Bits and bobs

The team principals or their deputies are meeting today in Maranello. My understanding is that Luca di Montezemolo is chairing it and the goal is to come up with a framework to enable the teams to sort out technical regulations for 2011 by the end of October as demanded by Mosley.

The aim of the new rules includes cutting operating budgets and fuel consumption by 50%. If the teams fail to come up with a new package by the deadline, Mosley has said the FIA will impose a new regime on them.

The teams have until the last day of this month to enter next year's championship. After initially delaying on Bernie's advice, it seems they are now starting to send off the forms. Red Bull and Toro Rosso have done so and others, including Force India, are following suit.

Meanwhile there are more rumours about Fernando and Ferrari. He is said to be looking for a house in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. Is this significant?

Several of you have asked about the FIA checks on Lewis's engine. From what I have been told, it seems this is a purely routine operation which should not turn up anything untoward unless, of course, McLaren have broken the rules in any way.

Flavio seems to be suggesting some teams have abused the rules in this area in the course of this interview(in which he also calls for a complete overhaul of Formula One). To quote him:  "The problem is that us, Renault, have stuck to the letter of the current regulations on frozen engines, and we've been buggered: others didn't do that and are far ahead, while we suffer. It's not fair."

Comments

[Érico]

Flavio really has no credibility to talk about fairness.

[Anon]

Arrrgh, this Hungarian GP is taking too long to come ON!

Fernando to Ferrari: more concrete evidence. I simply wish he would do something really good in the Renault so as to leave them with a good gift. Well, he may be staying next year, but how will Renault fare next year? They have been upgrading their car immensely this year, probably on demand from Fernando who did not want to fight for tenth place all of the time (in a sense, that is a very good decision from him because without the improved stuff on the Renault Piquet might be outscoring him now as his podium was total luck). But this may, and probably, will bite him in the butt because next year's Renault may be much worse.

Fernando's driving this year has gone from amazingly insane (Australia or Turkey, where he drove those wheels off and overtook a McLaren twice, and a Ferrari twice (counting Turkey where he got Kimi in a really impressive way at the start). Then came Monaco, Canada, France, and Germany... a ton of mistakes and he seems to not really crae. Britain was really good and he would have finished on podium if not for the bad strategy.

Point is, his driving seems to be saying "Heehee, let's have fun, Ferrari next year or the year after that, who cares about crashing or not, falalalala". Sure, he proved his talent in Australia, which I think is probably still the drive of the year (let's see how much stuff that comment attracts!)

[Keith]

Anon, I quite enjoy watching Fernando fighting for tenth place all the time. Is that the comment you were talking about?

[Anon]

Keith: sure, I enjoy him fighting for tenth place. The comment I was referring to was my last sentence, the one where I say the best drive of the year was Alonso in Australia. I expect people to say Hamilton in Silverstone or Hockenheim was better. So now I'll wait for the wave!

Regards

[McLaren most sporting team in F1]

We can all sleep well knowing that Max Molsey's FIA have never inspected an engine with such vigour as they will have been doing with the Mercedes unit. I wonder if all the engines will receive the same attention to detail? Me thinks not!
Of course these are only my opinions and I'm sure most of you have absolute total faith in the fairness of Max Mosley's FIA in the way they treat all the teams(did anyone see that? It was a flying pig I think:-))!!!

Érico
Ditto, what he really means is let us of and make sure you get the others!

[Becken]

ANON: You really loves a limelight, mate…

ED: About Fernando in Ferrari, I almost can see Alonso, if he were driving the red car instead of Kimi or Felipe, complaining about any red pit wall´s mistakes. The red guys, Saint Luca, been more exactly, would fire him if he would moan a half of he does at Renault on this moment.

These guys fired a driver named ALAIN PROST, a three-word champion whom had in his past time, much more prestigious than Alonso today and complain less than the Spaniard…

If the “aficionados” think that the brit press is very biased or something they really do not understand this business. The Italian press is the most influent press in Europe in terms of motor sport, the “ Ferrari Capos”, really care about the Italian press opinion. The guys from press don’t care if Alonso have two or three titles under his belt, if Fernando put a finger out of the route complaining about anything they will turn his life in a hell…

And as we saw last year, despite his race craft or driver qualities, emotional intelligence is not one of the Fernando´s strengths.

