Alonso: “Winning is a great feeling”

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Fernando Alonso brushed off criticism of his German Grand Prix win calling it a “great feeling” to win again.

Alonso said:

All wins are special. Winning is a great feeling and that was the case in Hockenheim, especially when I think of the huge workload undertaken by everyone at Maranello to achieve this fantastic one-two finish.

No one ever gave up and I know how pleased they were to see two Ferraris cross the line ahead of all our rivals. For over a month now we have been saying that we had to get back to winning at least once before the summer break and finally, we did it.

We did not have much luck in some races and, because of unusual incidents, we did not pick up the points we deserved. There was a slight feeling of frustration with this lack of results, but at last in Germany, for once we had a normal race on a weekend when he had no problems whatsoever and the result was there for all to see.
Fernando Alonso

He added he was not thinking about the championship yet and concentrating on winning again at the Hungaroring this weekend:

However, the win does not change my approach to the rest of the season. We knew full before Hockenheim that our car was much more competitive and that was what made me so confident. Now we must continue in this direction, starting this coming weekend in Budapest. […]

It’s best to stay focussed and concentrate on your own work, trying to put together the perfect weekend, one step at a time. That is what we plan to do, starting on Thursday. I have already said it many times before: there is still a long way to go in the championship and the maths will only be done at the end.
Fernando Alonso

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    135 comments on “Alonso: “Winning is a great feeling””

    1. Sure Alonso “All wins are special”. This is another one to remember (coming close to Singapore 2008 in how special it was). Sure Ferrari won deservedly and all by themselves for the first time this year (Renault also won for the first time in a long while in 2008), but a large part of the fans would have preferred if your team had not switched the actual winners around.

      I am sure that if Felipe had won like that with Alonso second, it would have given a great boost to Ferrari confidence and drive to push on as well. And they would have great publicity for a wonderfull fightback story and resisting the urge to do what they did on Sunday.

      1. Yeah but Santander wouldn’t have been quite so happy.

        1. The man who said in 2006 I don’t consider F-1 a sport anymore…

          For sure Emilio Botin(Santander president) want to his driver wins the GP

          1. Santander doesn’t have much to sell in Spain. Santander is spreading on Brasil so I don’t think Emilio Botin was very happy on what happend sunday. Nobody is happy with that.

        2. he did get a ‘nice’ santander trophy anyway.
          Shows him :)

      2. Well, at least it now confirms for us that he was very much involved in Singapore 08.

        When he claimed that one as a ‘real victory’, anyone vaguely inclined to give the benefit of the doubt would say ‘there is no way anyone would have the balls, the nerve, the arrogance, to claim that one if they knew it was dodgy’.

        Well, with this latest Ferrari PR turd in our drink, seems no victory is too hollow, ‘manipulated’ or bent for Alonso to try and claim. It’s all a question of character…

        “For what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and suffer the loss of his soul?”

        Enjoy your asterisk.

        1. “Well, at least it now confirms for us that he was very much involved in Singapore 08.”

          i think that’s going a bit far.

          1. José Baudaier
            28th July 2010, 3:26

            And I thought that everybody knew that, but most were afraid to say.

        2. It doesn’t have much sense.

          1. Victories are very special when they belong to you, only you and no one but you just because you think you are the best…

            have been a Ferrari fan for ages… but don’t want to see Alonso win this year… the team “for sure” but not the driver, I’d rather Massa, and more deserving are WEbber, Button, Hami, Vettel… in that order

    2. Charles Carroll
      27th July 2010, 17:59

      Alonso:

      “All wins handed to me are special. I’m a special guy. I deserve it. In fact, I really should have the championship handed to me…perhaps while I am playing on my playstation while soaking with my hot wife in a bath of gold coins.”

      What a champion.

      1. Haha, for a second I thought he’d actually said that! Had to go back and check

        1. Charles Carroll
          27th July 2010, 18:36

          Yeah, I embellished the gold coin part.

          I meant diamonds and elephant tusks.

