and cynical comments. I´m not sure wich ones I dislike the most: your "funny" sarcastic ones, or your "serious" pontifical ones. It is indeed very difficult to be pompous and satirical at the same time, and there you are, triying your chance as the new british boccaccio-Aristophanes. Well, please, don´t get offended, but let me tell you that to be that, you need much much much more intelligence, talent and authority than the one you are showing with your comments.
I don´t know you at all, so I wont dare to say that you suffer from "emotional immaturity" or from "cynical smugness", or from an attack of gasbag. But untill you start showing that authority and start proving your haughty assertions, in my opinion you wont be more than one of the most aggressive, annoying, and sterile (apart from your ability to produce malaise) participant. Please, why dont you try to put down that frustration -or whatever is pestering you- somewhere else?

[Martin]

Ed, why don't yhou apologize for Andy G's comments? Why do you permit his disgusting comments?

[Jose]

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shakin' hands, sayin' "How do you do?"
They're really saying "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself, what a wonderful world

Oh yeah!

[Augusto Baena]

Andy G: "The final race of the season in Brazil is approaching but the bigger sunset is potentially that of Alonso's career."

Calling that wishful thinking is an understatement.

Do you think Kimi's career would be over if he doesn't grab this 2007 title? Because Kimi is older, and has been longer around than Fernando.

Alonso is just 26. Just about the age of Michael when he joined Ferrari, to be 4 seasons without winning anything.

So, don't worry about Fernando, or Lewis, or Kimi. They will all three be back whatever happens in Interlagos.

Regards

[Andy G]

Augusto

Kimi is still a respected driver. We have reasons to believe he is probably the fastest over one lap. We have no reason to think he has major head problems.

Alonso is looking at least somewhat like a bust flush: ordinary in speed, psychologically vulnerable, perfidious in attitude.

Someone may well be greedy and short-termist enough to employ the Matador but will it work?

Well "third time lucky" is possible.

[JACOB]

THE RACE TO READ THE HIEROGLYPHS:

This summer I visited London. During the typical sight seeing I found an interesting book in the British museum. It was: “The Keys of Egypt” by Lesley and Roy Adkins.

The book which by the way is recommended by Douglas Kennedy, The Times is about the “race” to read the hieroglyhs… As we all know the French Champollion was the winner. What I didn´t know is that there was an English man: Young who couldn´t cope with it...

-…the only surviving record of Champollion´s reaction to England is in a letter written two years later by San Quintino, The keeper of the Egyptian Museum at Turin. He had sided with the enemies of Champollion, and in an attempt to denigrate him. San Quintino wrote to Young. “…M, Champollion, who is speaking to me one day of his journey to England, and to the British Museum, told me that the English are barbaric”

Does it ring a bell? Each time an English man may loose a race. There is always a campaign to denigrate their “enemies”. This year it has been very clear. Not only because Fernando Alonso but also Webber, Vettel, Kubica, Ferrari, Renault, Briatore; Mosley… Anybody who didn´t dance with the music of the British press… However time puts everybody in its own place…

[Lewis from Stevenage]

ANDY, ANDY, ANDY... QUE ES LA NOCHE BUENA!

My name is Lewis, I am a Lewis fan, I was born in Stevenage 2 blocks away from Lewis and I would like to apologize on behalf of Andy G.

[Lewis from Stevenage]

uh! I apologize on behalf of JOAN too...

[Gazpaxo]

Imagine someone writing this in a post: "Hi, I'm not British, I'm Scottish"... looks ridiculous to me... specially in a F1 dedicated blog… but I could be wrong.

Anyhow… JOAN, I remember a post of you talking about the same things, and at the end you said something like that you were not going to speak about that argument anymore or answering any comments about it. And I though: Thank God! But apparently you are incapable of talking about anything else.

Why don’t you just go to any other blog more related with that identity little problem that some of you Spaniards have? You can start a post saying that you are Catalan and not Spanish and people will be really interested on it; just imagine! I am not Spanish, yes you are, no I’m not, yes you are. Sounds fun uh? Go ahead! Don’t be shy… your friends are waiting! and perhaps Andy G will be there posting about F1.

BTW is the second time (probably because it is only the second post of you that I read) that you are mentioning the long and great tradition of motorsports in Catalunya, trying to underline your superior knowledge of F1 compared to other Spaniards… oops.. sorry… compared to THE Spaniards. I always laugh with that sentence, is a good one.

