The season according to Xabier

EG writes: Hi everyone. As some you have noticed, I have handed the blog over during the last week to some of our many talented and well-informed contributors and to round this phase off, here is Xabier's summary of the season. I am off to the airport for the flight to Brazil, another long one, but this time it is the endgame. (Here we go, here we go, here we go etc etc). I am looking forward to getting to Interlagos, one of the most atmospheric tracks on the circuit(to rival Spa and Monza). I will be writing from there, or at least from Sao Paulo, from Wednesday.

Xabier Alonso writes: First of all, I’d like to say that I prefer Alonso to win the WC, because I’m from Spain, because both of us have the same surname, because I think he drives like Prost (my favorite driver of all times) did. Or because I’m stupid, or is there any reasonable argument to love or hate something?

ABOUT THE DRIVERS
Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, who deserves the title? The three drivers, of course. Hamilton has surprised us. He is a fantastic driver and he has been able to keep his car on the top race after race. I agree with Mansell when he says that Hamilton is a lucky guy, with a great team supporting him and a great car to drive. Even with the opportunity to learn beside Alonso. But luck is not enough to keep the car on the track and to fight for the Championship. I think he has some things to learn: for example, no other driver has blasted the tyres as he has done (three times), and we don’t what had happened without rpm limit. Remember that Takuma Sato destroyed a lot of engines in past seasons and, today, he seems he’s able to avoid explosions in his car. In fact, I think that Hamilton has to learn how to be one of the best drivers in History, because we know he is a Champion –in all senses- yet. I’m sure he can.

Only a few words for Raikkonen: His is not the same driver till he lost the WC in 2003. But he is fast enough, and good driver, to enter the hall of fame as a Champion. He won’t be a Schumi, a Senna, not even a Hakkinen, but I’d like to see him winning, one WC at least.

And Alonso. Even if he is the only responsible for the preassure he is suffering, or not, it’s a fact that he is fighting hard to win again. He is the current champion, twice champion, after defeating the great Schumacher, and he has the opportunity to win again. He is a smooth driver and has a place in F1 History yet. Now, the discussion is different: if he is or not a good sportman. In fact, I think there’s a trouble with one person: Ron Dennis, and the complicated relationship they have had this year. I don’t agree some Alonso’s comments and acts, but I sincerely believe that he thought that his situation at the team would be different, and he has not assumed that. Dennis had to act in advance, look forward and avoid the situation when it was beginning. I don’t know, I don’t know…

I hope he and Hamilton could fight each other on the truck during a lot of seasons, with fair play. That will be a nice gift for F1 fans. After this season, mainly if Alonso leaves McLaren, they won’t be enemies, and they can demonstrate that they are able to be, at least, good colleagues.

ABOUT McLAREN
A great team? Maybe, maybe not. Since 1991, when Senna reached the WC for the last time, til 2006, Mclaren have won twice (both with Hakkinen) the Championship. Renault has won twice, as well, with its own team and 6 more times in partnership with Benneton and Williams: Mansell, Prost, Schumacher, Hill, Villeneuve, Alonso,…, wonderful records. Ferrari, 5 times with Schumi. Alright Ed, Mclaren is a great team, but the efficiency seems not to be good in a decade and a half: too much money and not very good results.

And Ron Dennis has been the principal all this time. Unlucky guy or needs-to-do-things-better guy? And the affair with Hamilton and Alonso is a deja-vu on his team. I think he has created a dangerous situation into the McLaren motorhome, has found a no needed enemy in Alonso and managed poorly the relationship between his drivers or the spy-scandal. I cannot believe that a guy at the top of F1 can do such an amount of errors. He seems he needs to expoil, time after time, the best situation for him and his team.

ABOUT FERRARI
If McLaren has a “Ferrari car”, Ferrari needs better drivers, better mechanics or better managers. I love Ferrari, but, for me, that’s the truth.

THE SPY SCANDAL
The crime is to spy in itself. Or take stolen information. It’s the same. McLaren has been punished by this facts. If the fault is to take some advantage from the information (it’s almost impossible to prove that), the drivers have to be punished as well. Ron has to be quick and to give all the information to the FIA council when he took aknowledment about the facts.

