John L Sharp's view of Fernando vs Lewis

EG writes: John L Sharp drives a Ferrari, supports Ferrari and reads this blog. A disinterested observer then. Here is his analysis of the key moments of the season which he sent in as a comment and reply to Chris.

MONACO: where this muddle started. Team orders were issued (to slow down) to preserve the engine for the next race (when Alonso, after 2nd pit stop had a +10sec advantage on Hamilton and close to 1 min on Massa). Alonso limited his car rpm down to 17000 rpm. Hamilton "failed" to listen and his complaint initiated an FIA investigation. No foul play. Alonso faster than Hamilton!

INDIANAPOLIS: No orders were given to reduce rpms. Alonso was undoubtedly faster than Hamilton. Alonso tried just once to overtake Hamilton. Failed, but his reaction in the following lap suggested that maybe, just maybe, he was stopped from trying again by team orders. At least this would have been the consensus amongst English press should that have happened the other way round!! Alonso did not "request" the FIA to investigate what to everyone's eyes was more suspicious than what had "happened" in MONACO. Yes, Hamilton won the US GP (but Alonso outpaced Hamilton there!)And this includes all way throughout Q1, Q2 and Q3, until the very last extra flying lap (as also occurred previously in Canada).And we know that this season, apart from when there is a mechanical failure or significant human error, P1 is equivalent to victory (that's why enjoying that extra flying lap in Q3 is soooo important - with less fuel)

MAGNY-COURS: mechanical problems for Alonso with the gear change system and suspension hydraulics or electronics. I can't remember now. No foul play. Probably bad luck?. Hamilton faster than Alonso!

SILVERSTONE: pole for Hamilton (this was clearly planned to satisfy British supporters). We know what happened after. Alonso faster than Hamilton!

NURBURGRING: Hamilton's incident. Alonso had the same problem with his car. Only he was luckier. I could not compare performances as Hamilton may have been physically in a poorer condition. But I have to give Alonso the benefit of the doubt in this one. Alonso faster than Hamilton!

HUNGARORING: the second incident. Naughty boys (both Hamilton and Alonso)! Alonso actually was faster when he did his best lap (faster than Hamilton with same fuel loads). Of course, Hamilton intentions were to steal Alonso's extra lap knowing than P1= Victory in here. He wanted to enjoy that extra flying lap (and with less fuel load) so it was likely he could have improved Alonso's lap. But on equal levels of fuel Alonso was faster. And do not forget, it was Alonso’s turn to enjoy the extra flying lap (Hamilton prevented him from doing so). FIA sanction absolutely inappropriate. Hamilton should now have 2 points less and Alonso 5 more (as surely Alonso would have won that race and Hamilton would have finished 2nd or third). Unfortunately for Alonso, the "judges" were a British, a German and a Chinese (it is like having an English referee in the World Cup Final between England and Spain - biased decision!). Curiously same British guy that investigated the Japanese SC mess.

TURKEY: relatively bad luck for Hamilton. Maybe he was pushing too hard and not looking after his tyres properly. Relatively because luckily for him, the tyre burst two or three corners before pit entry so he was able to finish 5th. However, Hamilton was faster!

MONZA: Alonso faster. As simple as that!

SPA: Alonso faster. As simple as that! Poisonous strategy (Hamilton 5 extra laps 2nd stint). Not investigated by FIA. Hamilton's lack of speed prevented him from overtaking Alonso. Naughty Ron .

JAPAN: Alonso's accident. Difficult weather conditions! Erratic driving behind SC. FIA does not sanction Hamilton. Abnormal real tyre pressures after 1st pit stop. Overinflation. However, let's say that Hamilton was faster than Alonso, and luckier!

CHINA: Alonso faster than Hamilton, except Q3 by 0.6 sec! Tyre pressures used in Q3 appear to be overheated causing increase of pressure, measured at 1.5 psi - normally 0.2 psi. Max Mosley and FIA are aware of this and highly suspicious. Foul play, however, would be difficult to prove. Hamilton faster in Q3, but is that real or due to some sort of manipulation? The race as expected. From P1 usually you will maintain the momentum (independently of who you are). Poor tyre treatment: Hamilton was clearly abusing intermediate tyres, driving over dried tarmac, overheating and gradually destroying them. Yes, you get more speed that way but the life span greatly diminishes. And he paid for it. Bad luck, though.

FINALLY: There have been circuits were Alonso has been clearly faster during free practice, Q1, Q2 and most of Q3 until the very last lap, when Hamilton with the extra flying lap (less fuel, do not forget) has secured P1 –. The Team, since Canada, has been clearly helping strategically Hamilton's interests and Alonso is not stupid and realises that. One now wonders whether a “magic” hand has been playing little tricks on Alonso. Nothing surprises me these days.

CONCLUSION: Maybe everybody was expecting Alonso to run easily away with the title. However, once the Team realised that Hamilton was very good, 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). And after Brazil it surely will be 8 against 2. And we know that overtaking is not easy these days (so there are huge team interests on securing P1, and surely this is the aim of McLaren for Hamilton in Brazil). This can be achieved by giving Hamilton once more the extra flying lap and if he struggles, maybe overcooking certain drivers rubber.

Equality is a nice word, but from now on it sounds to me like pathological thinking coming from Ron's mouth.

I just can’t imagine how difficult it has been for Alonso to keep focused (and I could extend on the psychological war launched by McLaren against Alonso after Monza, including Hamilton's comments (always under the protection of Ron). 

If you ask me, I would love to see Kimi Raikonnen getting this one. But if Alonso wins, no doubt it will be a great and well-deserved achievement. Frankly, if Kimi fails, I would enjoy Alonso clinching this one.

I do not trust Ron, I do not trust McLaren, I do not trust Hamilton.
And the last stupid comments (by Ron Dennis) reinforce my well established, deep-rooted opinion.

And yes, I support Ferrari (and luckily for me, I even drive one)

Brazil, here I come!!

Comments

[REDDWARF]

Ed, thanks for including this opinion. I think it is a good explanation of what has happened during the whole season. I totally agree with him. This is a good example of a fair and not biased opinion. You should learn this from him.

[IDR]

"UNA DE CAL Y OTRA DE ARENA"

Spanish proverb meanning in this case that you are giving the audience some blogs against Fernando and some others in his favour.

I want to say here again, that maybe L Hamilton should deserve this title (only if he finalizes the WDC 7 points ahead of F Alonso).

But R Dennis, McLaren and some L Hamilton supporters (including you Ed), do NOT DESERVE it for sure.

Said this, L Hamilton's fans army are welcome to refute John L Sharp's comment.

In any case, Ed I appreciate your efforts trying not being so much biased.

[Lucas, London]

Dear Ed,

Congratulations for posting Sharp's views in your blog.

We were missing this, the acceptance that maybe (just maybe!) Alonso is not the bad guy. I think what irritates the spanish or Ferrari supporters is that, most of the time, the british press assumes Ron's and Hamilton's views as the absolute and unquestionable truth. Maybe not. Maybe Alonso is not against the team, but the team is against him... or, in a neutral view, the relations deteriorated and they are against each other.

Please, remember the responsability of writing in influential journal before attacking Alonso's brilliant career. I should remind the members of this blog that a cultural characteristic of the Brisith is to believe in their own lies. This was well criticised by George Orwell's 1984. 'Doubletalk is language deliberately constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning' (from wikipedia), and that is the language that Ron Dennis and Lewis Halmiton speak.

[Carlos B.]

excellent analysis by John, i agree 100% with his point of views, is not the first time i mention on this blog that we needed to look at Monaco and Hamilton's unfair complaint to the FIA as the originating spark that incensed Mclaren pit.

Hamilton's behaviour in Hungary and the subsequent FIA decision was like pouring petrol over the fire created in Monaco.

and yes, Alonso has fell apart of his team, which now can be used by Ron Dennis to justify the better strategies they are providing to Hamilton, but this has been happening since at least the US GP, way before the spy-gate and way before Alonso was no longer in speaking terms with Ron Dennis.

blaming Alonso's behaviour for the favouritism of Mclaren towards Hamilton will inevitably drive us all to the same question:

what came first, the chicken or the egg?

[Manuel]

Ed,

Which is your point of view about?

Anyway, thanks for the Johyn L Sharp.

Good point for you.

[BigBird]

Great, great. At last we have here an opinion, non suspicious of "fanatism", that summarizes perfectly what many of Alonso supporters think about the whole thing going on this season, no matter how fortunately their opinions were expressed. Congrats to John L. Sharp (also for driving a Ferrari ;)) you lucky man!)

[Joseote]

I agree with Mr. Sharp views, except about Hamilton. He is a good driver, and although he has not acted completely cleanly, Alonso has not behave perfectly, either. If he win, he will be a worthy champion, as also would be Alonso and Kimi. I hate simplistic points of view like "Hamilton is evil and cunning" or "Alonso is behaving like a spoilt child".

I also think as Lucas suggest ("the relations deteriorated and they are against each other"). I tried to say it yesterday in a post, but I said it much more clumsy. Obviously the climax was in Hungary, where all the tension between the two drivers burst out. I think the team also contributed to this by not letting the drivers to play their strengths, which may have led them to think that the other driver was being helped. The results all we know, and obviously the team is much less happy with Alonso, although we do not know what exactly a "specific reference to the mails" is. (according to the British Press it was blackmail, according to the Spanish press it was just a hot retort "I have proof you are not as honest as you pretend to be").

On the other hand, I think after the "degradation of the relationship", British Media started a hard lets-hang-alonso campaign with the complicity of McLaren, that have let them do and done nothing to prevent it. However I do not think Hamilton himself is to be blame for that. The team, I do found guilty. And, particularly, I couldn't understand why they blamed Alonso for not doing what they haven't done previously: discard defamating rumours.

With regards to the infamous "We were basically racing Ferando", I am still quite disturbed. You WERE racing Fernando for the world championship or for the that particular race? If you had changed the tyres before, I think Lewis would have finished at least fourth (more probably third) and won the title. Why WERE you trying so hard to beat Alonso in THAT particular RACE when you could have secured the championship? That is what I can't understand very well, for I only can think of one explanation: You (Ron or the Team?) would like to punish him as much as possible before the season ends.