And sorry but FYI I am not Spanish, which is excluding been Catalan (that was an easy one) so you will have to find another way to release your anger… I know… the “Gazpaxo” was confusing you… well, get over it.

[Augusto Baena]

Andy G: "Alonso is looking at least somewhat like a bust flush: ordinary in speed, psychologically vulnerable, perfidious in attitude."

Ordinary-in-speed guy has beaten your I-am-humbly-the-best Hamilton in Australia, Malaysia, Monaco, UK, Europe, Monza, Spa and China.

Andy G: "Well "third time lucky" is possible."

I smile everytime I read that from you (which is so many). Please, say it again, Sam. I can almost hear your liver secreting bitter bile. Please, say it again, I enjoy so much.

Say, "Alonso was lucky" another time, please, make it my day.

Regards

[Andy G]

PINO'S POMP and PEEVISHNESS

Pino and all his Extraordinary British GOOD FRIEDS: you are doing a very good job of not wasting time talking about a blogger :)

You do win the ALL TIME PRIZE for pseudo-grandiose nonsense in a post, I quote:

"It is indeed very difficult to be pompous and satirical at the same time, and there you are, triying your chance as the new british boccaccio-Aristophanes."

I[n]telligence, talent and authority are not things one could or should "show" on a blog. What would you like: some sort of accreditation from AS and an IQ certificate?! I am not sure how it helps to have verbal and visual-spatial cognition in the xth centile: it's not very useful on a blog.

Much more useful, in the current context, is pointing out nonsense.

So I will stay here baiting the malcontents until they go away and we can have a blog about F1 again!

[Txus G.R.]

From Andrew Longmore's on Timesonline:

"Consider what Alonso has endured this season: not just the slow dismantling of his self-esteem in the face of his teammate’s extraordinary composure on and off the track, not just the painful realisation that he, a double world champion, was being taken apart by a 22-year-old straight out of GP2, but the slow drip of fact, rumour and half truth over his role in the Ferrari spy scandal that has called into question his character and his integrity."

"Another slip by Hamilton, another misjudgment by the team to whom he has already bid “adios” and the title will stay in Spain. You can imagine the emotion such a triumph would unleash in a man who, having been outqualified by half a second in Shanghai last weekend, hurled his helmet against the garage wall and kicked down a door. “No one,” he said afterwards, “takes half a second out of me.”

"It emerged later that Alonso thought his tyre pressures had been altered before his final qualifying lap, an accusation that will have severed any last dangling thread of credibility Alonso enjoyed within his McLaren-Mercedes team. The dubious ethics of F1 might have been exposed for all to see this past season, but deliberately tampering with a car infringes every moral law of the pit lane, as Alonso well knows."

"Much has been made this season of Alonso’s mental fragility."

And after reading Andrew Longmore's article I read "Fernando from Oviedo sets the record straight" about the Spaniards bloggers behaviour,the Catalonian guy's dissertation and the chapter MCXXXVII from "Andy G's world"...Andy,you are insane buddy.I'm beginning to believe that the mad cows disease started at your farm!
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?

In any case,I agree with IDR (I mostly agree with you),MAXIMVS,AUGUSTO BAENA,PABLO and with the guy who said that "Marca" and "As" blogs are rubbish.Those blogs seems to be not moderated and most of the things written in there are completely unacceptable.It's a shame all the racist stuff you can read down there.Should I apologize in their name?...Cause I'm a Spaniard too.Should Ed,Andy or Richard apologize for all the rubbish written in "The Sun"?...Cause,as far as we know,they are Britons too.

Fernando,I think you are well meaning but you're only responsible on what you writte,think or say don't talk in the name of all the Spaniards please.

By the way,I also want to thank to all the English,and from anywere,bloggers that make an effort to understand all the things that I,one with lowest degree of writting in English have,try to explain.Sometimes it's very dificult to find the right words and some things doesn't sound like I would like to.

Ed,we are still waiting for a serious reply on John L. Sharp's post.This one is interesting too,don't misunderstand me,but isn't the real subject for discussion.

I havent use the word "bias" this time...cheers for me lads!,and again excuse me for my English I tryed my best.

[DisasterArea]

Basically, I do agree with Txus G.R., and his explanations.

And for Fernando:
The world is full of Idiots and the word itself has no nationality.

The best way to identify an idiot is "his behaviour of naming others as idiots".

Got the message?

Anyway:
Congratulations for yourEIC-Award (Ed's Interesting Comment).