Alonso’s behaviour about mails is fair (perhaps not using it against Ron but will we ever know the truth?) because he is obliged to help on the investigation. I’m right because, after the complete affair, he has been called to declare as a witness –not accused- in Modena’s trial. A witnees has to collaborate with the investigation, and tell the truth, and even report the facts. Not to collaborate is a crime too.

THE SEASON
A quite boring one. Pole position seems to be important in excess this year. Not many overtakings, not even when the cars do the pit stop. The affairs out of the track has coloured a quite grey season.

HUNGARORING
The break point. The season’s key: starts the battle between Ron and Fernando, or Fernando against the whole team, and, as a result, the facts around the spy scandal are revealed and so on...Two stupid and unfair decissions at the origin of the tsunami. Even the classification could be different. In my opinion, no one had to be punished because there’s no rule for those facts. Nulla poena sine lege (lat.). But, if the crime is to be unfair, to act against the spirit or competition, both Hamilton and Alonso had to be punished, because they tried to damage each other. And the penalty? I don´t know, but I´m sure that if Hamilton had been punished, the classification would be different, even Kimi could be leading the list.

Thanks a lot, again, Ed, and I’ll keep on reading your blog if you resist the “spanish invasion” and want to remain with us.

Best regards,
Xabier Alonso.

Comments

[Nadie]

Liverpool's Xabi Alonso or another one?

[I.I.C. - Spain]

Perfect summary, congratulations.

Regards and good luck to everyone.

[IDR]

Xabier, wonderful season’s summary.

I would like to know how to write in English at least as you. (It’s my fault, nobody to blame except me).

No doubt about your driver’s comments. The best of Hamilton is still to come and will come for sure. Kimi deserves a WC, but the question is how much he wants it too. And Fernando still has many things to say in the following seasons. I hope to see those three drivers battling and not live again the “one driver monologue” we saw few years ago.

Anyhow, I would like to point out some question that I have not seen in your analysis:

You not mention FIA, and, in my point of view, they are by far the most responsible of all the mess we have been seeing this season:

SPYGATE

Yes, I agree with you. Ron Dennis should give FIA all the information when he took acknowledgement, and he didn’t.

But on the other hand, how FIA has handled this affair is a joke. And not only FIA but also R Dennis and Luca di Montezemolo showed their worst and ugly “management face”. There are some things that must be handled without “light and stenographers” and in one round.

I don’t know if McLaren should be punished or not but. I’m not a lawyer.

But I am pretty sure is that McLaren hasn’t token more advantage from the information of Ferrari’s, than the others teams took from all the gossip is around the paddock, between mechanics, engineers and drivers.

HUNGARORING

Again FIA has token the initiative to punish hardly one driver and getting themselves in the middle of an internal affair.

But the most surprising thing has been to see how both questions have jointed creating the bigger hurricane ever seen in F1.

And this is the only excuse I found in how Ron Dennis has handled this question, as well as Fernando. He never imagines how far has gone an internal fight with his boss. Anyhow, he will need to assume the consequences and look for another team. (Will not be Ferrari. They have announced that F Massa’s contract has been renewed up to 2010)

Other question is if Ron Dennis has assumed the consecuences. Not yet.

I’m sure that if FIA didn’t act as they did, everything what happened this season, would be absolutely different, and not only in Drivers Classification.

[Weasel]

After Alonso threatened to blackmail Ron Dennis, Alonso and De La Rosa ratted on Ron because Mosley offered the Mclaren drivers immunity in exchange for their testimony (against Ron - now how do you spell vendetta?). Anyone want to dispute this and prove otherwise?

This and the subsequent resulting events is basically what made this scandal ridden season interesting and caused the huge increase in posts on Ed's blog.

Apart from that, Hamilton provided some excitement due to his outstanding performance as a rookie in the first season of the'Post Schumacher era'. Otherwise it would have been a huge bore, and a bore it had become with Michael Schumacher's dominance - not to belittle his outstanding career, but "who is going to come second?' is not exactly exciting, race after race.