Another point is about Papa Fla. He putted a lot of money in Fernando´s pocket to “El Engeniero” develop a car and bring some podiums to home. What we see is erratic and individualistic driver driving a dog of a car trying to put the “Best Driver” hype under the same limelight that Monsieur ANON loves…

In the end of the year, Flavio will have a deserved egg on face.

[Anon]

Heck, Becken, I would love better like it if everybody didn't pay attention to my comment so I could think everybody agreed! I don't say stuff here just to get attention!

And BTW, Prost was probably more of a whiner than Fernando. It is true Fernando is a whiner, but after a season of struggling for points you'd think he'd cry of joy everytime he entered the Ferrari motorhome...

[McLaren most sporting team in F1]

Becken
Bloody true what you write mate. Alonso is a great driver but a flawed person, what he did last year at McLaren won't be forgotten by any of the F1 teams.
I'm afraid to say that the guy has a very nasty side to his personality, a side he finds all but impossible to control, not sure if he turns green when it overcomes him like the Hulk but a change in personality definitely takes over.
What you said about Prost is spot on. At the time Ferrari were chasing McLaren hard with Prost eager to get one over Senna and was pushing Ferrari hard in all areas of the team, he pushed them harder than they could deal with so of went Prost, big mistake for them just like it was a big mistake fr Alonso to behave as he did at McLaren (remember folks that this was all about a rookie being as fast or faster than him in the SAME care, something that he had never experienced before and he couldn't take it).
No team should have a defined No 1, the No1 should be decided by the cock, nothing else, the faster man is always No1, lets not ever go back to the way Ferrari raced during the Schumi days, let team-mates race, race hard but always fair that's what I say.

[Tim]

Becken - as you say, Ferrari sacked Alain Prost at the end of 1991 for unfavourably comparing his car to a truck.

But 1991 is a long time ago and Ferrari were a very different team seventeen years ago, still very much in Enzo's shadow. Prost was pretty blunt with his opinion that the Ferrari chassis wasn't up to scratch and, if I remember rightly, hadn't endeared himself to Maranello with a very high profile interview (in L'Equipe, I think) about Ferrari's failings. Alain didn't exactly help himself with a less than perfect season - the lowlight of which was spinning off on the parade lap at Imola.

Ferrari sacked the one driver who stood a chance of turning the team around and replaced him with Ivan Capelli for 1992. Disaster followed, with 1993 even worse as the team struggled to get to grips with active suspension. The team endured a four year winless streak, until Gerhard Berger took a slightly fortunate victory in the 1994 German GP which was followed by an even more fortunate victory by Jean Alesi in the 1995 Canadian GP. It wasn't until the arrival of Michael Schumacher in 1996 that things started to really turn around.

Maybe Ferrari in 1991 was a Prost thing. After all, Alain had also been sacked from Renault at the end of 1983 for telling another grandee team just what it didn't want to hear - although there were rumours of other reasons for the Renault sacking...

I can't quite see Fernando Alonso being sacked by the modern day Ferrari for the same reasons as Prost. At the end of the day, the main reason for Prost's sacking was that he was right.

[J Sanci]

I am absolutely certain that I saw Fernando Alonso with 3 more people last Saturday, one of them I am pretty sure looked like Stefano Domenicalli. They were in the Lugano region (south of Switzerland) close to the Italian border. There is easy access to Maranello via E2, E35 and A1. It can take 2 hours and 20 minutes to get there and the scenery is just unbelievable. Monza and Milan are just 1 hour away.
From Genève it will take you easily 3 hours and 45 minutes to just get to Milan and an extra hour and a half to reach Maranello.

I have the feeling, for what I believe I have seen that Alonso is definitely heading to Ferrari. Whether this is for 2009 or 2010 remain to be seen (but surely he has already signed the contract).

In any case, I really don't care because I don't really like F1 (it's boring an predictable). I am a MotoGP fan (Valentino Rossi, of course).

[Matsuda lohete]

Sniff, sniff, I can smell of truffle! Somebody here is very afraid of Alonso going to ferrari!
Just pray for your golden boy to win the championship this year.