Regards,

[Augusto Baena]

Andy G:"So I will stay here baiting the malcontents until they go away and we can have a blog about F1 again!"

Start with yourself. Try to enrich the blog with intelligent posts rather than appointing yourself as the noble swordsman that bears on his shoulder the ungrateful task of cleaning this blog of evil Spaniards.

And we will all fare much better.

[Nadie]

Completely off-topic but since this is out of control I'll write it.

Some days ago, Royal Mail boss accused his own workers of "Spanish Practices". No, it wass not an eulogy, as you, innocent spanish readers, might think. Basicly, he was calling them lazy, unproffesional and the like.

It seems that britons retain some "funny" expressions which relate to Spain. For example, they call "spanish disease" to syphilis. There was other racist expressions(towards jews, for example), they don't use any more. But Spain appears to be a cheap shot.

Honestly, my first (deeply atavic) thought was "Fernando, send that british guy and his british team to hell at first opportunity and give Ferrari the championship".

My second one (a more civilised one), was, that actually I love London, where british are surprisingly kind (much kindier that those I found in Spain), and I really enjoy british comedy (Monty Python, Fry & Laurie, etc...), and that reducing everything to a national dispute was pretty pointless. FA's performance won't help to remove racism from britain's english, which, at the end, it something I should care more about.

Yes, I'm going somwhere, don't be impatient. The conclussion is, that most Britons, may be unconcienciusly, feel they are "better" that Spainiards. It still rooted in their own language!

That explain the unfair treatment towards FA in the British press. It's okay to lose after an equal, but a Spainiard isn't, for some british people.

I know this explanation (if published) won't be liked by britons, but it may help spainiards to understand Andy G comments, and why he makes them.

[Andy G]

NO NO NO

I am against aggressive, manipulative, fantasy conspiracy theorists because they are contemptible, boring and swamping this blog in "DOS attack" fashion.

I was an Alonso appreciator but I am increasing negative because of his increasingly stupid and weak behaviour.

Pat Symonds is one of the best "grey-hair" engineers in F1. I forgave Alonso for getting into difficulties with him; Alonso was young, inexperienced and under pressure.

But then the fool comes to McLaren and tries to cover up his broadly equal performance with Hamilton by demanding the team hobble Lewis' performance.

Shame on Fernando, all his fans and all their speculative, manufactured, disgraceful propaganda.

P.S. TXUSGRRRR has to be up there with the silliest of posters (I have always thought that JAVIERVIVIAESPANA is having a laugh and is probably from Uttoxeter or somesuch).

[Pablo]

Hi Ed, "thanks" for censuring my sarcastic paragraph. You forgot to delete the last ">"... and the following comment from Andy G (let's say... just for the same reason)

Andy, do you have an answer to John Sharps' following comment?:

"strategy changed to silently benefit/favour the McLaren breed driver. Proof for this is that the number of extra flying laps that Hamilton has enjoyed is 7 against 2 of Alonso (at the beginning of the season)."

You can also pretend not to notice my post, even though is not about race, not about Hamilton and not about "Englishness" vs "Fanatics". I really don't know the answer, but you surely have some answers to this.

And please, don't take offence of my racist and fanatic comments (sorry Ed, it just slipped out of my mouth).

[Pablo B]

The only sin of Fernando was to "say something negative about the golden boy" as Mark Webber said:
"I got pretty much slaughtered by the British gutter press about what I said on Thursday in China in the FIA press conference, but I guess that's what happens when you say something negative about the golden boy."

http://www.planet-f1.com/story/0,18954,3486_2792999,00.html

[Augusto Baena]

Nadie,

Good point. Britons have always looked down on Spaniards and having wonder-rookie being defeated by a Finnish is not good, but by an inferior Spaniard is just unbearable.

Some examples:
- "Spanish practices": irregular working procedures imposed by workers on employers
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_561508044/Spanish_practices.html
- "Spanish padlock": chastity belt
http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictionary/Spanish+padlock
- "Spanish gout / pip": shyphilis
http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictionary/Spanish%20pip
- "Spanish tummy": diarrhea
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=spanish+tummy
- "Spanish rice": semen
http://www.sex-lexis.com/Sex-Dictionary/Spanish+rice
- "Spanish trumpeter": an ass when braying
http://www.fromoldbooks.org/Grose-VulgarTongue/s/spanish-trumpeter.html

The problem is that English don't find acceptable using "Jew" as a synonim to "miserly" or despective use of "black", "nigger", etc is banned, but the term "Spanish practices" is widely used today:

The Telegraph: "Royal Mail boss attacks 'Spanish practices'" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/10/09/npost209.xml

We can see that, on the final countdown week, the campaign against Alonso is getting back:
Kevin Garside on the Telegraph: "Paranoid Alonso"
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/sport/kevingarside/october/paranoidalonso.htm

More to come.