[pangloss]

Dear Ed,

Given the weather f'cast to Sday of Showers (http://www.qwikcast.com/cgi-bin/forecast.cgi/26160809?zip=Interlagos%2CBR&unit=c), I would like to know your bet for the Q3.

[Gazpaxo]

Nice summary XABIER... I only disagree with the boring part; it is true that some races have been boring. But I think that even without all the Spy Scandal & Co., this season has been very exciting... three drivers with opportunity to win in the last race?? that's fantastic!

[Jordi]

off topic:
Not only FIA felt the need to assure Alonso in Brasil, even Ron Dennis flew yesterday to madrid to assure the spanish federation of motor racing. (like if they didn't hear before that his team is equal and bla, bla). All PR. His real reasons to fly to madrid were to make sure that Santander will provide the moneys next year, regardles what happen with Alonso.

[shinobi]

Hmmm, didn't know that the Liverpool footballer was so enthusiastic about F1. Keep it up Xabi!!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xabi_Alonso

[kechy]

Hola Xabier
Nice post...Even if a agree or not with all your feelings, it´s nice to be polite as you.
We cannot forget that "the spirit" of F1 is a SPORT.. And I will never forget all incredible sundays I´ve spent watching Alonso on TV. Thank you Fernando, whatever happens in Brasil, because before you, I used to hate Sundays!!
Finally, I apologize about my bad english. I´m doing my best, but I still write what I CAN, not what I WANT"

[Fermin]

well, nice resume but i think the problems startes in Monaco. If Ron didn't like problems he must act there. he didn't and the ball started to grow. also Fernando, he started the season quiet and correct and he would start to talk before (Monaco) with a win. It's uncredible what happened there and was the start of what is happening now.

[javiervivaespania]

Good! Xavi!
I hope you celebrate our Champion's victory in your next match by wearing a Fernando Alonso T-shirt behind your own. It will be nice if you take off the shirt when you score and show all the English that we are there, supporting Magic Alonso, that you are also Magic, that our sportman and sportgirls are the best of the world and that envy is not a good feeling. Convince Reina and Torres the Kid to do the same simultaneously. You are lucky that your trainer is Spaniard too, so he can help you and protect you from the English press, who is out there to get you.

[VaroX]

Hi Xavier!

i just read your post, and let me tell you that i couldn´t say it better...great job!i´ve read a lot of articles about the F1 (McLaren, Alonso, Hamilton, Kimi, blah blah...) and yours is maybe the best one at the time!

congrats!

[BigBird]

Weasel: just to point out that the blackmail issue is still to be proven it was as Ron Dennis said. Many people, particularly on Hamilton's side, is taking it for granted to be the truth.

But certainly we only know Ron's version of the story, but no words about that have came out from Alonso's mouth.

So I think we all should be precautious managing this issue. Can someone prove that Alonso threatened Dennis to blackmail the team?

Rgds

[javier]

Alonso denied the blackmailing. He said that it did not happen this way. He told RD about the mails BEFORE the hungarian race.
Obviously, everybody is free to believe who they want to.

[Xabier Alonso]

Hey, guys:

My name is Xabier Alonso but I'm not a football player.

So, I'm an unknown guy from northern Spain with an opinnion. Thanks to all of you, even if you agree with me or not.

By the way, does somebody know where to buy a safety cow.

[CHIUNDA]

Morning Ed, so how goes Interlagos? I am just waiting for your next post and hope that it will have information on weather expectations for Sunday and how Hamilton is keeping up psychologically. We non-Spaniards have not been getting our needs fulfilled in the recent past but are still hoping for the best from you in the last race of the year.

[Charles]

Sadly, I believe the Alonso being WDC this year are as sunk as the Armada!! But being British I know just how great we are at losing great championships. This weekend will see GB fighting for a historical double,the world rugby crown and Lewis Hamilton trying to create history as the first ever rookie to win the F1 chamionships. The press build them up, and when they don't quite make it, they knock em down again. Bitain often fails in these situations. looking to the history records, the driver who wins in Melbourne, is the driver most likely to win The DWC. Kimi is that man.

[Mannersaye]

Safety Cows are not just a myth...

http://monaco.cowparade.com/cow/detail/3018

[jordi]

WEASAL:
Before you ask if we can prove otherwise, you should be able to prove your point.