[egc]

@ Becken:
Dear, you say all the time the same in all the blogs...bla,bla,bla, anti-Alonso (but only in english forums)pro FIA-McLaren-Ham (it's a normal routine...bla,bla.bla)...
I have not time for collecting all your "copy & paste"-sometimes translated-comments, but would be a funny sport :-)
Please, change your speech from time to time...no matter if it's in english or in you brazilian-spanish....
For the others, cheers and keep going :-)

[Weasel]

It seems that Flavio and Fernando are both in the same club - Whine of the Month Club.

"Life's not fair - get over it" - Bill Gates

[jordi]

You know... I always liked Mclaren and I didn't have a favourite driver to support. But after reading you guys last year, I have no choice but to dislike Mclaren, dislike LH (the pussycat boyfriend) and dislike your nonstop groundless accusations against Alonso.

After more than a year I would think that you had time to put thinks into perspective, calm down and realize that Alonso was not treated correctly in Mclaren.

Did Alonso make some mistakes last year? Most probably, but we cannot forget how everything started:

1-Monaco, Hamilton complained to FIA against his own team and team mate.(not sure if Hamilton has apologize for this one)

2-Hungary, "pit lane-gate". Apparently Hamilton has apologized for that one.

After those two events, we had a different Alonso, he didn't trust hamilton nor Ron Dennis(no wonder). At the same time, the "spy gate" where Alonso was accused of spying, betrayal, black mailing etc. by his own team director, all the British press and Mclaren fans.
Alonso has never been found guilty of any of those accusations.

So, when I read comments like this

"..Bloody true what you write mate. Alonso is a great driver but a flawed person, what he did last year at McLaren won't be forgotten by any of the F1 teams".

I think... didn’t you watch last year Monaco and Hungary GP... mate?

[Derek Smith]

Jordi,

Max Rufus Mosley, in a sudden attack of pope-mode, gave Alonso absolution for his bit in Stepneygate which is why he was not found guilty, or innocent come to that, of cheating.

But FA did admit to knowlingly receiving confidential information and soliciting it. To my mind that is betrayal of the trust that Dennis placed in him.

You are obviously a big fan of FA. Well, the sport needs fans. I'm one but mainly of the sport itself. Both of us, I would suggest, have to accept that such enthusiasm is illogical so we should be realistic. FA by his own admission via the emails he supplied cheated. It's over now and we should move on. But we should not distort what really went on.

And in calling FA flawed, that puts him in line with all other F1 champions and all other fans come to that. Except, of course, Max Rufus Mosley who has never, ever done anything wrong in his life.

[Anon]

Funny, is this the storm IDR was predicted?

Weasel: "Life's not fair get over it." is a quote which is most easily saisd if you are the richest man in the world. Otherwise, not as much.

[Tony]

JORDI:
1-Monaco, Hamilton complained to FIA against his own team and team mate.(not sure if Hamilton has apologize for this one)
WRONG, HAMILTON DID NOT COMPLAIN TO THE FIA. HE SHOWED HIS ANNOYANCE AT BEING 5 PITTED EARLY & THUS PREVENTED FROM PASSING A SLOWER ALONSO WHO HAD BEEN FUELLED LIGHTER.

2-Hungary, "pit lane-gate". Apparently Hamilton has apologized for that one.
DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH. HE APOLOGISED FOR NOT LETTING ALONSO PAST IN QUALIFYING BUT EXPLAINED WHY IN A CONVINCING MANNER - FOLLOWING FERRARI, ALONSO NEVER TRIED TO KEEP UP WITH HIM LET ALONE PASS HIM ETC.

After those two events, we had a different Alonso, he didn't trust hamilton nor Ron Dennis(no wonder). At the same time, the "spy gate" where Alonso was accused of spying, betrayal, black mailing etc. by his own team director, all the British press and Mclaren fans.
Alonso has never been found guilty of any of those accusations.
INCREDIBLE STATEMENT. IT WAS ALONSO WHO EXCHANGED EMAILS WITH PEDRO DE LA ROSA IN AN ATTEMPT TO BENEFIT FROM FERRARI DATA. HE PASSED THIS INFORMATION ON TO ECCLESTONE AS PROOF THAT SOME IN McLAREN HAD FERRARI DATA & WERE USING IT!!! THIS WAS WIDELY REPORTED INTERNATIONALLY & HAS NEVER BEEN DENIED BY ALONSO. THAT'S WHY HE WAS FIRED BY McLAREN.