Regards

[ALLMAN]

Well, if the English killed hundreds of thousands of their Irish, Scottish and Welsh "brothers" for centuries....What kind of treatement do you expect from the worst of the nationalist towards a Spaniard sportman?

[luigi]

wow!

I go out for two days and when come back, I find a lot of spanish people talking about one spanish man who feels guilty of spanish education, and his words have been selected by an english man to illustrate by "our" own words, which part is more biased. and everybody agrees, because no one want to be part of the mob?

I recommend to read "Culture and the State" by David Lloyd and Paul Thomas, to have an interesting no-despotic perspective about seemingly uncultivated partisan logic.

and from that perspective, perhaps ed`s choice to select these words may be renewedly "illustrated".

[Txus G.R.]

Blah,blah,blah...

I was an Andy G. appreciator but I am increasing negative because of his increasingly stupid and weak behaviour.

Andy,you need to surpass your infantile trauma.I'm sure that in the U.K. you have great psychologists you can speak with.You just have to choose one and start a therapy:

-"Hi,my name is Andy.I'm here because my ass used to get kicked by an Spanish boy at school when I was 12 and now I'm an Spaniards serial killer."

-"Hi Andy..."(The therapy group responds)

As simple as that,Andy.There you can talk with other serial killers like you and learn from their own experiences.I'm sure that with the right therapy and lots of drugs(Lucky you!)you can surpass your trauma.We'll be very proud of you.

Andy,we are still wating for your serious reply on John L.Sharp's post.Meanwhile,I can swear you that I'm having a big laugh...In terms of raw fun,I mean.

P.S.You fit perfectly at Marca's blog.

[an alonso fan]

What would you say if I say that Andy G is a fictional character: it is Ed Gorman's invention. It makes sense: first, Ed's blog must appear less biased toward Hamilton; second, he can vent his anger by inventing nonsense and thirdly, it makes a great read.
By the way, the Alonso apology doesn't apply to me;I am not a Spaniard, I am an American who loves
F1, Alonso, everything Spanish and the English Premier League: Rooney,
Lampard, Gerrard, Ferdinand, the Coles, Crouch and of course, Beckham
who is playing in the US.
PS: Nadie, I agree with your posts.

[Pablo B]

It reminds my to TRAINSPOTING:

Tommy: Doesn't it make you proud to be Scottish?
Mark "Rent-boy" Renton: It's SHITE being Scottish! We're the lowest of the low. The scum of the fucking Earth! The most wretched miserable servile pathetic trash that was ever shat on civilization. Some people hate the English. I don't. They're just wankers. We, on the other hand, are colonized by wankers. Can't even find a decent culture to get colonized by. We're ruled by effete assholes. It's a shite state of affairs to be in, Tommy, and all the fresh air in the world won't make any fucking difference!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117951/quotes
Regards

[Amazed]

The question is not if LH is or not a good driver. The question is if MacLaren team and Ron Dennis has been consciously all the season boycotting in critical moments the FA car. Moreover, is completely idiot that "Fernando de Oviedo" claim himself to represent any spanish supporter. His comment is completely unfortunate and hypocritical. Of course in both sides spanish and british there ara phanatics... BOTH SIDES. However, is not te question if not MacLaren team and Ron Dennis has been doing or not an illegal behaviour to avoid a equal and friendly competition between FA and LH.

[Fernando de Oviedo]

Yes I am the Fernando who wrote to Ed the e-mail that he so nicely published, even polishing a bit my rough english.
I just want to say "sorry" to those offended by the sentence " I would really like to apologize on behalf of..."
It was just an expression, maybe not a fortunate one. I did not intend to be the actual representative of these many.

About the rest of my e-mail to Ed: I keep every single word I wrote. Just to make it clear:
1) No need to show things that we really do not feel: We are not (in general) racist, intolerant, narrow-minded,... cretins.
2) no one cares outside of Spain about our nationalist problems and feelings. This is specially for JOAN.

3)¡¡Vamos NANO!!http://www.somostuequipo.com/

[Joseote]

Is Andy G. definitely taking off his mask or is someone else pretending to be Andy G.?