I do not expect McLaren to "overcook" Alonso's rubber in Brazil. However, this expression was very funny, I had a real laugh at it.

[Lisa]

One of the best summaries of this season I've read, mainly due to the lack of 'ranting'. I would like Alonso to take the title again, as I do think he's had a very tough season and frankly it would serve McLaren right. I have no great expectation that he will win though. Failing that, I'd like it to go to Kimi.

[victor-spain]

I do agree with this point of view. And now what is going to happen?

Good way of making business by Ron& Norbert: "Making friends all over they go".What the hell are they waiting in Germany to stop this?

This situation is now out of McMerc control and they will face problems in Spain with their economics interests, maybe in other countries too.All these evidences are sold here ( Spain) like an attack to our Country and people will think twice where to put their money.

Also not to forget the role play by Max Mosley ( FIA was interpretating rules ad hoc for Lewis ) and his former boss Bernie ( please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Ecclestone). All what is going on today, need to be watched with the light beam in the past. I mean when they did plan the strategy for ... This was a master movement by Bernie. Really brilliant. Regarding this, I do not understand why Toyota, BMW, Ferrari, Renault,Honda,...are putting their money in a business that seems to be not very clear. These companies are the core of all and they manage nothing. What are you doing guys?This is like paying for the party and not being allowed to enter.

Lewis is going to win ( 99% sure ) but it will be a tainted victory and worst of all is that McMerc that was a top team before what is going on this year : Spygate and Fernando "car/strategy" seemed to be doctored, will never be the same company and even managing directors can go to jail in Italy.

What a pity!It seems that the result was decided not in the track.

And what about you people, the audience? We all amazed watching at the fireworks while others... Let us show them that at the end they can race because we , THE PUBLIC, pay. With our behaviour we can change many thins if we really LOVE this sport and fair play.

Let us start!

[RPalacios]

Man, you didn't see that coming!! Neat and tidy, superb comment. I just wouldn't add anything, thank you, Ed & Sharp!

[LSG]

As we say in Spain:

"IT CAN BE SAID LOUDER BUT NOT CLEARER"

Nice Post

[Salvador Mendez]

Dear Ed,

Thank you so much for including this comment. I have criticized many of your posts but it seems taht you are getting ready for the eventuality that Lewis screws up again.

[Flying Dutchman]

Amen. Great summary. Now this is an article worthy of a prestigious newspaper.

[Siri]

Not fair play this year… and it’s a pity because even if Hamilton wins this year, his reputation will be on doubt for a long time, not the best way to start a possible great professional career. And also happen with Ron, McLaren, Mercedes… they can win the championship but they are losing other important things, reputation, image, sales, sponsorships…
Ecclestone also failed supporting this shady business

[willy]

John L Sharp...You just made me cry!!!
Everything we all know you just said.
Thanks Ed for at least letting the truth come out, although this won't help Fernando at all to win this championship.
I have faith that Alonso will show his class, and probably will pull this one out for all of us his fans!!.

[Luis de Expaña]

Dear Ed

Thanks for be honest. And write the true.

Hamilton, 21 years old and very good driver, will win but he will not enjoy it.
Ron and him will have problems in the future ( If Alonso is not next year adjusting the car and I do not think he will be )

[Andy G]

Everyone has his point of view and this one was quite reasonably expressed.

I have to disagree emphatically with those who say that this is a fine example of an unbiased post!

This is a fully biased post! It seems that the supporters of the perspective rehearsed here regard their view as the centre, ie they do the same as the pro-Hamilton fanatics. (Of which I am not).

Why is it biased? Because:

1. It makes assumptions about situations, and chooses to interpret things, we cannot know about in favour of Alonso and against Hamilton and McLaren

2. It includes some examples of special events that might excuse Alonso from having a performance or result deficit or explain some part of the writer's argument but does not mention other events that would tend not to support his argument

3. It is written to support a pre-formed conclusion

I respect a reasonable and well argued point of view but that doesn't mean it is not biased! It is just as biased as the crazy posts in support of one driver or another.

Oe those posts that claim that the FIA/F1/McLaren/Gordon Brown are a conspiracy whose sole aim is to expunge Magic Alonso from the face of the planet at the first opportunity.

[Azi]

Congratulations Ed! I think your analisys is absolutly objetive.

[Alfredo Nieto]

Absolutely brilliant post by John L Sharp.

To be honest, I must admit I've supported Ferrari since I started watching Formula 1 and last season I wanted Schumacher to win the WDC sooo badly! I have *never* experienced such powerful emotions watching F1 as I did with the last race in Brazil.

If someone asked me why I love this sport I would play that DVD to him.
In fact I can't recall Alonso's celebration, but I definitely remember Schumi waving goodbye and a stupid engineer from Renault with a banner saying 'Schumacher who?'

Anyway, when the Kaiser left I was really looking forward to see Kimi driving a Ferrari and the oncoming battle with Alonso in his silver arrow: until Monaco ended, I was cheering both red drivers and not him. But then Hamilton started whinging about unfair treatment and things begun getting complicated for Fernando...

The way I see it (and most of Spaniards for that matter), Alonso is the outsider in a British team with a British driver who will do whatever it takes to win - with the collusion of the team leader and the sport's governing authorities: that's why RD has openly admitted to be racing Fernando and not Kimi, that's why Lewis got the crane lift in Germany, that's why he hasn't got penalized after the incident with the safety car in Japan, that's why nothing happened when he urged the stewards to push him from the gravel -endangering their lives as well as his own!- when it is illegal...

And yet the point of no return took place in Hungary. We have a saying in Spain "no hay peor ciego que el que no quiere ver" (there's no blinder person than the one who doesn't want to see) which fits the state of denial British press and fans live in about what happened there. Lewis ignored team orders about a previous agreement, Fernando followed the team orders which Hamilton obviously didn't like (go fucking swivel to RD, let's not forget) and then Lewis sent his dad to the stewards to complain... against his own team!

We know what happened after that (or part of it, at least), but then everything was a chain of events triggered by Lewis' attitude. Paradoxically, after everything that has happened since then, the team is all behind Lewis - and then again, let's not forget that Lewis went to Paris with his own lawyer only to defend himself!

Seeing all that, of course I have started supporting Alonso. This season is not about driving and competing anymore: it's just a political set-up to have a British F1 champion again no matter how.

At some point Ecclestone must have thought that having a black british champion would maximize the audience... but I'm afraid that it'll only happen in the UK. You can visit autosport's forums and check what kind of simpathy Lewis has got amongst die-hard F1 fans around the world.

I want Alonso to win, but only to shut a lot of mouths up. What I'm really looking forward to is for this crappy season to end and have a decent one again in 2008.

With no traction control and no brake distribution, we will see who is the best driver on the grid. Surprises lie ahead...

[Jose]

Since I saw the F1 for the first time, I supported McLaren. From now on, I won't support it anymore.

As you, I do not trust neither Ron nor Norbert, I do not trust McLaren, and I do not trust Hamilton.

A Spanish fan.

[Jon T]

An interesting perspective John, perhaps let down by some of the baseless allegations towards the end. Talk of cooked tyres is fast becoming accepted knowledge rather than the scurrilous rumour it seems to be.

The only official talk of tyre pressures I've found has been Fernando's non-answer in the Fuji press conference and his remark that the pressures were "a little higher than usual" and "under investigation" after Shanghai. No mention of the FIA, and certainly no hard figures anywhere. The FIA itself has made no comments about tyres either.

While the rubber compound and construction of F1 tyres is substantially different, the fundamental principal remains. They need considerable internal air pressure to support a car's weight; a quick look on Google suggested F1 cars run approximately 22psi.

Having driven a road car running 6psi on the rear with a slow air leak, I assure you it's nearly undrivable and unpredictable even without doing 300km/h. Talk of 1.5psi and 0.2psi is clearly nonsense.

I suggest the figures given are in bar, not psi. 1.5 bar is roughly 22psi, consistent with what I would expect, while 0.2 bar is about 3psi.

My interpretation of the allegation is that the tires ran 3psi over their normal 22psi pressure. Not substantial enough to cause major handling problems, but enough to reduce the grip from its optimum level and cost time. This sounds more believable, although it's anyone's guess whether this happened on the cars; bear in mind that pressure can fluctuate in accordance with the temperature of the rubber, hence the hard work the drivers put in to keep pressures constant under SC conditions etc.

I hope at least someone considers this more insightful than just saying "FA's tires were nobbled!" and referring to unsourced speculation in the media.

Here's a new rumour for the die-hards: Ferrari's tyres are inflated with a special air mixture (see the FIA hearing). I say it was methane. After all, what is a common source of methane on Earth? Cows. See where I'm going with this?

[Luis P]

Brilliant. Thanks for sharing Ed, it is an opinion-changer post, it really makes me think that Hamilton does not deserve the title. The flow of events described by John L Sharp is really creidible, logical and "disturbing", and it really makes sense. Thanks.

[marie]

thanks John L Sharp and Ed, as a Ferrari fan, of course I want Kimi to win, but the turmoil in Mclaren sure make for one interesting side show---I also agree with the chicken and the egg comment for at this point, no one seems to really know where the deterioration of the relationship within the Mclaren team started. And if I had to choose between the Mclaren drivers for the championship (though it breaks my heart to do so) for the sake of history, Hamilton would be a great winner, but for the sake of overcoming all obstacles through talent, grit and determination (which at times cross the line), Alonso could prove once again why he is the best driver on the grid (second to Kimi of course :))

[Matt]

It's frustrating that so called fans of Formula One endlessly invent facts to support their radical fiction, but I take comfort in the knowledge that such hubris is destined to be lost in a critical mass of like content, posted shamelessly on other Formula One news sites. I can only guess that your justification for posting this poorly written (and factually incorrect) appraisal by "John L Sharp", is an attempt to appear less partial towards Hamilton (for the record, I don’t think you are!). It’s my opinion that you have become increasingly insecure when writing about Fernando or Lewis, much to the detriment of this blog. Your writing has become cautious, wooden and (quite frankly) uninteresting. Please leave the ill considered rants of “John L Sharp” and his kin buried in cyberspace, where it belongs.

[Max-Miami]

Great analisys! Thank you John for writing & Ed for posting.

[aps]

Excellent analysis

[Jarros]

To John L Sharp,

You can be proud of such a brilliantarticle. Congratulations for that, this is the best way to keep F1 racing flame where it deserves to be.