[Kohque]

Smell the money. Santander signing for Ferrari is the stronger indication so far that Alonso is heading for Ferrari.

I can't agree with Becken's comments, because it is not just about Ferrari. I think Alonso has already tone down a lot his opinions about just everything you can think of. Despite the awful performance of the Renault Twingo and the strategy blunders, his comments have been as polite as they can get.

If there is something he learnt last year, it is to keep his mouth shut and let the race do the talking.

[Red 27]

Am I the only Brit who would like to see Fernando in a Ferrari?

Yes, I am a Lewis fan, similarly I was a Mansell fan. Though I find neither of them particularly endearing personalities, I can't help but support the Brits. However, I would hate to see Lewis breeze through many titles pretty much unchallenged as Schumacher did.

First and foremost I am a fan of Ferrari and would love to see Fernando there and in a position to mount a serious challenge. There is no doubting his quality as a driver and the sport needs him at the sharp end of the grid.

The last thing the "sport" needs right now is yet more boring races. Things have been moving in a very positive direction in the last couple of seasons. An equal fight between Fernando and Lewis would be the best thing to happen since the Senna / Mansell / Prost era.

[PTM]

Jordi
Its better to be envied then pitied.

[MDA]

Tony,
You may have been fully convinced by LH's explanation of why he did not let FA past in qualifying, but many others have not. I am afraid that you will have to accept that it is a matter of opinion, and by no means a proven fact, that LH had a compelling reason to do so.
Equally, the fact that something has been widely reported internationally (by the way, in very different ways from what I have been able to read from different sources) and not denied by FA (or confirmed by anybody else) does not prove anything. You will be surprised of how many "well known statements" from different people involved in this story cannot be backed up with a specific quote from an on-the-record interview. Just to mention one, the "fact" that FA was fired from McL is pure speculation as the only official statements speak of "mutual agreement".
I am not supporting any specific version of what happened last year, just pointing out that not enough information has been made public for any of us to talk as if any of these versions was set on stone.
Best regards,

[jordi]

Tony, please refrain from shouting, it dosent make you look less wrong.

[todd]

For some reason i have to agree with RED 27 here, i've never been much of a fan of alonso, but he's very talented behind the wheel, agressive and is focused on the racing, where as kimi seems unfased and partially interested and massas - although a good driver, doesnt have as much raw talent as alonso.

personally i'd like to see alonso take kimi's seat, massa has the passion for the drive, and i'd like to see kimi in WRC more than f1 ;)

and yeah, like RED 27 said, alonso in a ferrari would be more aggressive in the race with hamilton, more aggressive than what the ferrari drivers have been.

[Antonio Sanchez]

Just a note. In Monaco Alonso was not slower than Hamilton, in fact, he had an advantage of many seconds; but he didn't risk lapping other cars, so Hamilton closed the gap. Aside of that, i didn't see Hamilton outperforming Alonso. Mclaren had a 1-2 finish and Alonso was not taking risks. In that moment of the year, very few people thought about Hamilton challenging Alonso for the title, if Alonso wasn't taking risks, neither should Hamilton.

I don't understand all the complaining behind Monaco 2007

[Kohque]

That Alonso and De la Rosa were found using information about Ferrari only proves the obvious: The information was widely used by McLaren. Maybe FA and De la Rosa were not cautious enough for exchanging the information via email, but the famous photocopies were not made for a photo album.

Can you imagine De La Rosa risking his position at McLaren for using information against the will of Ron Dennis? It would have probably cost him his job...

McLaren first argued that they haven't used Ferrari's information. When that point was proved false, they just argued that they hadn't looked at it... It was then when the FIA decided to look into FA and De La Rosa's emails, which finally proved McLaren arguments were indefensible. McLaren was fined. End of the story and conspiracy free.

[A Prost]

Tony, only one comment: YOU HAVE NO CLUE!
I think if Lewis Hamilton tells you that he saw a donkey fly you will believe him and also write (in block capitals, of course) that it was said in a VERY CONVINCING manner. I mean, you believe what it is convenient for you to believe.