      2. sounds fine to me!! ;)

      3. Sidney Vianna
        28th July 2010, 17:17

        Alonso is the most expensive driver ever. Not for what he gets paid, but because what his teams are mandated to pay the FIA, such as the $100M fine McLaren was handed a few years ago, due to Alonso “wikileaks”. It seems that he learned well from Schummy on how be a champion with bad character. Despicable.

        Really unfortunate, because, in terms of driving skills, Alonso and Hamilton are head and shoulders above the rest. They are the fastest drivers in F1 currently. But Alonso is showing his true character now. Ferrari has made their decision when they signed Alonso. He is the focus of their effort. After “flirting” with Kubica and Webber, Ferrari re-signed Massa with a clear understanding that the paulista will be to Alonso what Barrichello was for Schummy.
        So, to all the fans out there, outraged, with Ferrari team orders, get a grip. Know that ethics in F1 is a subjective and flimsy concept.

    3. Killing my team-mate & winning the race is ‘even a better feeling’

    4. yet another example of “how not to behave” as a driver

    5. winner? more like a loser if you ask me.

    6. He is what I call “euro-trash” I would rather have respect than wins. Sportsmanship is a lost cause with that pile of rubbish. The world would be better off without him.

      1. what a pile of cr.., do you know him personally? If you want to be respect you obviously don’t know much about this sport, the greatest Ayrton Senna, was ruthless. These guys only care about theirselves. They are very selfish individuals with an only drive to win at all cost. Everyone know that Michael is 7 times WC but no one talks now about what he did to Damon Hill in the last race of 1994.

        1. er… actually people do talk about many of Schumacher’s antics, and in some people’s eyes his 7 WCs are a little tainted.

          There’s difference between ruthlessness and gamesmanship.

          Senna was ruthless.
          Schumacher was both ruthless and played gamesmanship to a new level.
          Alonso is just a gamesman.

    7. Hands up if your respect for both Fernando Alonso and the Ferrari PR department has just sank even lower…

      1. Charles Carroll
        27th July 2010, 18:37

        True. They do have “enormous attachments” as David Hobbes says.

        And of course a lot of this is sour grapes, but they’re not really doing much to assuage those feelings.

      2. Sorry but there’s no point reading anything into this, it’s just the party line. I’ve ignored what Ferrari drivers say in official press statements for years since its clear the drivers have little or no imput in whats written. If it reads lke Pravda its probably Pravda.

        1. and as dan says below all it does on days like this is make the drivers look stupid

      3. Hands high up in the sky here Ned

      4. Hands up high Ned! It’s rather sad.

      5. My hands are staying down. That’s because my respect for them can’t go any lower.

    8. Charles Carroll
      27th July 2010, 18:14

      Then again, he is a far better driver than I.

      And apparently, a much better politician as well.

    9. After the reaction to what happened in Germany I would have thought it best just to keep quiet rather than come out with statements such as this, even if this is how he genuinely feels.

    10. Why does Alonso think he is entitled to a victory that he didnt earn?

      How can he brush off all the criticism like this?

      Alonso claiming that this “win” at Hockenheim, and his “win” at singapore 08, were fair and just results really makes his personal concept of sportsmanship plain for all to see.

      These kind of self-centered remarks trivialize the enormous efforts that other drivers expend in order to win races, and raise a big, fat, obnoxious middle finger to F1 fans the world over.

      1. Like Niki Lauda said, “he has no character”.

    11. THIS kind of arrogance and disregard to public outrage concerning the events last sunday by ferrari plus ALONSO NOW seems to indicate that formula one is loosing touch with the fans
      SOMETHING must be done…AND ANY SPONSERS with ferrari must now be aware that they are backing a brand that “cheats” the public at all costs.

    12. Alonso ‘knows’ he’s the best driver and anything that gets in the way of him finishing first is an aberration. Conversely anything that helps him finish first is part of the natural course of events. Even Nelson Piquet’s timely crash. It just doesn’t matter to him. The illusion is water tight whether it matches reality or not.

      1. It doesn’t help that last week the other drivers all voted him the best current driver. That’s just gonna go to his already big head.

        1. I’ve got to say I was quite surprised by the result of that poll. Makes me wonder if they’re all taunting him.

          1. You must wonder if you have any idea of Formula 1. I think that if drivers say he is the best it’s because he is and he is a good person or at least honest. If he was hated by all drivers nobody will vote him.