On the other hand. It has been reported recently, that Mercedes in Spain, has started to detect substantial reduction on sales, due to customer now prefering to buy Audi cars instead, since McL Team (apparently) started to "doctor", Alonso's racing, so as to ensure LH, clinch WDC title, one way or another.

In order to minimize impact on Mercedes sales in Spain, Norbert Haug has been instructed to convince Alonso to change his future declarations to press, so as not increase negative perception on Mercedes' Spanish market.

At the end...

Business are business !

Congratulations againg for your post

[IDR]

TO ANDY G

"It includes some examples of special events that might excuse Alonso from having a performance or result deficit or explain some part of the writer's argument but does not mention other events that would tend not to support his argument"

I am sure that all posters will appreciate a lot if you just mention those events that would tend no to support John's arguments, instead of trying to refuse them with empty paragraphs like the one indicated above.

And Andy, don't try to seem impartial. Everybody who had read your comments from the first one to now, knows perfectly the value of your "obtectivity"

[Ponzonha]

Amen. At least there are English people who understood what happened in F1 this season.

Before was all about how paranoid Alonso and his fans were. Now and after Ron “slip of the tongue” people started to question things. Perhaps Alonso wasn’t that paranoid after all and he had a point.

The question now appears to be what came first, the egg or chicken?
At least opinions are moving in one direction. To me Alonso has been consistently saying the same thing from day one, when Ron has been saying one thing and doing the opposite until the "slip".

I believe the chicken came first (few years ago), the cow was only erratically passing by (first year) and the egg got broken in an accidental slip of the tongue.

[Txus G.R.]

"John L Sharp's view of Fernando vs Lewis" is the best post ever.

Just brilliant John.Nothing to add.
Ed you must learn from this guy...Andy G and the other biased britons too.
This is a real and cold analysis of this season and puts everybody in advice on what's still to come from Ron D. at Brazil.The FIA must punish Ron D. and disqualify him inmediatly.First the "spygate" and now as you,biased britons,can see the "equal treatmentgate".

I understand that you want Lewis H. became world champion but for sure,as I still believe in your fair play,not this way.Am I wrong?

Now after reading this brilliant master piece from John I hope that most of you understand now why the whole world don't like Lewis H. as sportman and most of the things written or said against Fernando A. were absolutly nonsense.

Keep this line Ed,please.The truth as safety is first.

Thanks again John.(You had written all the things that I would like too but my poor and bad English doesn't deserve me.I'll keep on improving.)

Kimi for president.

[Andy G]

THE REAL ANDY G GOES TO THE DARK SIDE

Having read TXUSGRRRRRRRR's latest post, I have been converted by the power of his argument.

I have learned from "John L Sharp", the architypal, Fezza-enabled Englishmen, as instructed, and can only hope that my alter-ego Ed does too.

Ron Dennis is a chief devil and all the little devilettes dance to his magic music, every McLaren little devil wants nothing more to wipe the tears from the cry-baby love-child-of-Anthony-Hamilton-and-Ron Dennis-and-Max Mosley-and-BernardCharlesEcclestone buhuhuhuhuhuuuuuur (that is him crying).

The only correct way to run a team is to have a number 1 and number 2 driver policy like Ferrari (used to) and anyone who says something different is a liar and a cheatah and the FIA must immediately disqualify Don Rennis - the secret chief maFIA, and that Norbert Haug is just as bad, may their car sales figures fall into the fiery pit of hell until the superivisory board of Daimler Benz AG use their minority shareholding in McLaren to (somehow) get Don Rennis to apologise to Juan Carlos II before plunging himself from the top of the unfinished and bizarre Gaudi thing in Barcelona that would look more at home in a (fairly large) fishtank.

I don't trust Don Rennis or Uncle Norby or any nasty so-called Britons (including rotund, tash-on, tash-off, German ones) who have assumption of superiority and are totally biased about everything.

And I no longer trust anyone else who doesn't agree with me and TXUSGRRRRRRR and anyone who doesn't agree with us should have their fingernails pullled out until they cry like a baby-devil.

Our Champion Magic Alonso has done very well to get into F1 with only £1.50 having been born in a shoebox and raised by a family of voles.

He has used only his "pure latin honest and emotional" talent and his extensive eyebrows that he modelled on Nigel Mainsail, without the unfair patronage bestowed upon the cry-baby by Don Rennis simply because he is a small British boy with no cows.

All drivers that I don't like are also being Cheatahs and should be put out to pasteur in the dessert.

Everything negative written about Alonso (may his name by hailed) is completely false.

Everything negative written about Cry-Baby is true because I said so and I don't like him very much because he has made the all-time-world-beating credentials of "el Matador" be called into question even though he beat Schumacher two times in the WDC using a Renault that was the worst car on the grid and was 3000 horsepowers down on the Ferrari.

Everything good written about the little Briton-devil is a false conspiracy against the honourable and non-blackmailing OurChampionOfAsturiasWhoIsntMoodyorEmotionallyUnstableOrParanoid.

Everything written in Marca and AS is obviously true and an honourable journalistic endeavour well-supported by facts and proper confirmations.

Everything written by the Times, the once respected organ of Rupert Murdoch, is a blatant and biased attack on our driver isn't it Ed G? Can you now learn from this yes?

Everyone in the world outside of Britain's shores hates Hamilton with great passion because he is not fit to tie the shoes of Magic Alonso. Cry-baby will be 17 seconds off the pace next year when Ferd-in-class is not around to set-up his car and make sure it is working etc.

Finally I would just like to say that I don't like anyone who doesn't agree with me.

Did I say that already. Oh I did.

Let's award the championship to OurLadyofAlonso right now.. because we want to.

And if this post reads just like the preceding 27,000 posts from various flotsam and jetsam that are clogging up the ether than that's the inevitable result of needing to counter outrageous British bias that would otherwise cause our Champion to lose all belief in himself and collapse into insecurity and mid-grid irrelevence.

[Pablo B]

Brilliant John!!!

[kojikabuto]

nice to read a non lewis biased opinion
on a british media for a change.

leaving the british hype about lewis appart

since yesterday,
a couple of friends started an inciative
to remark the unusual unfairness of this f1 season

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?fealonso
sign on if u agree.

To denounce the irregularities which have taken place during the 2007 F1 championship

As witnesses of the events which have taken place during the 2007 F1 championship, and as admirers of this sport, we feel obliged to publicly denounce the irregularities which have occurred, clearly showing that the driver, L. Hamilton has benefited from the favors of his team, generating serious damages for his companion F. Alonso, whose career has suffered from the lack of interest of both his team and the International Federation of Automobile.

The proven facts and presumed irregularities are the following:

G.P. of Barhein (15-04-07) Strangely, F. Alonso’s car encountered troubles in night conditions, on a statement of his own team, which prevented him from following the rhythm of his companion, whose car was functioning perfectly. L. Hamilton changed his trajectory several times, which is absolutely prohibited, but he was not sanctioned.

G.P. of Monaco (27-05-07) A few laps from the end, the team ordered both drivers to go below 19.000 r.p.m. L. Hamilton, refused to obey his team and tried to overtake his companion. Not succeeding in doing so, he complained to the FIA and the British Media after the end of the race, provoking an investigation and a high pressure on F. Alonso. The team took no measure whatsoever towards L. Hamilton, and did not support F. Alonso. Moreover, during the race, L. Hamilton frequently stepped over the continuous line when exiting the pit lane, which is totally prohibited. But he was not sanctioned in any way by the FIA

G.P. of Canada (10-06-07) Strange behavior of F. Alonso’s car. Once more, the number one car was not in the same mechanical conditions than L. Hamilton’s car.

G.P. of the USA (17-06-07) Once more, the pit stop strategies were in favor of L. Hamilton and detrimental to F. Alonso.

G.P. of France (01-07-07) Strangely, before the rain forecast, F. Alonso faced problems with his gear case during Q3, ending up on the tenth position of the starting grid whereas his companion L. Hamilton encountered no problems at all. De La Rosa explained during the race that this spare part had been perfectly identified and removed.

G.P. of Germany (22-07-07) Peculiar reaction of the race controllers when facing L. Hamilton’s slip off the track, a crane put him back on the track, creating risks of collision with other pilots. Even more peculiar is that the other drivers were not placed back on the track regarding the moment they slipped off; only L. Hamilton benefitted from an immediate return on the track. Although the rules clearly specify that a driver must turn off his engine and get out of his car, like the rest of the drivers did, he was not penalised.

G.P. of Hungary (05-08-07) A supplementary lap was given to F. Alonso in Q3. L. Hamilton disobeying his team’s orders entered the boxes to change his tyres on his own will, right behind F. Alonso, who was given used tyres. The following moment, L. Hamilton was equipped with a brand new pair of tyres. Nevertheless, F. Alonso succeeded in earning the pole position, to the apparent disappointment of Ron Dennis. Thus, L. Hamilton denounced F. Alonso again to the FIA and, consequently, he lost 5 positions on the starting grid, following the application of an inexistent rule, and McLaren also lost its constructor points earned during this race. Unexplainably, no sanction was applied to L. Hamilton after this race.

G.P. of Italy (09-09-07) L. Hamilton placed his car diagonally when positioning himself on the starting grid, and made several trajectory changes without being sanctioned.

G.P. of Belgium (16-09-07) Presumed sabotage attempt on F. Alonso’s car. His manager declared that during the free practice sessions, F. Alonso discovered that something was wrong with his power unit, asking his mechanics to revise his car, and then discovering that the top of his oil tank was missing. It is common knowledge that it only needs a simple lap to destroy a motor in such conditions.

G.P. of Japan (30-07-07) Inexplicably, F. Alonso encountered new tyre problems during Q3, as he stated himself after the qualifications. Once more, L. Hamilton obtained a supplementary lap with new tyres and a small quantity of gas, permitting him to earn the pole position. During the race, both drivers were victims of a collision. However, only the driver who collisioned with L. Hamilton was sanctioned, whereas it was F. Alonso who suffered serious damage in his car. He was not warned of the damage on his car, which led him to crash without much reaction from the members of his team. After the accident, when behind the safety-car, L. Hamilton played once more with the rules, provoking an accident between Weber and Vettel, without being sanctioned during or after the race, even when new evidence was given to the FIA.