Anyway:

"Never has such an obviously talented young man so spectacularly self-destructed.". SELF-destructed? or McLaren-destructed? The team has never supported him (I mean emotionally, not technically), but from Hungary, they have set the dogs on him (or at least, let the dogs chew him).

"his father and manager are the only people he listens to". Well, talking about fathers, I have never seen Alonso's in the Media, what I cannot say about Hamilton's.

"Hamilton close team who seem determined to challenge the 22 year old to discipline"... How? By forgiving him everything?. Mimicking Ed's word (sorry), "If you were a soldier and you disobbeyed previously agreed orders and you told the General to 'go f***ing svivel', you would be in serious problem, but F1 is not the Army..."

"Hamilton is believed to be under attack in part because of his colour". Completely untrue. He is under attack mainly because the war against Alonso started by British Media. True it is, I'm afraid, that there are some rude people (but not many) that use his color as yet another thing against him. However many people in Spain still thinks he is a very good driver and would be a worthy champion and deserve the tittle, after all, if he finally suceeds to win (of course, we would rather prefer he doesn't, not for his behaviour but mainly for McLaren's).

"...are finding it hard to understand that someone else might be a little faster than him". 0,6 seg is not a "little faster" in qualifying, mainly when Alonso didn't make any significant mistake and Lewis was always slower during the whole weekend except in the latest moment (Q3). If they were just 0,1 or 0,2 seconds, it would be a different thing.

[Joseote]

Anyway, Andy G., If I were Alonso, I would prefer to return to Renault -even if they do not have a winnig car- rather than staying in McLaren for another season, the mood (from both sides) being so poisonous....

[Chema Chote]

I have, not long ago, apologized for some insults and unfortunate comments posted in this blog by some supposed Spanish compatriots. I couldn't agree more with Fernando, but I would add that I've been, recently, very disappointed by the British public's and press' attitude regarding this issue. I've shared working environment with Brits, Americans, French, Germans, Aussies, and many other nationalities. I've done my bit of traveling around and keep good friends in the UK. The fact is that I have always been shocked by that British ability for self-criticism, but only as long as this is kept at personal or small reunion of friends level. Nothing like this happens at higher levels. It's this lack of contact with reality what, in my opinion, has caused these overreactions we've all witnessed over here, perhaps boosted by the attitude of people who speaks about fair play and equality, and then do exactly the opposite.

In my opinion, it's not just about achieving a goal, it's as well about HOW you achieve it. And if I were LH, I wouldn't be that much proud about this championship, should I eventually win it.

[alvaro]

well, nice message Fernando,but the same thing hapens in uk,but they are no just crap fans saying nonsens,its nearly the 95% of uk press saying lies,what is clearly diferent,an idiot can be an idiot from the silence of his house,never a journalist...what we have in england is a big problem with info,like in usa,so people are just believing what they hear,even if its false.

[alex]

alonso is the best F1 pilot, he won schumacher on the road and lewis never doing this, Lewis crie becouse had the championsip on the hand.The next year alonso and kimi fight for the champion and lewis crie again.

[Oliver]

Ok, we've seen LH is a great driver, but not to become a world champion this year. He got lost trying to fight against FA in China and Brazil... a real world champion wouldn´t do that. He doesn´t know how to race under pressure. Schumacher, Raikkonen, Alonso...they wouldn´t lost 17 points in 2 races only tryinf to win the race, not the championship

[Oliver]

Hey, friend, try another nickname because "Oliver" is the one I use. In fact, I used to be "Oliver Cromwell" but some Britons disliked it and now I don't have a surname. Thank you.

[Barcelona]

I agree with you about the english press. You're also right with the issue that FIA and McLaren have protected Hamilton.But we don't have to forget that meanwhile Alonso has discuted with Massa, Ron Dennis, the press and made some acts that he souldn't have done, Hamilton never said a word. I've naver seen or even heard him open his mouth to reclaim enything. He has always been very quiet and followed his team orders. Even after the problem in the pit on the Q3, when Alonso was waiting to get out and Lewis waited him stopped right behind, he just asked for pardon when he could have started damning(the things he said on the team radio shouldn't be important, because he had just lost the pole for a team error). So I don't discus that people had treated him well, I just thing that it isn't Hamilton's fault. I'm from Barcelona and I want Alonso to win, but I don't have any problem in recognise that Hamilton is much better person than Fernando is.