            I think you are wrong about Fernando and that heis paying in Ferrari and in Renault the mistakes of the team. I’m sure he didn’t want the victory lyke so.

            And please, stop hypocrisy about respect of the rules. Try to “save fuel” about it please.

            1. I am going to pretend that you are saying stupid things on purpose…

            2. Mike, you can pretend what you want. It’s what I think. I think it with the heart, not with the head, but most if things said here are thought with the feet.
              Bye

        2. They did? where can I see that poll?!
          What a load of rubbish. He wasn’t even the best on the grid in his championship winning years. In 05 Kimi was better but let down by McLaren reliability. In 06 Schumi was better, let down by the engine failure in China. There are several drivers I would have voted ahead of him!

    13. Wasn’t this on their Ferrari blog page? Massa completely ignored what happened too. I’m not saying it’s right because it isn’t but the teams being looked at by the WMSC and they’re sure as hell not going to risk shooting themselves in the foot…again.

      Alonso cynically should be feeling pretty smug. He’s got his teammate right where he wants him and he never felt Felipe was a threat this year anyway, the team behind him and is on the way to getting his title challenge on track. I doubt he’ll be satisified with the circumstances but he wants to win more than anything which means he’s probably lost even more fans but will be happy counting his titles when he retires.

      1. Agreed – you don’t get into a position of dominance within a team unless you have the raw speed necessary to back it up. It’s something a lot of people tend to forget about Schumacher, and on a lesser scale Senna and Prost. It’s certainly not the most popular way to go about doing things but, if done correctly, can be hugely effective.

        1. Raw speed is certainly part of it, but I imagine the very lucrative deal with Santander plays an equally large role in securing Alonso’s stranglehold on the team.

      2. Guilherme Teixeira
        27th July 2010, 21:09

        but he wants to win more than anything which means he’s probably lost even more fans but will be happy counting his titles when he retires.

        This…

        …is just the reason for this outrage against him. I’d rather be runner-up 4 times (like Moss) then win this title with the world against me. If he can sleep at night thinking like this, then ok, good for him, but he better not think of him as a “sportsman”.

    14. I understand the need for Ferrari to stick to their version of events and play everything down, but this is poor and the answer is simple: Don’t release interviews like this. It’s making everything look worse.

      1. Agree. Everytime they say anything it’s just making it worse. first they hide behind Felipe, the Montzemolo says it’s alright because it’s always happened and calls everyone hypocrites and now there’s the offical team line and everything’s fine. Please Ferrari stop digging your own hole.

    15. Winning? Did he mean whining????
      (first post there, congrats to Mr Collantine, and all posters!)

    16. Oh I tell you, I love the idea of a driver of his skill mixed with such a team, but this level of a childish arrogance is just so dissapointing. With all those silly aspects of f1, to remain humanly is to me really, the thing that is most important. Look at this brother, I feel as he really fails at that.

    17. Charles Carroll
      27th July 2010, 18:57

      To his credit, he did ask if Felipe managed to finish second during his victory lap. I’ll give him that.

      1. As a bit of an afterthought. I kind of understood it as “hey did that other guy manage to keep from crashing or anything?”

      2. To his credit ? I found it patronising, Felipe should have won.

        1. Charles Carroll
          27th July 2010, 19:41

          Oh don’t get me wrong. I was cheering for Felipe too. All I wanted to see was a clean race between Alonso, Massa, and Vettel, and I was just as disappointed as anyone with the outcome.

          I’m just saying that at the very least, Alonso asked about Felipe, which leads me to believe that he may have felt uncomfortable with the entire turn of events. I give him credit for that.

          Most of my ire with the event lies with Ferrari’s team bosses and not with the drivers. While I’m sure Alonso appreciates being on the receiving end of this favor, I would hazard a guess (or hope) that he would not have minded actually racing someone for a change too.

          The man is skilled. I would hope that he still likes a challenge.

          1. I have to respectfully disagree with you here, Charles. Alsonso’s question about Massa after the race definitely seemed a little patronizing to me, and he certainly didnt look uncomfortable standing up there on the top spot of the podium, or while waving to the crowd on his victory lap.

