Comments on: The stewards’ full verdict on McLaren & Alonso

By: InGodWeTrust

InGodWeTrust — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 11:29:55 +0000

I got a heart attack due to being laughing half an hour yesterday seeing poor Lewis Hamilton (Dennis’ Baby) stack in the pebbles.

Still laughing

By: kristopher_d

kristopher_d — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 16:05:38 +0000

Gimme a friggin’ break. Hamilton didn’t violate sporting regs, Alonso did. That’s where it’s fair. And remember, they may both drive the same color cars, and wear the same color driving suite, but your teammate, in racing, is your first competitor. You have supposedly equal cars. If he’s faster than you, you can’t blame the car, so in reality, racing drivers have no teammates. Should Hamilton have let Alonso by? Maybe, hell probably. BFD, that’s team politics and Dennis should have sorted that out in the team trailer. Should Alonso have held up Hamilton? Of course not, and that sporting regs, so the FIA got involved. That was a clear case of Alonso saying “I’m the reigning world Champ, there’s no way in hell I’m going to let a rookie challenge me.” Fortunately for us, the Rookie is doing a pretty darned good job of spanking the reigning world champ. Equal cars, unequal drivers.

By: j bond

j bond — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 15:12:37 +0000

Cheats should never prosper.
Grow Up Alonso!!!!
Well done Hamilton for holding it altogether and acting in a mature nature.
You Deserve the win.

By: david berger

david berger — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:35:59 +0000

Well that is a good point. If you look at the video the only men over the wall who look “surprised” are those not wearing headsets. The men wearing headsets are calm as if they are aware of whatever is going on. I do find it fishy that there was a man counting down the pit stop prior and not one in this one. He can clearly see the tires by the stripe though they did not appear to be scrubbed. I think it all went wrong but in the end…..Lewis was at fault too…so the team losing points makes sense form that aspect but to not punish both drivers does not due to cause and effect.

Since it occurred within a “team” I do not think the stewards should have even gotten involved.

By: Number 38

Number 38 — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 16:18:20 +0000

Didn’t F1 get rid of “ONE HOT LAP” qualifying 2 or 3 years ago? There are 15 minutes in the session in which to make one’s best lap. The FIA got rid of it but the mentality is still with the teams. There are other ways to qualify without all this fuel/tyre/driver order strategy. I have no sympathy for Hamilton at all, he broke the team order in the first place and so what if Alonso is on the pole, starting from 2nd is not a bad thing. And what or who caused the FIA to get involved with team “strategy”?

And what about Fisichella “balking” Yamamoto? Gimme a break, this is the heavy hand of the FIA out of control.

Have we had a race this year WITHOUT the FIA intervening somehow? THEY are the ones besmerching the ‘sport’ !!!

By: Ben Goldberg

Ben Goldberg — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 12:08:13 +0000

But one was deliberate, and one wasn’t. It’s all about the circumstance. As an example, when someone murders someone else, they don’t just all get the same penalty. Factors like if it was premeditated or not make big differences in jail time.

So I do think Journeyer has a point.

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:42:27 +0000

On Journeyer’s point, both Alonso and Fisichella spoiled one driver’s lap, and both were put back five places on the grid. Sounds fair to me.

By: KB

KB — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:40:33 +0000

I am just glad to see Alonso being shown for what he is….didnt he say he was checking they put the correct tyres on the car. His dirty tricks finally punished in the lying cheating team. I could see Hamilton leave Mcclaren next year, leaving Alonso there. Hamilton deserves better from a team. Alonso does not deserve to have equalled the great Senna’s 3 championships.

By: Journeyer

Journeyer — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 09:39:31 +0000

Oh yes, amidst all the chaos, it was also announced sometime last night that Fisi will drop 5 places on the grid, as a result of blocking Yamamoto in Q1.

http://www.homeofsport.com/f1/news/item.aspx?id=19854

But if THIS merited 5 places, surely Alonso’s punishment should be heavier?

Alex:

1) He can leave if he wants to. At this point, I think Ron wouldn’t mind letting him go.
2) I agree with you here completely.
3) Yup, you’re right. But why were McLaren stupid enough not to be able to control that circumstance? Why does someone who isn’t on the same page as the others allowed access to the radio?

By: Alex Andronov

Alex Andronov — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 08:58:07 +0000

3 things occur to me.

1) I don’t think other than by retiring Alonso can quit McLaren – those contracts are pretty watertight. McLaren would have to fire him.

2) I read it as Alonso getting a penalty for doing something wrong, and McLaren are getting a penalty for not admitting that Alonso did something wrong.

3) One pro-Alonso point, there isn’t 2 way radio in the cars. If the engineer was holding open the channel to do the countdown then maybe Alonso was unable to interrupt?