G.P. of China (06-10-07) Once more, F. Alonso encountered problems in Q3, after having been faster than his companion during the free practice sessions, and the first two qualifying sessions. When F. Alonso was on the podium to celebrate his second position, after L. Hamilton resigned, only one mechanic from McLaren was there to celebrate the victory. After the race, Ron Dennis publicly declared that the struggle during the race was not against Ferrari, but against F. Alonso, who is now considered by his team as an opponent.

Once these facts have been analyzed, we consider there is enough evidence to confirm that the equal treatment between the two drivers has not been respected by McLaren or by the FIA with the application of the Formula 1 rules.

Consequently, with the signatures located at:
http://www.petitiononline.com/fealonso/petition.html
we publicly denounce all these irregularities and express our deepest rejection of all that has happened during this 2007 F1 Championship.

All this information has been gathered by the Safety-car forum members at:
http://www.safety-car.net.

Best Regards!

since last night we have
40.599 signs

It's not only about Alonso,

it's about fair play in F1, something that has not existed this season, with a lot of decisions addressed to benefit L.H., by FIA and by McLaren.

we love F1 AS A SPORT, NOT A BUSSINESS.

basically that is what we are fighting for.

other languajes link
http://mafia2007.wordpress.com/english/

discussion forums
spanish
http://www.safety-car.net/

english
http://www.f1network.net/boards/read/s135.htm?134,8426653

http://www.topix.net/forum/formula1/fernando-alonso

[tiptoe]

I read John L. Sharp article and I was almost convinced but after reading ANY G "refutation" I find very difficult to decide ;-)

ANDY you just did not have any facts to put forward or you did not find the words?

Congratulations John... on the ferrary I mean.

[Roger]

Dear Andy G

Fine post. Although I'm on the other side I really enjoy your fury. It's funny. And really makes me improve my english. You are the best thing ever happened to this blog. Keep up the good work..... BTW... relax, perhaps the opposite of your post isn't true, is it?

[IDR]

TO ANDY G

I was asking you to refuse John's post using arguments.

If you cannot argue, then try to shot erratically to everybody...

Nice try Andy, but you failed.

[Robert Smitt]

Congatulations, A great analysis !!!.

I think it's the true.

[Luis P.]

Andy G,. you are pathetic, mate. You need to get out more. Cheers.

[javiervivaespania]

As we say in Spain: "En Agosto frio en rostro" (In August, cold in face) which means that meanwhile in the north hemisphere it is winter, in the south hemisphere is summer and vice versa (remember that the race will be in the south hemisphere). And also: "No por mucho madrugar amanece más temprano" (Not because you wake up early the sunrise comes sooner), which means we have to wait ten days to salute our Champion. Last but not least: "Los ultimos seran los primeros" (The last ones will be the first ones) which means that Magic Alonso will overpass Hamilton and then he will go on to go to Ferrari and win ten more championships in a row.
Bonus: "Vale quien sirve, servir es un honor, vale quien sirve a España con amor" (That who serves is useful, to serve is a honor, that who serves Spain is worthwhile).
¡Arriba Alonso!

[Augusto Baena]

Great analysis, and thank you for publishing it, Ed.

It agree 100% with it. IMHO, Hamilton has evolved through three phases.

Phase 1: "I am here to learn: the team, Alonso, and I". From Malaysia to USA

Hamilton assumes Alonso is number 1 driver for the moment. He drives relaxedly and confidently: everything to win. He exceeds expectations. Press starts the hype and his ego starts swelling.

Phase 2: "I want to win at all cost: me vs Alonso and the team". From Canada to Hungary

After Canada, where Hamilton beat Alonso due to Alonso's own mistakes and some misfortune, we get to the USA. Alonso had been quicker the whole weekend, but extra-lap gave advantage to Lewis, who took P1 and race lead. When Lewis beat Alonso end-of-straight knife-between-teeth braking he thought to himself: "If I have done this to the reigning champion, then I should be the next champion".

In my opinion that moment was the first turning point. From then onwards, Hamilton got paranoid vs the team, as he felt Alonso was being treated as number one.

So he disobeyed team orders and triggered an investigation on his team in Monaco. He claimed to the press: "I don't want to be the new Barrichello". He did the same in Hungary: disobeying team pacts, mistreating his mentor and using FIA to his advantage. With the help of British press, he got away with it.

In this moment in the season, we have the second turning point. Ron "forgives" Lewis for the second time, clearly harming Alonso. Alonso gets back to him asking for explanations Ron is not able to give. Ron has stopped being the cerebral guy he has been his entire career. He gets emotional with Lewis. Relationship with Alonso deteriorates. We have the allegedly blackmailing chapter (disputed in my opinion: we have Ron's version, Max's version that is not consistent with the former, and we lack Alonso's), but, anyway, Alonso and Ron break apart.

Phase 3: "The team should support me: me and the team vs Alonso". From Spa to Brazil.

After the hearing in Paris and Spa, a campaign is orchestrated against Alonso in British and German press. Hamilton contributes by fueling the press regarding Alonso's maneuver in Eau Rouge (legitimate under everybody's point of view), his claim that he suffers more for the team (Spa), that the team should support him and not Alonso (Fuji), etc. This view is supported buy Dennis and Haug, that contribute by leaking absurd claims to the insatiable press: the non-issue of Alonso "bribing" his staff (actually, sharing his prizes, as he had always done, as many drivers do, and that had stopped from Malaysia, months before). The campaign is so dire against Alonso that Vodafone and Mercedes offices in Spain complain to their HQs that this attitude is actually damaging the brand in European 4th-5th largest market (and one of the fastest growing).

As season develops, paranoia increases. Alonso allegedly had wrong tyre pressures in Hungary (it's not the 1st time, he said) and in Japan and China). In Japan, Alonso was the quickest the whole weekend, yet he is not able to improve his time on his last attempt, with a lighter car and without visible errors. Same in China, where the difference is the largest in the whole season. Mosley says FIA will be closely looking on McLaren giving equal treatment and supposedly opening a discreet investigation on tyre pressure issue. In China's Q3, Alonso seems to be unaware of his fuel load (too high under wet race logic) and again complains on his tyres' pressure. Ron shamefully claims "we were racing Fernando", etc.

I don't know what to think for Brazil. I think the fact Kimi is hanging there somehow "protects" Alonso from his car being excessively doctored. In the assumption his tyres were manipulated, it would be to put him at a slight disadvantage vs Lewis, rather than to have him out vs Kimi. Drivers' contributions are so tight, that small changes can make the difference between pole and fourth. It's better to have Alonso 4th ("he is not such a good driver, after all") than have him abandon ("he has had bad luck" or, worse, "his car has been doctored").

Regarding the future, I understand it will also depend on WC outcome. I guess that Hamilton winning may imply Alonso is out of the team, perhaps for a sabbatical, Renault or Toyota (what about Williams?). Should Alonso win, perhaps victory can heal many wounds, who knows. A Kimi victory should open a strong reflection in McLaren: "how could we lose this championship?" and open a "catharsis" phase, with likely managerial changes across the board.

A little bit Freudian, isn't it?

Regards

[Chris G]

Dear Andy G
That was quite simply the funniest thing I have read in years!
But I'm English and would quite like Lewis to win so best disregard my opinion as it is obviously moronic and biased.
Cheers

[ANDRES G]

I'm sure many people will have things to say to ANDY G, that's what he wants, he needs attention. I'm not gonna give it to him. Sorry andy, I need to feed the chickens.

[Iloveslinky]

Oh, Andy, Andy, Andy. You also? It is very interesting the fixation that you have the Britons (at least some) with the Emocionality, with the Latin thing. Which demonstrates that you speak from the ignorance on having attributed this character to FA (I recommend to receive documents on his place of birth, which is my place of birth, surely you will be surprised). I am sure that you also can with the pressure, as LH-Iceman says of himself, as good Briton. And you will manage in successive post not to return to resort to the topic. And you will return to be as logical and brilliant as always. Returning to the topic, another poster has asked you that you should argue what you have said of " It makes assumptions about situations, and chooses to interpret things ". I believe that, in everything what we speak about this year, we all (included you) do not do any more that to suppose or interpret things. Lamentably, we will never know what has happened really. In fact, nobody might say really who is faster of the two (LH and FA), for everything, out of the sport, that there has been this season.

Please, do not accuse anybody of anything that we themselves do.

Regards

[willy]

I think ANDY G JUST LOST IT!...

Is that the little-man syndrome or what?.

I thought he said that this blog was boring, and fled to another one, but he's back and with a vegeance.

Andy, come down, take away all this posters of Fernando you have all over the house, and forget about formula 1, at least for this year... gosh!!!.

I think he's a fan's stalker or a serial killer.

[Dave B]

This is hardly a complete picture of the season, but merely someone’s impression of the press highlighted flashpoints of the season (which, curiously Canada was missed out as this was one of the most memorable, in my mind, from the early part of the season). What this doesn't consider is the rest of the races where the behind the senses tensions gives rise to these flashpoints.

Its been said numerous times previously that in crunching the numbers thoughtout the course of the season Lewis has just been faster than Alonso - over the whole season it may be that they are roughly equivalent, but each favoring different styles of circuits. But the fact of the matter is that if FA was faster than Hamilton then he wouldn't be concerned about his status in the team and he wouldn't have needed to be pushing for more constantly. The fact that Lewis has proven to be as faster on a number of occasions is what has lead to the FA's demands, and ultimate breakdown in communications between that driver and the team.

It’s fairly obvious that the script this year was supposed to be FA leading the team, winning the title with the newbie initially making mistakes, challenging occasionally and potentially making more of a fight of things in 2008. However, nobody could have predicted the consistency that Lewis showed at the start of the season, nor the turns of speed he put in when more familiar with the hardware he’s no driving; I suspect that they also didn’t expect some of the more erratic moments from FA at the start of the season either. Remember, McLaren statements initially were at pains to point out what a good job FA was doing even though on occasion Lewis had done a better job – he should also remember the “father son” park-bench chats with Ron and FA.

Of course, as Lewis had soon poked himself at the head of the championship, these dynamics rumbled along in the background, where they only occasionally came sharply into the public eye at these flashpoints. It continued simmer, until finally boiling over in Hungry when demands turned into (albeit briefly) threats.