            Also I think he definitely would have minded having to actually race against Massa; in fact we KNOW he didnt want to race him fair and square, judging by his incessant complaining to the team over the radio before Massa was ordered to stand down. Based on well-known past history, one could make a strong argument that Alonso really doesnt like a fair fight at all. I know and understand that Alonso fans (although Im not necessarily saying you are one)want to think the best of his intentions, especially when he’s being cast in such a negative light, but his attitude seems pretty indefensible to me.

            1. Charles Carroll
              28th July 2010, 4:44

              I have to say, Hallard, that your reply was so incredibly respectful, that I’m not sure I can even disagree with you anymore!

              Who said there aren’t any decent people on the internet anymore? Thank you for your reply!

            2. At the time i thought it was more about Alonso asking what happend to Felipe to be sure about what had actually happend with being let past.

              Up to that moment he could not have been sure, weather it was a car problem or the team order that got him in front.

            3. It’s incredible how many meanings can you get from “it’s ridiculous”.

              Anyway, I’ve got a docen more of them.

              My favorite one is that the team was telling him to pass Massa and he said that because you cannot pass a similar car if the one in front doesn’t want. Ridiculous was to do the same thing Vettel and Webber did. Crash. After saying that alonso left space to Massa. He tried to pass Massa in Australia and he couldn’t. Expecially when everybody knows that Alonso is happy with 2nd places and regularity.

              If you want to undertand that he was increasingly asking the team for Massa to let him pass… well, that’s your fiction novel. I’ve got mine.

      3. Yeah, because that is important for the team! … and the rest was just pretending not to know what had transpired, asking “what happened, a gear selection problem?”.

        I was feeling a bit bad about Alonso too after Barcelona, where he said that 2nd was so much better if it was unexpectedly handed to you last minute because a competitor (Hamilton) had a problem. Not the best way to show sportsmanship, but does show a winners mentality.

      4. I know Alonso probably almost certainly would have known what was going on but just say he didn’t (they hopefully weren’t thick enough to talk openly on the radio) seeing Felipe suddenly slow could have been an issue so maybe he was genuinely concerned…I like to look on the good side. :)

        1. No way to comment or see the good side.

          We are attending to the public lynching of a driver.

    18. MouseNightshirt
      27th July 2010, 19:11

      Pathetic.

      That’s really the only word that I can think of in response to this statement.

      This man needs to look up the meaning of the word “deportividad” in his dictionary.

    19. No one ever gave up…

      Fernando Alonso

      Ummm…

      Wait, didn’t Felipe Massa give up?

      1. Yes, Massa gave up, but Alonso is the evil.
        Piquet gave up, crashed his car by his own, but Alonso is the evil.
        FIA works bad, but if he complains, Alonso is the evil.
        Now we are paying for unfair FIA ways to aply rules, but Alonso is the evil.
        Alonso is pressed to the wall, but if he does it to anyone else, then he is the evil.

        As IDR said: “We are attending to the public lynching of a driver.”

      2. ” No one ever gave up…

        Fernando Alonso

        Ummm…

        Wait, didn’t Felipe Massa give up?”

        lol damn, that is classic

    20. Is this guy for real ? How many of his wins has he actually deserved ? To me most of them have been very hollow victories. He spent 2005/06 winning in a car with illegal suspension, but a blind eye was turned because it was better for the sport because the powers that be knew that the entire world was sick of Schumacher winning. Fact. He kicked screamed cried and spat his dummy to win on Sunday, and he was part of an engineered victory in Singapore 08. I was about to say his cleanest wins came at McLaren, but even then he tainted that with his major part in the spying scandal, McLaren don`t need to copy Ferrari to win. His behaviour and the damage done to McLaren was shocking, but I am glad he naused it up for himself and ended up back at Renault, minus the trick suspension. I know they are all aggressive competitive people, but this man is one ridiculous human being, and I for one hope he never ever wins a third title. Never thought I would say this but I would rather see Schu get his eighth.

      1. Well, the suspention was only declared illegal late in the season for political reasons, and the reasoning was a bit of a stretch of the rules too, in fairness we can’t hold that against him.