Please, would you stop shooting the messenger and start looking at yourselfs? who and what nationality were those who first stole and recived the Ferrari's documents?

I totally agree with Fermin, all started at Monaco. There, Hamilton "The Loyal" trew all his toys flying out of the pram because Alonso and the team didn't let him pass (as if he could!). This originated an investigation from FIA against his own team. The rest is history.

ps: If someone was wondering who was first the egg or the chicken, well, there you have it.

[CHIUNDA]

Charles | 17 Oct 2007 13:12:37 - you are quite on the money about this being the greatest weekend for the UK - however, realistically, Hamilton will bring a smile where South Africa would have cast a cruel shadow - it will be a pretty bitter sweet weekend to be British, very bitter to be Spanish and very sweet to be African.

[CHIUNDA]

OK, can you all stop ranting about the past and try to predict what is going to happen on Saturday and Sunday given the following important (and not so important) factors:-

1. No rain is forecast for either Saturday nor Sunday, low speed winds, temperatures in mid twenties.
2. Massa has been confirmed at Ferrari to 2010.
3. McLaren will be watched over by Max Mosley's Man In Black to protect Alonso.
4. Both Alonso and Hamilton appear to have had uncharacteristically quiet times in the media for the last two weeks.
5. Ron Dennis has just been to Spain - dare we say swallowing his pride?
6. Garcia will be wining and dining as a guest of McLaren, even as he is being accused by some British media of racist remarks.

[IDR]

Sorry CHIUNDA but except point 1 and 2 (that everybody knows, btw), the rest is just part of "The New Ma"r"x Mosley F1 flying circus"

Ron Dennis has been in Spain having lunch with Emilio Botin and playing golf in the "Ciudad Banco Santander golf curse".

His meeting with García was not very interesting, except for this:

As Ron Dennis has offered Pedro de la Rosa to be the "Cicerone" of García during the weekend, I'm afraid that all of us (in Spain) will have to watch the race without Pedro's comments.

Can you Imagine? Bitter race and stupid comments...

[tiptoe]

It is a well known fact, that soccer teams confirm their coaches when they are not doing great, just to fire them within the following two weeks.

I was just wondering if Ferrari is managed as a soccer team...

[Weasel]

TO: BIGBIRD, Javier and Jordi

I think this might be really simple to work out on your own - if Alonso did not threaten to blackmail Ron Dennis, then please explain why Ron telephoned Max Mosley to report the threat (which you and "I am in big time denial 'Nando" claim was never made)? To play into his old nemesis Mosley's hands perhaps? Or was Ron perhaps hallucinating? And didn't Ron Dennis called in Martin Whitmarsh and Alonso repeated his threatened blackmail? If he did not threaten Ron Dennis then why did Alonso's manager, Luis Garcia Abad, feel it necessary to apologize to Ron Dennis (30 minutes later and after Ron Dennis had already called Mosley, on Martin Whitmarsh's advice)? To apologize for something that was not said? Einsteins - every one of you - go to the bottom of the class.

Gentlemen, I rest my case.

[Rmarco]

Weasel, blackmail? what you mean with blackmailing? You cannot blacmail anybody if you dont have anything to hide :P.
If everything was clear and clean why Ron didnt appeal to the 60 million euros fine?
The thing is McLaren got caught becuase their own mistakes on a truly spyScandal... if F-1 was a little bit more serious they shouldnt have been allowed to race from the first day the docs were found if you ask me... but again who rules this show?
You can rest your case now.

[AR]

Interesting to read:

HUNGARONRING

http://fets3.freetranslation.com/?sequence=core&url=http://www.safety-car.net/article.php/fernando-alonso-hungria-radio-dennis-f1&language=Spanish%2FEnglish

[Carl]

To: Weasel

Just a few points with regards to the spying scandal issue....

Is the FIA's offer of immunity to Alonso not a blackmail in itself? Because to me it seems like an offer between no punishment or punishment for not cooperating... well doesn't seem to me like there's much of a choice, is there? Please remember also that Mclaren was already being investigated for spying prior to Alonso's alleged "blackmailing"... so its not like he's the cause of all this...