[kojikabuto]

we have 46147 Total Signatures
in less than 48h.

some spanish media echoed the avobe pettition today

http://www.marca.com/edicion/marca/motor/formula1/es/desarrollo/1044934.html

http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/288844/0/alonso/fia/mundial/

http://www.thef1.com/noticias/noticias-2007/octubre-2007/los-aficionados-espanoles-se-unen-en-apoyo-de-alonso/

http://f1.informativos.telecinco.es/f1_1404.htm

http://www.elcorreogallego.es/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=6&Itemid=9&idMenu=50&idNoticia=218777

[Sela]

Many congratulations. This article is very good and it is looked enough like the reality. I have reached the conclusion that McLaren Ron Dennis and Norbert has seen simply the business and to have a good business they have played very dirty and with a person; it seems to me but dirty to play with the work of a person although it has a good pay but its work has been beaten without mercy, they have been reido of Alonso and this we will not pardon it facilmente. Dennis has had what wanted, to take to its son to champion of Formula 1; but that championship class has been east year. The championship of the lie, the falsification, the dirty strategy, the espionage. That is what takes Hamiltón, what the good one of Ron obtained?, what McLaren takes? Mercedes?, has been worth them the pain? because within 10 years this prize 2007 will continue being dirty. No, I took root would not want it, that my equipment me gave it or me put it in tray without deserving it. Although to Hamilton that does not concern because he is a malcriado boy of papa to which everything is allowed to him, everything to him occurs fact him since it was 12 years old. For my he is very good pilot, almost as good as Alonso but she is very bad person, very badly sport and a worse companion. I value other things, because an honorable second is better than a DIRTY one first. Now each one from its small sand grain. I bought in Mercedes a cap of McLaren for my son, since we saw everything what she has passed that cap has not become to use, I regret to have it, we preferred the one of Renault. And we have account of savings in bank of Santander; of course if the bank of Santander continues supporting McLaren, I close my account. They are small things but by once the Spaniards we were united before the injustices, until those to which Alonso was not to him very likeable. In the 2008 Alonso he will be champion again, but in the 2007 Alonso realized good human tide great that it wants to him and supports to him. That if it is important for a CHAMPION. And to demonstrated to be great to be where it is always having to the Head in against, to the companion playing dirty, to the English press that believes in certain al that it says lies and the equipment in against. I ANIMATE CHAMPION!

[Verbal]

ED
History is being made on the blog, I think this is the biggest majority (All in agreement ...Allmost all) we've ever had, Who says world peace is a dram hey.

Do you the FLYING DUTCHMAN is actually Jos Verstappen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTTf5Icx7fo

This link to some of those hamiltonias shows drivers like verstappen, truli and frenzen in cars that had no business being inthe top ten actually doing their thing giving Mika "The Flying Finn" a run for his money. enjoy ;)

[Chema Chote]

I wonder who actually lies behind that John L. Sharp identity. Whether he is an englishman (or anglosaxon, by extension) or a Sparniard pretending to be an Englishman, he's provided us with a quite clear picture of the chain of events that had led to the current, and, indeed, unpleasant, situation.

The fact is that I have somehow, through the knowledge I have of the British culture, always admired that British capacity for self-criticism. It obviously does not apply in this blog, where passionate and biased opinions fly by.
But such an analysis, if actually coming from a Briton, leaves a door open to hope to me. Perhaps, there's people in the UK capable of looking neutrally at FA's situation, and to the clear favoritism that had brought LH to where he currently is.

Perhaps, just perhaps, they'd be able to admit that a championship won in such circumstances is not what we'd call "well deserved". And yes, we'll see what happens next year, when there are no traction controls, no brake assists, and with LH having to choose the setups by himself.

I'm so eager...

[Keith]

Ed,
This thread is going rapidly down hill and off topic but no matter.
Regarding Fernando vs Lewis.
At the beginning of the year, as a McLaren supporter, I was looking forward to a classic season. A double world champion aiming to win drivers and constructors world championships ably assisted by an exciting rookie driver.
Look where we are now. Booted out of the Constructors championship, more headlines on the front pages than the back and more column inches about off track action than the races themselves. Oh how I look back now to Australia with fond memories as two team mates happily embraced each other as they both finished on the podium. Where did it all go wrong and, seeing as we are so close to the end of the season, how was it for you? For me it was a disaster. I can remember a two time world champion joining a foreign team and moulding that team around himself, winning races and eventually championships. Has Fernando done that? No. In fact exactly the opposite. He has destroyed the team spirit, contributed to them being thrown out of the constructor’s championship and demoralised the whole team. If I was one of Fernando’s mechanics, having been told that my bonus for constructors points had been thrown out the window, that my driver was aiming to take the number one to another team next year and that he didn’t trust me to pump up his tyres you may well forgive me if I didn’t give 100% effort in his (hopefully) last race for the team in Brazil. For all the criticism that Ron has taken for his faux pas in China, can you blame him for wanting the No. 1 being on a McLaren next year rather than where ever FA ends up? When all is said and done it has been Lewis that has stood by the team and not Fernando. Perhaps that may explain why they may *possibly* prefer Lewis to win the Championship.

[Rich]

John 'Luis' Sharp?

[Carla]

John Sharp
thanks for a great article, now the english readers will understand better Alonso´s reactions after the sad events with his car:

this year thanks to Ron Dannis, and the FIA the F1 has been a circus
and we know they want Hamilton to win -

[Paquirry]

oh! john mate! I am so happy of your beautiful ferrari!

well, just want you know, I am very lucky for drive SEAT PANDA!

is really a wonderful car!, you know.., no problems, no stress for
accidents like FUJI,
plentyful beautiful womans always want to come for riding, an so many espace inside
for all the positions!

is also the more fast car, from Balmes-St to pza. Catalonia is less than 5min,
because plenty space for zig-zag in the traffic,
no even fA or LH can win this speed with F1! so much monkey buziness!!

well, you know, i say to you like a good friend,
i think if you go brazil maybe we can interchange
for a couple days the cars, is no good for you driving ferrari
with so many caipirinhas in the body, and also
is plenty good for you to try seat panda,
you see how you feel so young another time an you never want no more other car!!

well, hope you like this idea, an by the wey, so sharp article you write, like augusto baena.

so cheers mates!!

Ed, also cheers for you mate!! and because you so important man in the f1 buzyness world,
please make sure LH an FA no drink to much caipirinha
so no have accident in the racing, ok!? well, maybe give plenty caipirinha to RD, he
is so sad he looses 100 millions!! an also to andi-G he always so much stress in the head!!

and the more important thing..

força brasil!! is the best place in the world!!

[Carlos B.]

Andy G, did i just witness an small hint, a tiny glimpse of Jealousy towards John Sharp?

no wait, don't answer yet, you are damn right mate being jealous

Ed, what is the deal about? Andy G was signed up by your Times F1 Blog Team thanks to his vast experience first as a driver then as a professional blogger. the wealth of new readers into your blog thanks solely to Andy G's contribution can not be calculated but some sources put it in about 6 tenths of a million readers. he came to your blog to make you champion of the WBC (World Bloggers Championship).

and after all he's done for your Team Blog, you treat Andy G this way and dare to give preferential treatment to a newcomer with no F1 Blog experience such as John Sharp?

ok Ed, fair enough, Andy and John do basically the same thing, Andy is biased to Hamilton and John is an Alonso supporter, they try to sell people their own opinions disguised as proper facts, but you can not possible compare the brilliant, subtle way that Andy G. uses in order to cleverly mix a few commonly known facts, with a couple of technical explanations and then, suddenly, with blinking speed, Andy G. unadvertedly sneaks his opinion right in the middle and people take it with mouths wide open as if God had come to Earth in disguise in order to teach them on F1.

that craftmanship in the art of Blog writing is unparalled, and thus Andy G. deserves preferential treatment. Andy G. is the only one capable of properly setting-up the readers and fine tuning the posts.

Ed, your Team Blog strategies are designed to favour John Sharp, how is possible that a newcomer with no F1 Blog experience is given by you stand-off posts and thus drawing attention to him and away from Andy G?.

i tell you more Ed. Andy G is in possesion of some incriminating e-mails between you and Nigel Spratney, a rogue IT employee from the Guardian F1 blog, these mails proves you have been using Guardian confidential information in order to improve the performance of your own blog and beat The Guardian on the WBAC (World Bloggers Authors Championship)

should you Ed not reconsider giving to Andy G. F1 Blog Number 1 Status, he shall send these e-mails to Max Tossley, president of the FIB (Federation of International Bloggers) and Pernie Penddleton as president of the FOM.

that will spell the end of your blog mate.

i also demand you to include an automatic filter on your blog which only publishes the praising, adoring and agreeable posts towards Andy G., making sure those other unfair posts which aim to attack and dispute Andy's opinions are automatically removed.

i have said.

[Ed Gorman]

Very funny Carlos.

[FRED]

exactly.... and more things we dont know

[Txus G.R.]

You put yourself in evidence Andy...as always.

-I've nothing against the British people (If anybody felt that I was disrespectful,just say that I didn't mean too and I'm sorry).

-I'm against the biased fools like you Andy that don't want to wake up from their biased dream:British,Spanish,Germans,Italians...or from Mars.

-I'm against Ron D. and McLaren for their "Say one thing,do the opposite" cheap politician behaviour.

-I'm against Bernie E. and Max M. because they are the bosses of this "circus" and they have this berhaviour too (For sure that in the past they have done good things for this sport but not nowadays).

-I'm against the "self-service regulations" for Lewis H. and Ron D.

-I'm against the media that shows Lewis H. as a God an Fernado A. as the devil and no matter what Lewis H. or Ron D. does or says is the right thing and the only true whithout any doubt.

You're very funny Andy,not as funny as the "Cowsgate"...but funny too.More like in a "Little Britain" way...
I think you're just jelous of John and Augusto.You want to be like them but you can't because you have none arguments (Solid arguments,I mean.)

Please,stop embarrassing yourself.Try to learn from other cultures too.Read to achieve buddy.

Your "dark side" is even worst than your "Cow Side" and just shows to everybody,that haven't notice jet,how your tiny biased brain works.It does not offend who wants to but who it can...You can't Andy.