        1. eh, suspension, sorry.

      2. Alonso may not be the most likeable driver, but to imply that he doesn’t deserve the sucess he has is a bit ignorant.

        And by the way, if you can provide evidence to show that Alonso was in on the crashgate, then I would love to see it.

        1. So, probably, would the FIA, for that matter….

          But never mind. He has been convicted in the court of public opinion and that’s all that matters.

          1. @Red Andy. There are a lot of Alonso haters that have been waiting for the time to explode . But that doesn’t deny the fact that other teams, and drivers, have disguised this very act, and gotten away with it. Over the past decade, McLaren, BMW Sauber, Renault, Red Bull have all influenced the performance & results of their drivers. It is a fact!

            From the Ferrari team’s perspective – The constructor’s title seems a distant dream , and the WDC is still an uphill batle.

            You have a quicker, more aggressive, and consistent driver with a chance of winning the WDC. On the other hand, you have a driver who is loyal, inconsistent, and not performing to his expected level right now. Which driver’s chances would you want to maximise??? (ALO-98PTS & MAS-67PTS)

            At the end of the year people are going to remember a team and driver by the WDC and WCC.

            Alonso could have pushed harder, and attempted to overtake his teammate. OR, Ferrari could have realised, that they should avoid the risking of their driver’s pace and machinery. and maximise their potential for at least the WDC.

            It sucks for us fans, that Ferrari did not disguise the act well enough as their rivals do.

      3. That suspension was perfectly legal until the Ferrari International Assistance deemed it to be illegal to give Ferrari a shot at winning the title.

        A bit like them suddenly declaring Michelin tyres illegal in the latter part of the year 2005.

        1. There was nothing wrong with the suspension. Whatever got banned was inside the nose cone of the car. Simply put, flexing sheet spring with a mass attached to it.

        2. You mean in 03, the Michelins being declared illegal in 03, robbing Kimi and Montoya a chance at that years title.

      4. You’re goint to get sick of see him winning, so be prepared.

        When FIA got sick of see him winning (I think it has already happen) then things will happen like unfair descission on 2 last GP.

        The scandal is not that a team manipulate results, the real scandal is that FIA, who has to be unbiased, is who manipulated the last 2 GPs.

        If you cannot see the difference…

        1. Yes there may be some unfair Alonso bashing going on Raul, but to claim the FIA manipulated the two previous races is ridiculous. There is no with hunt, no conspiracy against Alonso. Just an unfortunate incident which provides us all of more concrete evidence that despite being a fast driver, he truly is not the driver we all wish him to be. A double World Champion should be honorable, an ambassador for the sport, and Alonso no matter what you think of him is not doing a very good job of that lately.

    21. Alonso can you please ring me on 0121 DO ONE!!! Lost all respect for him!

    22. Yes, winning does feel great Fernando. And when you actually deserve it, it will even taste better…

    23. Alonsos the best driver? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. Ha ha ha

      1. We are attending to the public lynching of a driver.

    24. I know F1 drivers are just supposed to drive and not be entertainers but when you compare Fernando Alonso to say Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello or even Lewis Hamilton in terms of persona, charisma, sense of humour etc…, you wonder why a sponsor or a team would like to be associated with him. And maybe that’s why he is so bitter and needs to at least assess his authority by being WDC every year.

      1. well that’s because we are british and the people he sucks up to, are either spanish or italian since they love him.

        1. we are british

          You may be and I am but two-thirds of F1 Fanatic readers aren’t (or at least aren’t living there).

          1. My ancestry is mostly English, Scottish, and Irish, does that count?

          2. I’m from Texas!

            But I’ve got a lot of British friends if that counts haha.

        2. I am French…ish.

      2. Sounds like you know them so well…

      3. I think because he is honest. Apart of having to say these words in his blog, that are ferrari’s words.

    25. Crazy!!! How stupid he thinks we people who watch the sport are. He just lies and gets away with it repeatedly.

    26. Alonso would have earned far more respect by coming 2nd to Felipe.He is very highly strung,and unfortunately he lacks discipline and self control…He frequently shows that he is a bad sport quite openly, and former Ferrari fans are turning against him now and the team…not that he seems to care anyway.