Here is a flying donkey (the one that Lewis Hamilton saw):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbQcz1CULeM

Actually I can't resist making another comment because people like you irritate me:

Spygate: "Ron Dennis told FIA about the case during the Hungaroring GP after ALLEGING that Alonso threatened him to report the team to FIA himself if he wasn't given number one status within the McLaren team, while ALONSO DECLARED THAT FALSE and asked FIA to show evidence of his innocence; FIA then revealed that it had had knowledge of the case thanks to a slip made by Coughlan".

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

So, your opinion is just an opinion. And of no value to most of us who love and live F1 and are tired of this entire Alonso vs. Hamilton non-sense.

And I would also resist making any comment about MONACO.

[jordi]

Derek Smith

"But FA did admit to knowlingly receiving confidential information and soliciting it. To my mind that is betrayal of the trust that Dennis placed in him."

You mean that FA should lie in order to cover RD cheating ways?

[Jorge Lardone]

Alonso in Ferrari? That is a very bad joke! He is the worst wc in F1 history...(Edit Moderator),so to drive to one of best formula 1 teams have not sense.

[Santiago Ruiz]

Alonso is a great driver and it would be excellent news for F1 if he drove for Ferrari. We'd have the opportunity to see him competing with Hamilton and his peers. Now he is in a position much below his merits and that is not good for the sport.

[El Ponso]

Hi guys,
Just to help with some facts.

Last year Lewis finished ahead:
Bahrain, Spain, Canada, Indianapolis, Magny Cours, Hungary, Japan.
Total 8 races.

Fernando finished ahead:
Australia, Malaysia, Monaco, Silverstone, Nurburgring, Istambul, Monza, Spa, China, Brazil.
Total 10 races.

Regards.

[Michel angstadt]

"An equal fight between Fernando and Lewis would be the best thing to happen since the Senna / Mansell / Prost era." (RED 27)

I couldn't have said it better.

Over a year ago Fernando Alonso was talking about winning another WDC and retiring soon (probably no later than his early thirties). Now, at 27, he says he can see himself in the sport for another 10 or 11 years.

I think Lewis Hamilton is partly to blame for this. After Schumacher's 5-year reign we have witnessed three years with two champions and now in the fourth year there could very well be a third champion (or two double world champions back to back). If Fernando were to drive for Ferrari he could have many chances to win more titles, but if he doesn't get that chance his possibilities will be much slimmer, and the one driver out there who looks like he could dominate during the next few years is none other than Lewis.

I dislike all the Britih media hype going his way but when I watch Lewis drive the way he did at Silverstone or Hockenheim I definitely have to admit that he's got what it takes to win races and more. So even if it's just for "anti-Hamilton" purposes, it would be great to see Fernando at Maranello.

Now of course there are other fine young drivers out there, for instance Kubica and Vettel. Formula 1 will continue to be interesting to watch, even more next year when the slicks come back.

[Sam]

I think Alonso is becoming a rolling stone, he spend too much time talking about who is going to win the title and other issues. He has just dropped Kubica from his favourites list, Hamilton to replace Kubica against his earlier prediction, but Kimi still remain his favourite.
You know, the WDC is decided on the track and not in the wishes. Ok, if wishes were horse...
Come on Alonso, your so called Clio can still break the record for Renault for this year, already set by the yet a rookie-Nelson! Talk on the track and stop the yellow press game.
You should try to be the racing Alonso we knew in the past and stop living the Magic life.

[Andy]

Perhaps Alonso should start growin up not acted like a spoiled brat that he is.He is nothing great and ferrari should remember what he did at mclaren and how he treats his team mates when they get too good for him.There must be plenty of young drivers who are just as good or better than alonso and will drive twice as hard to prove it.I wish renault would drop alonso too to prove how unimportant he is.

[Pau]

For Tony and Ed,

I am really tired of hearing all this "yeah but Lewis apologized" type of argument. The fact is that he managed to get his teammate penalized 5 positions, and FA lost the WDC for one point. I am sure FA does not care about apologies (just like Kimi must NOT BE THRILLED either for LH's half baked apology after the silly crash in Canada).

But the British press appears to keep ignoring one fact. Fernando got a wrong set of tyres in that famous pitlane stop! He was given a set of used tyres when he wanted a fresh one. How come McLaren, the best organized team in the pitlane, gave Fernando the wrong tyres?
This conversation between FA and his engineer was recorded in the radio conversation with his engineer (yeah that same radio that recorded the F word with Lewis). This also kept FA in the pitlane longer than he should.