Still sorry for my English.I'll keep on improving (You should try too Andy)

Racing is not only about winning...One Pablo we miss you.

Kimi for president.

[Siri]

There is a reasonable doubt regarding Ron’s management and strategy and McLaren only has one opportunity to revert this situation in Brazil. If any of these topics (spygate, sabotage, dirty tricks…) becomes officially truth the only solution I can see for this emblematic team is to grant a total equity and transparency in the next race. But Ron’s voice is has not enough credibility ¿how can it be granted? ¿Has the FIA Inspector’s the tools to grant this?
How much McLaren is wiling to pay to see Hamilton’s Victory?

[Jeffrey]

This article sounds so objective! Congratulations, you know it all as it seems.

I'm still convinced that if Alonso wasn't arrogant, was loyal, stood up for his team when needed, and if he really was WDC material, he had shown it us on track, not off-track.

And btw "psychological war launched by McLaren against Alonso" .. wasn't it Alonso who started whining much much earlier?

[Cap]

Could someone please explain this: if Hamilton receives the extra lap advantage more ofen than not in Q3, are you suggesting that Alonso just quietly accepts this? And that he's been doing so all season? This doesn't sound plausible to me.

[Verbal]

if Sharp has done a very good summary of the Fernando v Hamilton season
Carlos B has given us a brilliant accessment of Andy G

[DVP]

Brilliant posts from Andy G. Not sure there's much point though, the only people in earshot here are the zealous clerics from the "church of impartiality" fresh back from a book burning.

[Andy G]

STRANGE EVENTS MUST BE INVESTIGATED

I have just been reading the Spanish media and [SHOCK!] there are claims that serious irregularities have occured in the so-called "sport" of F1.

LIST OF STRANGE EVENTS THAT CONCLUSIVELY DEMONSTRATE THAT OUR CHAMPION IS THE GREATEST EVER

1. GP Melbourne 2007. A black cat crossed Alonso's path on his way out of the hotel to the circuit. Clearly this has brought bad luck all season. Unpublished photos show that the cat was placed there by a member of Don Rennis crime dynasty. He was seen driving a van clearly marked with Max'n'Bernie Ventures.

2. GP Bahrain 2007. Lewis Hamilton was seen stepping on cracks in the pavement and clearly this is unacceptable to all true believers.

3. GP Monaco 2007. Lewis Hamilton stated a clear intention to do racing, contrary to the understanding of Alonso when joining the team that he would be allowed to win everything. Hamilton had been asked to take second place in quali, strategy and the race because Alonso had complained about his status: Hamilton responded by demanding to able to compete. After the race, Hamilton expressed his frustration and the media heard it. In order to insure that no perception of unfairness in the sport, the FIA felt obliged to investigate (also probably to stick it to McLaren too). Clearly this was all a cynical play by the Cry-Baby to upset the temperament of Our Champignon.

4. GP of Canada. Alonso's car appeared to have a mind of it's own. It did not obey Alonso's famous setup instructions "Hey Senor car, today you must go faster than the small boy in the next garage." Clearly the Hamilton-Ecclestone family has put a spell on Mr Magic.

5. GP of USA. The Great Fernando was faster at one point in the race and wanted to overtake Lewis. However in F1, it seems that you cannot automatically find the possibility to overtake unless you are LOT faster around the lap. Our Alonso therefore asked the team to instruct Lewis to let him by. The team refused. What do they think they are doing? This racing is unacceptable. The FIA should investigate why our driver is not automatically winning.

6. GP of France. Alonso's car had a parts failure. Obviously a conspiracy to hold back our man. Pedro the donkey said something during the race which a chain of 27 people have misheard and misinterpreted to mean that Martin Witchmarsh has been brewing up magic spells in the race truck out back. The FIA failed to examine the truck for signs of occult trickery and the presence of little devils inside the silver suits and facemasks. I think the pitstop crew has been replaced by Orks.

7. Germany. The race director had to clear the track quickly and used the F1 rules to put Hamilton back on the track - the fastest way. Other drivers did not have the mental strength or anti-stall+cooling technology to keep their engines running. Nor did they control where their cars went. This shameful intelligence from Hamilton is unfair. He should be like our man and shoot himself in the foot with his public remarks to the Spanish media thus ensuring that any potential future employer will be very careful about taking him on: both because he is a little brittle and because he will become spiteful if he does not feel that his team is solely focussed on him. This is the 'honest' approach not like the cheating cry-baby who tries to win when he is not a twice WDC.

8-27. Too boring to identify which GP. In every race this year:

o Alonso's car has been sabotaged (you can read it in the gutter press in Spain)
o Hamilton has been given unfair advantages (like being allowed to race)
o Everyone in F1 is English with the rule-the-world manner and their so-called superiority in speaking English (which is unfair and should be investigated) and they are all out to stop Fernando through applying the rules to favour Lewis in every race
o Whenever Alonso crashes, or doesn't get pole or anything like that, it is obvious from watching the back of Don Rennis' head that he is very very pleased. I have seen certain of his 'combover' hairs moving very slightly up and down. In our latin culture this is a sure sign.
o Whenever Alonso stops trying to improve in a quali session, because he thinks he has done enough, Lewis on the other hand, continues to work make his car faster by working with his engineers and data to improve the setup further and find time. The FIA should investigate why the rookie-devil thinks he should continue to improve when elEyebrow has set the definitive time that no-one must approach.

[That's enough facts]

I would just like publicly denounce everyone and everything that I don't like and say how unfair it all is.

The FIA and Ecclestone and CVC and McLaren and Ed so-called Gorman and all Englishmen everywhere should remember that we have already written the script that Magic goes to McLaren and becomes the next Schumi.

Now that dream is blown to pieces by Lewis' arrival and Fernando's lack of emotional intelligence, we want to do everything we can to stop Hamilton.

[Antonio]

He forgot to mention the double standards of the fia and especially of Charlie Whiting. Without that FA would already be wdc.

[javiervivaespania]

It is outrageous what Andy G says in his native English ;-)
He is evil itself. A Spanish Ali G kind-of-thing.
Alooooonso, oeoeoe!

[Augusto Baena]

Keith: "If I was one of Fernando’s mechanics, having been told that my bonus for constructors points had been thrown out the window, that my driver was aiming to take the number one to another team next year and that he didn’t trust me to pump up his tyres you may well forgive me if I didn’t give 100% effort in his (hopefully) last race for the team in Brazil. For all the criticism that Ron has taken for his faux pas in China, can you blame him for wanting the No. 1 being on a McLaren next year rather than where ever FA ends up?"

You seem to be justifying it. Giving grounds to the "conspiranoids". You are making their case!

Keith: "When all is said and done it has been Lewis that has stood by the team and not Fernando. Perhaps that may explain why they may *possibly* prefer Lewis to win the Championship."

Did Lewis "stand by the team" when he decided to denounce his team and his mentor in Monaco and Hungary, opening FIA investigations against his team and his mentor, that led to sanctions to his team and his mentor?

If Lewis stands by the team, then Confucious was born in Texas!

Regards

[Paul]

John Sharp's analysis is one of the best and, dare I say it, most unbiased observations of this year's tumultuous F1 season, his support for Ferrari support notwithstanding.

IMHO, no one in the McLaren team (regardless of whoever ends up winning the driver's title - probably LH due to the very handy extra 4 points, though to me FA remains the better driver overall) comes out smelling of roses. Not Hamilton, not Alonso and certainly not Ron Dennis both because of the Ferrari technical info theft affair and his, by now without credibility and ridiculous, constant public declarations of driver equality within McLaren.

[Maverick]

Excellent post John.
Ed..pls keep posting comments like these..its gives a totally different degree of understanding the situation of McLaren mess.

Andy G...how can we miss your idiotic comments.Your existence in this blog with ur comments always remind me of Jacky Stewart..and the famous comment Max Mosley made towards him...lol.you r no different.

I want tht Hamilton should win as he is a fine driver but more than tht i want Ron Dennis ( biggest liar talking abt equality), McLaren to loose...hence i want to see Alonso win.Maybe next year for Hamilton.I'm sure tht Hamilton will take P1 in Brazil...so looking fwd to Alonso being second and then Alonso and Kimi chasing Hamilton down..thus making him loose the WDC.

Cheers !!!!

[jose manuel alvez]

really a men in post of truth. thanks

[Pablo]

"the number of extra flying laps that Hamilton has enjoyed is 7 against 2 of Alonso (at the beginning of the season)."

Wow. I didn't know this. Just this data is enough to settle months of discussions.

Nowadays, I am not surprised these facts are "missing" from newspaper articles.

As you brits say... Hats off to Mr. Sharp.

[Alfredo Nieto]

Never mind Andy G, Txus.

He's just another hooligan Ed lets in to make the place more colorful. At least we can laugh our asses off whenever he tries to play the expert ;)

[Jason]

Even with the new "fair play Tsar" appointed by the FIA (which, oddly enough the FIA never did when Schumacher was at Ferrari) some random engineer can muck up some system on FA (or LH)car if he wants to. What is this "fair play Tsar" going to do sit there and check over everything that could be manipulated on FA's car? This just seems like a publicity stunt by the FIA.

Say FA is leading LH by 5 seconds coming into the first pit stop. All a mechanic would have to do is "accidentally" mess up putting on a tire or "accidentally" have a hard time pulling out the refueling hose. There by allowing LH to over take FA during the pit stops.

If that happens how on earth can the FIA say for a fact that it was Mclaren favoring LH and not the act of a loan mechanic who didn't like FA?

If anything the FIA should have a "fair play tsar" as they need it most. Just think of all the good an unbiased president (ie: one that came from outside the sport) could do for the FIA.

[BTG]

This is the best article I have read in this blog.

Congratulations John and Ed, to post it

[juan arango]

Ron Dennis should read a book about coaching because Lewis and Fernando try to win, and this is normal, they are racing drivers and they don't want to be second. He is clearly the guilty of the situation. It is sure that with a good boss today Mclaren would have been world champion and one of the drivers would have been world champion before the end of the championship and the reputation of Mclaren and Mercedes wouldn't be damaged.