      1. Millions of fans will adore Alonso, millions more will despise him, and he doesn’t give a fig.
        He’s a winning machine who’s found his way from Asturias to already having two F1 championships in his pocket. Champion racing drivers are ruthless, selfish, complex people. If you’re looking for someone to love or take on holiday then it’s the wrong place to look.
        Martin Brundle

    27. “we did not pick up the points we deserved”

      Wow, entitlement much?

    28. He says the win was a great feeling. Well that great feeling is NOTHING compared to pleasure I’d get from taking a hedge trimmer to those eyebrows….

    29. michael mair
      27th July 2010, 21:38

      everyone knows the drivers title is the real prize, the constructors is just a token, ferrari are in with a decent chance with alonso, and absolutely no chance with massa ,they did the right thing !. any of the other teams facing the same situation would have done the same thing !. this is a hard nosed multi million pound business posing as sport.

      1. That’s weak assumption about the other teams based on no facts. Ferrari (FA, FM, SD, LDM) raped the sport and tells the victim (fans and viewers) they should like it.
        The fact that they do it with impunity is what makes the this one sad drama.

      2. Maybe not quite the right thing when the FIA aim a great big rule book in the direction of Luca Di M. with the intention of hurting him.
        This is gonna cost Ferrari a lot, so not a very clever move. Actually very dumb.

      3. How do you figure that? Alonso was ahead of Massa by 21 points if I recall, which if it was last year would be the equivalent of about 8, hardly thrashing him at the midpoint of the season!

        Plus Massa has more engines left for the season, I can certainly see Alonso having to take grid penalties due to engine changes later on.

    30. I dont know why everyone is so upset. What about Red Bull switching the nose of the car and taking it away from Webber so that Vettel can go faster ? Every team tries to take any advantage that they can.
      Alonso wants to win like every champion in history. It is not his fault if they inform Massa by radio that he is slower than his teammate.

      1. What about Red Bull switching the nose of the car and taking it away from Webber so that Vettel can go faster ?

        What’s your point? That was pretty well condemned here too:

        Should Webber have got Red Bull’s new front wing instead of Vettel? (Poll)

        1. My point is if Alonso is anyhow connected with some event, people says ALonso did it but in case of Red Bull, Chris Horner did. Alonso is made to be a villain here Keith. I admire your passion and this blog and I even acknowledge you arent biased towards any driver or team but 90 % of people referring to this site are alonso haters.

          Massa moved aside on the orders of the team. Vettel was given Webber’s wing on the orders of team but look at the irony; Villains are RED BULL TEAM and ALONSO and not RED BULL TEAM and FERRARI TEAM.

          What Ferrari did was morally wrong but what Alonso did was absolutely right. If some driver slows down, what would you expect the driver behind him to do, wait for him to push the throttle or go past him.

      2. This is not about Red Bull and there internal issues (check out earlier post). This is about the outcome of a race being manipulated by Ferrari to the benefit of Alonso. Alonso played (and is still playing)active part in this manipulation.
        He has reaped the rewards of stolen goods with no remorse and that’s scary. The man has issues.

    31. I’m not inclined to slam Alonso for this talking point, but Ferrari need to remember that their hearing is coming up and they need to control their commentary and appear somewhat like they recognize that they messed up in Hockenheim. Instead, they have come out guns blazing calling their critics hypocrites, etc., which obviously includes the stewards who fined them, which behavior is not setting them up for a slap on the wrist from the FIA.

      1. This will be old news by September so expect Ferrari to get a reprimand and nothing more.

    32. This is the second fixed race that Alonso has enjoyed winning.

      I can only assume this means he is a cheap drunk.

    33. We all know that alonso is a bad winner, we know also that he is a bad loser, but what surprise more is that he really thinks that he had won this GP!!!
      same for the 2005-2006 championship when he had an illegal car!!!
      No offense Alonso, but u will never be a champion even if u were “given” few GPs and 1 Championship!