Anyway, this is all so last year and let's enjoy this year's race, but please stop the BS about Lewis being a team player and FA not. They are both arrogant and sellfish, something probably all champion drivers are. Heikki not one of them, obviously.

And Ed please stop mocking Fernando for the way he ate that apple. People have different ways of behaving under pressure. Some people press the wrong button and lose a WDC when all they had to do was finish fourth in a car that, at worst, could only finish fourth.

[Richard]

Don't read this if you're crossing your fingers for McLaren to be found guilty of something following Lewis's engine check by the FIA - you will be disappointed:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69522

[Gary M]

A Prost.

You really are going to have to better than referencing a wikipedia article on Fernando Alonso to back up anything.

A wikipedia article on Alonso is written and edited by Alonso fans, hardly a balanced source is it?

[Alex]

Sadly, I have to announce today is a Black Armband day here in Spain. Unbelievably, the corrupt FerrarIA has concluded that Lewis "El Bastardo Rapido" Hamilton's engine is somehow legal.

Still, on a lighter note, "our glorious Double Champion" was seen visiting the Force India and Lada factories in the last week, while back in Oviedo some of his cousins have been making discreet enquiries about how much the local taxi drivers are earning.

You reap what you sow.

[Gerry]

I have visited this blog for a while now and if I didn’t know better I could be in a time warp. A sort of F1 Groundhog Day. Where everyday is the same where every body talks about the same thing day in day out no matter how the thread starts off it seems to deteriorate into the same predictable babble about Alonso Hamilton and Mclaren! Admittedly it was interesting at the time but that was, as they say, so last season.

[McLaren most sorting team in F1]

For all you McLaren haters http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/69522

[PTM]

Gosh every one is entitled to be stupid, but some abuse this privilege, you know who you are and maybe it's time to go back to marca.

[PTM]

I totally agree with Red27, it would be great to see FA in Ferrari with Kimi pref then Felipe.
Now that's a season to look forward too, with Kubica, LH, Kimi and FA all fighting for the top spot.

[Sam]

Alonso to Ferrari as a F1 driver I doubt...
Too much bla... bla... acting like a PRO and not a driver...
He said to ITV, http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=43521

"I was in another team last year and I know how much they improved the engine during the season and how many steps were introduced.

“It’s the same for all the [other] teams: Every three or four races there is a little step in the engine that gives you some more horsepower.

“For Renault it hasn’t been like that for the last two years, so there is a lack of power probably.”

[CPART2]

@ Jordi

After you gobbing off at Ed for not mentioning the inspection of Mclarens engine, I see the FIA has given McLaren the all clear with regards to their engine. Good eh?

What's your next conspiracy?

[Jay]

Can someone please explain to me why it is that anyone who defends FA "must be an Alonso fan" (er, so what if they are?!) and therefore their view must be of no value, but it never works that way when one defends LH or others?

Every article that mentions FA, as soon as someone defends him out come the trolls...."you must be an FA fan"...."you must be Spanish"....blah blah blah.

What petty little children my fellow British F1 fans are.

PS I look forward to that other silly response: "Jay, your article looks like badly translated English!".....

[Richard Williams]

The FIA will be checking Hamilton's car for nits.

[supercampeaobrasileiro]

Wishful thinking by alonso only.

[AJR]

Yeah, yeah, yesterday Lewis was moving to Ferrari, today is Alonso, tomorrow Kubica, stop all this nonsense.

I don't think Alonso will be driving a Ferrari soon. Unless ... Kohque, You said that Santander is joining Ferrari? I haven't read any of that, Kohque, can you please link us to those important news?

From Alonso's comments, he seems happier in Renault this year than in McLaren, and I think he will continue in Renault next year.

BTW, many of you have a really bad and selective memory or have created a completely different last year's season in your minds, well, good luck with that.