[kojikabuto]

"wikipedias hamilton page locked for vandalism"

what a surprise.

against this type of things im fighting all the year

this is alonso page at wikipedia english version

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Alonso

u can clearly see is redacted as it has done by hamilton father.

terrible photographs, the bad well remarked and the good spared and almost hidden all over the place.

and instread spotting a record section to see at a glance his records at f1 (which are plenty and important)

there is a "controversy" section with all the BS and crap the media created over the years.

this record section its available in lewis page.

this is hamilton page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Hamilton

Life can be wonderfull.. lewis on cloud nine,the golden boy at his best,and no controversy section at all

but it has a records section that didnt existed before and are "invented on the go" for the case.

for example more consecutive podiums achieved for a British driver.. Tied up with jim clark!! very interesting...Xd.

no wonder why someone vandalized the web.

of course the guys that monitorize the page are british..like the steward of the FIA that would "take care" of alonso car at brazil box.

[Richard]

ANDY G....what a good lad you are!

You've got the dialect just...so.

I've not enjoyed this blog so much yet... I was sad when the first episode came to an end.... but then you've topped it with the second.

Value for money..... geniusly topped-off by the apparently uninvolved and well-meaning Antonio's contribution immediately after yours... that nearly made me fall off my chair.

Please, care for a 3rd installment? (after you've done some work like)

As for John's original post - what was his point again?...I have to say I lost all interest after about the 2nd line...

Absolutley spot on mate, I wasnt expecting truth on HAMILTON from the british press. A lot people, even in F1 are becoming sick of Lewis. Mark Webber, Kubica (BMW for that matter e.g Mario Thiessen), Vettel(I am sure), and ofcourse Alonso. Hes not the guy he shows himself to be on TV. Thumbs up to Ed for the truth

[David]

As many people know, many people does not like Alonso, his behavior and personality. Me neither.

Anyway, from a "try-to-be" neutral point of view, I agree with almost all your comments, concluding that McLaren has been unfair the most part of the championship.

[Txus G.R.]

To the BBC

Benny Hill couldn't do better than Andy G.

Andy you must talk to Mark Thompson at the BBC headquarters and get your own show as you deserve.I'm sure you'll have a successful career as comediant...Or even better on speed TV playing your roll as racing expert "none biased" with Rowan Atkinson too!.As Alfredo Nieto said "we can laugh our asses off "

Just imagine Rowan Atkinson and Andy G on speed tv as racing experts...Priceless.

Please give them a try.

(Sorry for the delay Andy I was very busy this evening whiping myself)

--------------------------------

Ed,the "Bild" had just published that Fernando A. has signed a three year contract with Renault and "Autopista" said yesterday that Fernando A. & his manager had a meeting with Flavio B. and Pat S. at China.Did you listen to something on the matter? or it's just another novel.

Thanks Ed,and again sorry for my English.

[Dave B]

""wikipedias hamilton page locked for vandalism"

what a surprise."

kojikabuto, it was vandalised by a Spanish Mercedes employee.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/63217

[kojikabuto]

The way I see it, Alonso is the outsider in a British team with a British driver who will do whatever it takes to win (including cheat)- with the collusion of the team leader and the sport's governing authorities: that's why RD has openly admitted to be racing Fernando and not Kimi, that's why Lewis got the crane lift in Germany, that's why he didn't get penalized after the incident with the safety car in Japan, that's why nothing happened when he urged the stewards to push him from the gravel -endangering their lives as well as his own!- that's why he can point his car at other cars on the starting grid, that's why he can zig-zag like there is no tomorrow and thats why anyone who comes near him gets penalized or informed via radio to back off...kova..

The point of no return took place in Hungary. There are none so blind as those who will not see, which fits the state of denial British press and fans live in about what happened there. Lewis ignored team orders about a previous agreement, Fernando followed the team orders which poor little puppy obviously didn't like (go @#$%& swivel to RD, let's not forget) and then poor little puppy sent his biological father (not Ron) to the stewards to complain... against his own team!

We know what happened after that (or part of it, at least), but then everything was a chain of events triggered by poor little puppie's attitude. Paradoxically, after everything that has happened since then, the team is all behind poor little puppy - and then again, let's not forget that poor little puppy went to Paris with his own lawyer only to defend himself thus benefiting from FIA's immunity...

In modern f1, starting on pole is 80% of the job done. Having the right strategy is 20%.
Over the course of the season poor little puppy has benefited from 7 "flying laps" during fuel burning Q3 compared to Alonso's 2, ensuring him pole and ideal strategy. How is that fair?

This season is not about driving and competing anymore: it's just a political set-up to have a British F1 champion again no matter how. It's also about how cheating and stealing are not "wrong" or "morally reprehensible" per se but only if FIA thinks they are, and when FIA start to think we all know the results can be dramatic...

At some point Ecclestone must have thought that having a black British champion would maximize the audience... but I'm afraid that it'll only happen in the UK. You can visit autosport's forums and check what kind of sympathy Lewis has got amongst die-hard F1 fans around the world.

at the end..
this signing it is one opportunity for all F1 fans to voice opinion against FIA irregularities.....

83384 Total Signatures

[jordi]

Andy G:
Monaco and USA GP seem to be very similar situations where the driver who was second felt he should be allowed to go first. The difference is that at the end of Monaco, Mr Hamilton did a press conference to cry, sorry, I mean complain about his own team, which triggered a FIA investigation. In USA, after the race, Alonso said nothing. That is a fact to add to the root of this controversy, who was first the egg or chicken.

[puxa asturies]

Jordi similar situation?

Where are the similar situatios as in USA Nano was right behind Hamilton and in Monaco Hamilton was 10 sec behind Nano?

Sorry, but I can´t find it.

British press sucks, and Ron equality so.
All these is a bad nightmare for a 2 times WDC.And everyone who is a littles consequence may notice the big lie that is this F1 Championship

[Alonsista]

I don't buy a Mercedes Benz car. Sucks Ron. Sucks Ham. Suck maFIA

[Jon T]

Kojikabuto,

First, let me just say that I do support Hamilton. I'm British, and so is McLaren, a large proportion of its staff, its team principal, and of course Lewis Hamilton. Forgive me if, as a nation who achieve sporting greatness very rarely compared to the rest of Europe (1966 and all that? feh!), I choose to back a fellow countryman who's proven that with the right training, mindset and talent (and a little help from your teammate's setup work, I hear the detractors cry...) you can come into a sport and fight for victory with more experienced compatriots.

Bias aside, I take issue with the idea that LH has somehow been favoured. I'm not going to deny he's had some rather fortunate decisions. He was cleared of the safety car, which I saw as a 50/50 chance really. Given the conditions out there though, all the talk of "5 car lengths" goes out the window really. I think Kubica was hard done by but he was nevertheless judged by the FIA's sporting regs to the letter (look it up, more later), not that it's any consolation to Mario Theissen now.

The ones that intrigued me are the claims of (a) Ron's partisanship and (b) the Nurburgring crane/China marshals. Ron said that his two drivers were racing. Would you rather he did as he did at Monaco and accept the leading driver's fundamental race pace, not to mention 20 second gap, and tell them to maintain position? No! The point was that they were racing each other; he was as good as his word on that point and I fail to see why people see this as blatant partisanship. There are plenty of other things you could use against him but please leave that one alone or at least give it a little more thought.

I think the marshals' assistance at Europe and China was also contentious and certainly seemed extraordinary. It seems unfair on everyone else; what possible reason could they have to help him when he should just retire? A quick bit of research turned up International Sporting Code Annex L Chapter 4 Part 3, "Stopping of the Car in a Race" from the FIA website. Section b says:

b) should a driver be compelled to stop his/her car, either
involuntarily or for any other reason, the car shall be moved
off the track as soon as possible so that its presence does not
constitute a danger or prevent the normal running of the race.
If the driver is not able to move the car out of the potentially
dangerous position, it is the duty of the marshals or other officials
to help. In that case, if the driver succeeds in re-starting the car
without any external help, and rejoins the race without committing
any breach of the regulations and without gaining any advantage
from the preceding movement of the car to a safer position, he/
she will not be excluded from the race.

The regulations say that, provided LH didn't leave the car (which he didn't), and he needed assistance to get out of the gravel trap (which he did), the marshals can get him to safety and he can rejoin the race. It worked for him at Europe but in China he was out of luck. I saw mention of Schumacher getting a similar help in 2003 somewhere (I forget precisely where but no doubt someone will remember and tell me I'm wrong...) and rejoining the track so it's not exactly new.

At the end of the day, I will admit that Lewis has had some very fortunate, and possibly partisan, decisions in his favour. He's come across in some interviews as level-headed and fair and in others as downright arrogant or overconfident. Let's not forget, though, that Fernando is no saint either. They both have their moments and are both extremely committed, able drivers who have, on balance, been fairly equal on pace and results this season.

How about we put aside the bickering and enjoy the spectacle at Brazil: two closely matched team-mates who the FIA and I hope should get equal cars, joined by another talent (Raikonnen) in one of the closest and most unpredictable three-way title fights in a long time. Everyone has their reasons for hoping their driver takes the title but let's hope it's settled how it should be settled: on the circuit, by the fastest and most consistent driver.

Jon T

[JTR]

Jon T-Are you saying that LH satisfied the " without gaining any advantage from the preceding movement of the car to a safer position" portion.

My interpretation of being helped to a safer position which enabled him to rejoin a race he otherwise would have had to retire from constituted an advantage (if only a minor one.......) or have I missed something that only a silk would recognise as obvious?

Brilliant assessment Mr Sharp, sums it up beautifully.
Though I wish there was some collaborating evidence of amongst other things, who it was that initiated the stewards enquiry of the LH blocking in Hungary (the incident that really led the simmering pot to finally boil over...)!

[John L Sharp]

Dear JTR:

I don't know who did initiate the enquiry in Hungaroring. What I know is that it was not FA. Logic makes me suspect that it was LH and/or AH.

[JTR]

John L Sharp-Most likely AH, but LH enjoys the same character traits and the support of BE who's possibly a conduit?
I prefer not to speculate but it's a pity the FIA haven't disclosed just who it was, knowing who would put a whole different perspective on the sorry mess and explain a great many things!

[Reisman]

After the initial assessment of J.L. Sharp, that obviously he may extend, perhaps we should get his opinion on the pit stop strategy of McLaren in Fuji. Was the one pit strategy correct? Both McLaren cars were undrivable later, but one racer suffered tremendously becouse of it.