Mclaren, as one of the top teams in F1 if not the top team, should have never allowed itself to be in a position where its employees could be cornered and forced to give compromising information... Mclaren should have known better and frankly I don't pity the team or its boss at all... There's no one to blame but themselves for this issue and any one can tell you that when something like this happens, blame at large companies is a top-down approach not a bottom-up one...
so if you blame Alonso start by blaming Ron too... otherwise we might as well start considering ourselves responsible for all company mismanagement issues and should begin to welcome punishment no matter how large for any and all acts without regard for own life just so the company doesn't get a "slap on the hand"

[Kormak]

Weasel.

You're only looking on one side of the history man.

For example... I would ask you: Who get the illegal Ferrari dossier?

Who is suspect of illegal acts and will be judged in Italy?

6 McLaren employees. Not Alonso and not Pedro.

Who is cheating?

[IDR]

TO WEASEL

Maybe, those Einsteins you're talking about just know that for represeting a 3D object you have to see at least the Top, the Side and the Front views.

With just one or two of this draws, you cannot build an object.

This basic rule, applies in real life also, and for this reason is much better to wait for all views before take your own conclusions.

Maybe you think that it is impossible to build an object that has a Circle as a Floor, a Triangle as a Front and a Square as a Side.

But in fact, is possible.

[Luis]

Weasel,

Nice arguments, I agree, but you miss something in your case: you say Alonso "threatened" Ron Dennis... Well, RD was clearly cheating, all this info was available to McLaren drivers (yup, LH too, who can imagine LH being kept in the dark, not able to exploit all this information, the prodigal son, the one born to win for McLaren, you gotta be kidding, mate). From an honorable and fair attitude, I would expect a sportsman to remind of this to his boss and to stop cheating and do something about it... Or are you saying F1 should not be fair and honorable. So, what is the point in saying he "threatened" RD? Just divert the problem and find someone to blame. Weasel, RD was cheating.

Gentlemen, I rest my case.

[CHIUNDA]

Weasel | 17 Oct 2007 20:58:35 - do you have a set of links that would give the details you have laid out - i would rather enjoy reading that story of Alonso's tantrums some more

[Augusto Baena]

RMarco,

Regarding blackmailing:
- The case started in Monaco (white powder in Ferrari cars)
- Ron allegedly did an internal investigation (in July I think), and said nobody had access to those papers.

Apparently, that was incorrect.

Please tell me: Dennis was irresponsible or liar? Did he do the investigation incorrectly, did his employees lie to him, or he just lied and tried to sweep under the carpet?

On the other hand, if Ron believed he had behaved correctly, there was nothing to threaten him about.

Ron's alleged behaviour is completely illogic, even under a "whistle blowing" perspective:
- Let's accept Alonso effectively threatened him with sending incriminating emails to FIA
Let's put in Ron's shoes:
A) He knew those mails existed and knew those mails were incriminating: he calls the FIA to pretend he is collaborating ("whistle blowing"). He would have said: "Max, i have just discovered there might be new incriminating evidence". Not "Alonso might call you, but it's an empty threat". Furthermore, this implies he lied in July
B) He wasn't aware of the existence of those emails, and/or the degree of incrimination (this would be Ron's version)
- In this case, Ron's reaction is inexplicable. It makes no sense whatsoever calling Max to say "Fernando will call you but it's an empty threat". It's absurd not to check (and he could easily have checked). If he pretended to do the whistle-blowing game to ease the penalty ("I called as soon as I knew") then it's absurd to affirm categoricaly that it was an empty threat (what whistle would he be blowing then?).

Either he lost control, or he lied.

Interestingly, both Max and Alonso deny Ron's version. We don't know Whitmarsh's version.

Regards

[Weasel]

To: Chiunda and to those who would cast doubt on the reported sequence of events at the Hungaroring and subsequently....

If you had read Ed's blogs over the past couple of months you would have seen all this information. If you had read - as I did three times - the full FIA transcripts of July 26 and September 13th - www.autosport.com - you would have had a better picture of what, why, where and when.

Gentlemen (there I go using that word again), it was all right under your noses. 'Seek and ye shall find'.