[udge]

McLaren dude u have no brains whatsoever. U think heikke is allowed to race lewis? Same thing happened at silverstone as in germany he let him pass! And what do u know what alonso did lst year. He hasnt even bothered to say his side of the story but young lewis runs to the press then crys when they actually write about the stupidest mistakes anyone has ever seen in F1. China (gravel haha), Brazil (hits speed limiter), Bahrain (the brake test heehee), Canada (cant see), France (feels he doesnt need to stick to the circuit layout). Cmon. Ron put a 2 time champ out in the cold and supported a rookie who payed him back with winning tape for funniest home videos. I dont even watch seinfeld anymore i just put on the chinese gp and watch lewis in the gravel, ron waving his arms and laugh and laugh. Even Peter Windsor had to have a smile on his face (or not)

[Simon]

I can explain! its mainly because of all the stick that Lewis gets from Alonso fans. So it a case of tit for tat on both sides.
Yes it is petty but NOT just from Brit F1 fans but from most nationalities. They all like to defend there driver.

[Stephen]

If Ferrari wants to maintain its success then they should/must consider drivers like Alonso and Kubica.
These two could could have a lot to offer for Ferrari under the magic spell from the onetime Grand-Master.

[Kohque]

@AJR,

This is the only link I found in English:
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gibYR_ZJhW_8P8IIWSU93Yi6Wr5g

[snorkeller1]

Although I've been following motor sports for about 4 decades, I'm not living in a country that has a F1 driver to back.

LH and FA are youngsters when compared to Coulthard or Barricello, and both have made rookie-type errors.

LH's best known faults seem to be driving ones; he admits constant learning will benefit him.

FA's best known faults are the ways he has dealt with displeasure with Ron Dennis and LH; these are to do with personality or character.

Two young drivers, two types of faults that should be addressed, one on the track and one off the track.

Which is easier to fix? Is character still relevant in sports and sportsmen?

[Whatever....]

I am a big McLaren fan and personally would love to see Ferrari crash and burn. However any driver that whinges about how badly done to they are (team,car,other drivers, unfair rules,harsh penalties,dangerous circuits) should get out of the sport and let go of their multi-million pound salaries. As far as I can tell, ALL drivers want to win by WHATEVER means, so if you don't like it, don't play.

[Alastair]

The notion of Alonso getting a drive at Ferrari is quite strange when one considers Montezemolo's statement that Alonso would be "a poison to any team he joins".

[Igor]

Hi, Ed!

You lost your sound British composure. I have not read a single word from you about the nice show that Hamilton senior performes at every GP his son wins, not to mention the sad performance of the last year at Hungary.

Regards.

[AJR]

@ KOHQUE: Thanks.

Interesting, so, Alonso may drive a Ferrari in 2010, I guess there will be many things to deal between Santander and Ferrari before that comes true.

So, for 2009 I think he will remain in Renault, and hopefully, up there again. There is no doubt that Renault has improved this year.

[ITZIAR]

Just one thing for those who still remain thinking that Alonso is not a champion out and into circuits.

Ros Brawn say in an interviu..I dream with Alonso arrival being possible for next year. we can dream with that, why not?.we( schumacher and himself) fighted him very strongly but he won. Nick fry honda executive director remarks. Alonso the best driver?? If you think that he gives you the warranty of 3" lap, if you think he is honest,if you think he compromises very stropngly with team if you think he is used to win and was borned for wining, yes, i could say he is the best driver and we want him for next year, why cannot be possible??...If you add these coments to the ones from BMW and ferrarri team then you realise that everytime someone talk rubbish about Fernando is because more than one should read and should be informed before talking without knowledge. Sorry for my bad english but i´d nearly forgotten how to write it..best wishes for everyone

[El Ponso]

Itziar,

I also read those coments from Brawn.

David Coulthard upon his retirement next year said that Fernando would be an excellent replacement. (This was before Vettel's signing).

Regards.

[christo46]

What happend last year, was due to Hamilton & Ron Dennis....]
Everyone in the pits know what happend...That`s why all teams still want Alonso...There is an engineer from Mclaren that whent to Honda...why is that Honda wants Alonso...If he really was the bad guy...they wouldn`t want him....
Alonso is the best driver on the grid...everyone knows that in the pitlane....
And to the comment that they want to win in either way possible...ask Alonso and he will tell you that he only wants to win if it`s a fair fight....
Just like he said he doesn`t want to be number 1 driver...he said he wants the same possibilities a his team mate...and that didn`t happen last year....
Other thing is what Ron said a couple of days ago...Remembering Alonso they had a contract in wich they wouldn`t speak of each other...No why would Ron sign a contract for that ??? What does he has to hide...think about that...