[Marco Garcia]

Thanks a loto for writing these "obvious facts" some don´t want to see.

[jlk]

I felt like throwing up after the 40th time the term "brilliant" was used to describe a rather mundane and unpolished article thrown out in rather obtuse form by some guy that claims to drive a Ferrari. I have always used the term brillaint in a more selective sense in that "Einstein and Niels Bohr are brilliant" This guy just agrees with you Spanish guys. So could I suggest a phrase that would have a more accurate application here like "dumb, but I love what you said John".
By the way...is English spell check unavailable in Spain?
JLK

[IDR]

TO JLK

There is not English spell check in Spain. We don't need it. We speak in Spanish between us.

As we don't need any translation system to understand what foreing people tell us when they try do it in Spanish. We just simply recognize the effort the other person is doing and help him.

On the other hand, I doubt so much that you can recognize if Einstein, Niels bohr or Rutherford are brilliant or not. You should need to understand them, even when they talk in your own language.

You has tryed to be arrogant but you failed...

Your comment here is not arrogant is just a flatulence.

[Andy G]

The problem with "John L Sharp" piece is that it appears to be reasonable whilst actually being a contrived propaganda effort.

On the central "evidence" put forward, ie the number of flying laps: Do Juan-Luis and his friends understand how quali works in terms of fuel-corrected times, initial fuel load/weight and burn off laps?

So far, no argument has been made. There is nothing concrete I can respond to. Show me a causal path and I can agree or debate it. Mutter something about more burn-off laps copied from the Spanish media and no response is merited.

I would like to see whether JLS can provide ANY logic for how McLaren have disadvantaged Alonso.

If you can show that he has disagreed with his strategy, has been prevented from burning off fuel, been fuelled too long, been fuelled against his wishes or that Lewis has been given the opportunity to run more laps rather than being a little smarter then please make your case.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will note the actual facts, for example: Alonso was (fuel-corrected) 0.4s behind in Shanghai Q3 on the last ("option" soft tyre) run. He was only 0.1s behind on the first Q3 ("prime" hard tyre) run.

What is the correct interpretation? Watch the coverage, Lewis did a comically slow outlap to ensure that the soft rubber didn't grain later on in the lap. He also corrected the small slides that were evident in the previous laps. This kind of smart, hungry but cool thinking is what gave Lewis the edge.

Alonso should have thought of an ultra-slow outlap: the evidence was pretty clear. If he thought about his data, he would have realised the the rears were graining and that some sacrifice had to be made in the early turns in order to avoid excess heat later in the lap.

Instead, Alonso:

1. Didn't realise or didn't act or both

2. Lost his temper like a cadet kartist storming into his dad's tent on a wet saturday at Buckmore

3. Obliquely accused the team of overheating or overinflating his tyres (but only to the adoring and uncritical Spanish media)

The prime quality required to get up there and stay there is a hunger to learn and adapt.

Schumi had this in spades and every other suit.

What has impressed so many drivers of note including Lauda, Prost, Schumi etc etc is his determination to learn and get better.

Alonso would be well advised to put away his moods, his temper and his desire for retribution in response to perceived unfairness.

He is externalising a problem in himself: he is not able to learn under pressure.

[Pablo B]

Andy G: "He is externalising a problem in himself: he is not able to learn under pressure."

This is for you dear:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQPT9oX-GOk&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojG1T9SGdHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7vXP50UYZY&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKwtVSsuj7o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImZVI2-umE

[Johnny]

I come from Australia so its frustrating to try and find unbiased views of events when it seems to be a Spain vs. England affair.

At the end of the day its supposed to be a sport.
Sharp's post was spot on.

I always do the right thing so I'll be supporting Kimi Raikokonen in Brazil, but I would prefer Fernando beat Lewis, too - Just to see the look on Ron Dennis' stupid face.

[jlk]

To IDR
Is "flatulence" your idea of reasonable intelligent discussion? If I was sending pushy insulting blogs to an Spanish language site I think I would use spell check in order to get my point across. And why do you have such a problem with me..its a mystery because I could care less about you.
Anyway I am a native speaker and you are not so I think I have a better handle on word definition and "brilliant" is not in the same universe with the starting comments
JLK

[Txus G.R.]

Andy,is nice to see you back on the reasonable behaviour you use to had a long time ago.

From my point of view,the British media fact played a very important rol on the flying laps case and everything that happend till today.I'll try to explain in my poor English (Make and effort Andy)

Before the media fact:

I listened to Fernando A. (Himself,not the written media inventions),at the begining of the season,complaining softly on the strategys that Ron D. provides for him (I couldn't understand why a two time world champion couldn't have his say on such an important matter at F1 nowadays).
Ron D. already decided what was best for him and there was no point for disscussion instead of the "negociation" he use to had with Flavio B. at Renault (I cant remember his exactly words but he came to say this more or less).Fernando A. assumed that he was on a new team and that he had to adapt his way of doing things as his new boss demanded from him.

We all watched what happened at Monaco.Fernando A. flying on the track and no chance for Lewis H. or Felipe M. to follow him.After the second pit stop,that came before both drivers had burned off all their fuel for preventing a posible safety car and the new stupid rules,Fernando A. limited his RPM cause that engine had to race also in the next GP but Lewis H. desobeyed the instructions from Ron D. and thought he could win (It also might seem to be an acceptable behaviour from a young hungry rookie).

The media fact:

After the race Lewis H. said that he had been stopped by his team,that he still had fuel for more laps,that he is the Nº2,etc...(Pretty strange comments due he is a McLaren breed driver and he must know that McLaren don't had a Nº1 & Nº2 driver status,as Ron D. always claimed.) and that started a nonsense FIA's investigation that found none evidence at the end.

The British media asked Ron D.about Lewis H.comments,and under such big pressure Ron D. tryed to be transparent and started his policy of "equal treatment",same fuel loads/weight,same strategys for both cars,one extra flying lap per driver per race and the one on pole,or clasiffied ahead his teammate,had the chance to make his first pit stop one lap after his teammate (Fernando thought,and I agree with him,that the fair decision in an "equal terms" fight,with the same car and in the same team,should be that each driver had the chance to decide their own strategy.But Ron D. thought not.).

These days Fernando A. said that was not fair,that him,who had worked hard on the car with Pedro D. while Lewis H. was learning and using his car setups (As Lewis H. recognised later by a slip of tongue),now don't even had the chance to choose his own strategy.
Meanwhile the proudy ego-monster Lewis H. instead of recognise that,said that the problem that Fernando A. had was that he never had a teammate as good as him with an absolute lack of respect on Jarno T. & Fisichella at Renault,and on Tarso M. & Alex Y. at Minardi.

The cold war between Fernado A. against Lewis H. & Ron D. was set.The British media started to distort everithing Fernando A. said or not...Things like that he tryed to beat Lewis H. by paying an extra money to his mechanics and that the poor rookie couldn't pay that much money cause of his low salary.Completely false,Fernando A. always shared his prizes for the victorys with his crew and mechanics to keep them motivated and for giving thanks for the good team work and the effort,he asked Ron D. to keep on doing that and Ron D. said no so he didn't....But someone (I wonder who could be?)fitered that to the media absolutly distorted.The British media had a spanish betrayer and the modelic British hero Lewis H.

Canada's GP:Lewis H.at P1, & Fernando A.at P2.
Big mistake from Fernando A. at the first corner (Dirty side of the track,cold tyres,etc...) + safety car (With the new safety cars regulations) + bad luck (Due to the same strategy for both cars) = 10 seconds penalty for Fernando A.,car damaged,Sato overtaked him & a final 7th position.

Alonso said after the race:"I made a mistake and I had bad luck with the safety car.Lewis H. deserve the victory and he is being very lucky with the safety and his pit stop.The season is very long and the others drivers also will had bad luck and will make mistakes".

Lewis H. said after the race:"was an easy race","was excitting to watch Fernando A. passing in front of me flying away and blah,blah,blah..." with a smile in his face and sowhing none respect to Fernando A. at all and Ron D. too by consenting Lewis H. disrespectful behaviour on his teammate.

The rest is history...As John L. Sharp explained very well:"since Canada, has been clearly helping strategically Hamilton's interests and Alonso is not stupid and realises that. One now wonders whether a “magic” hand has been playing little tricks on Alonso. Nothing surprises me these days.","once the Team realised that Hamilton was very good, 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)."

Hungary & FIA,spygate (Ron D. coward behaviour hidding his own responsabilities behind Fernando A. & Pedro D.),Lewis H. comments before Japan,Ron D. & McLaren racing against Fernando A.,etc...And all with the British media complicity & Bernie's favour.

Of course Andy,everything about the "evidence" of the flying extra laps,it's based on interpretations from the outside but from a Ferrari proffesional driver (Don't forget) which I think has experience and something to say on the matter.

Andy,you said about Lewis H. use of his tyres at Shanghai:"This kind of smart, hungry but cool thinking is what gave Lewis the edge"

I thought lewis burned his tyres in a nonsense fight with Kimi R. & Jarno T. and "parked" in the gravel at the pit entry with those desdroyed tyres.

Andy,you said about Fernado A. behaviour after Q3:"Obliquely accused the team of overheating or overinflating his tyres (but only to the adoring and uncritical Spanish media)"

I thought that was "L'Equipe" from France...Maybe I'm wrong.In any case,after all had happened this season at McLaren,If you were Fernando A. or in his situation,wouldn't you be paranoid?

Andy,you said on Fernando A.:"The prime quality required to get up there and stay there is a hunger to learn and adapt."

It's exactly what Fernando A. has done...He is up there with two world championships on his pocket and he learned from Lewis H. to cry at the FIA and the media so he adapted to his new situation and keeped focus on his job.So he seems so determinated to get better...Under pressure.

Thanks to make an effort in understanding my English.

Regards.

[karlos (spain)]

I don´t beleve...:) Ist just the true. Thanke you. ¿Really are you english?. Thankey you again.

[IDR]

TO JLK

"This guy just agrees with you Spanish guys....
...By the way...is English spell check unavailable in Spain?"

If this is your idea of "a reasonable intelligent discussion", "flatulence" is the equivalent answer to the disdainful arrogance you show in your comment.

Anyhow, I really don't care; your manners and education is your problem not mine.