      1. This “illegal car” nonsense seems to be coming up over and over again. Prove it, or retract your allegation.

        1. I’m no Alonso fan but I have to admit I’m struggling to recall him winning in an illegal car as well. The only thing I can think of is the mass damper system which as far as I can tell was actually within the rules (certainly moreso than the double diffusers anyway)

    34. Its just rubbing it in. What was the point? they had nothing to gain by saying that.

    35. It galls me that FA seems to be genuinely pleased with himself over this hollow “victory”. If he EVER makes another comment about a race being manipulated to another driver’s advantage, I’ll just … oh, I don’t know. Make another comment here, I suppose.

    36. there is nothing for alonso to be happy about this win, but ferrari as a team has every right to be happy as they beat every other team on track without luck or other factors but thanks to the speed of the car they developed.

      1. Fair enough. I agree that team Ferrari was undeniably the class of the field last Sunday, and congrats to them for all the hard work. But it’s also very likely that they (as a team) would have hauled in the same amount of manufacturer points without the shameful call for Massa to give up his position to Alonso. Too bad that we were deprived of the opportunity to see which Ferrari driver truly deserved the win.

    37. Ok, I’m still waiting for the follow up statememt, where Alonso tells us he’s kidding.

      1. Don’t hold your breath…

    38. you know, the good thing with these such events results in some decent F1 coverage in Australia for once. Prior to this year, you’d only hear about it if there was a hug crash or webber did something super. This year, F1 has ha plenty of coverage here post turkey and now with ferrari. Unfortunately, it’s not necessarily the sort of coverage casual fans want to see. And statements like this certainly don’t help. It’s hard for people outide the sport to understand why ferrari would do what they did and gives the impression that the whole sport is rigged. Good luck finding new fans on that basis!

    39. at the end of the day, he crossed the line first. he won. his speed cause the events to unfold with the team. congrats to Alonso.

    40. I don’t think Alonso won this race, he simply came first when his team mate was asked to let him pass.

    41. I am thoroughly convinced that this man is completely delusional. After Singapore I can’t believe he would ever put himself into a position to praise a win that was so contrived, yet he is. The man has no idea of how his comments are going to be received. I think he truly feels that this was a great and glorious win for the boys back in Maranello and the reality is that his obsession with winning at all costs has detracted from what the team has done to develop the car. I can think of another Ferarri driver who had the same competitive drive, but at least he had the decency to give his Brazilian team mate the top step of the podium.

      1. y shud he be worried abt how his comments are gonna be received. His every comment is criticised by the people like you so why the hell should he care abt what people like you think. He deserved this win. He passed Massa when Massa was asked to get aside by the TEAM. Alonso doesnt run the TEAM. Get a life people. U know from within that he is right and u would have done the same thing if u were in his place.

        1. If he just came across a little bit more gracious occasionally then I don’t think he would come in for all the flack that he does.

          1. He has shown enough humility when he favoured Hamilton after Ham was criticised by everyone for his manouvers and also when he said the penaltt should be like this only after receiving one in silverstone.
            Dont be prejudiced and preoccupied with thoughts. Clear ur mind and then react.

            1. My mind is quite clear thanks, but I’m not sure I know what you’re referring to?

    42. Ferrari asked Massa to get aside, Massa did. What wrong did ALonso do ? All the hypocrites have posted their blo in this article and I am sure they are all Alonso haters. This guy doesnt keep anything in his heart and he spills out whatever he thinks. He isnt like brothers in arms (JEnson and Ham) and I m sure WHitmarsh will ask Jenson to get aside if Ham has a chance to win the championship.

      THey are drivers and not saints for God sake. I have seen on this portal, whenever Alonso is in picture, all take out their moral swords and start piercing him. Everyone out here is to win and if someone isnt, he has no right to be in any competitive field. FULL STOP

      GEt real guys. THis isnt 100BC, this is 2010 AD.

      1. What Alonso did wrong, if we ignore the possibility that it was his request to move Massa out of the way, was to start bragging about how great it feels to be winning again.

        If he’d just kept his mouth shut then he wouldn’t be getting half the grief that he is.

        I think what makes it worse it that for all the emphasis that it’s all for best of the TEAM and that it was the TEAMs decision (now that LDM has admitted that), is that Alonso couldn’t give 2 turds for the TEAM.

    43. Anybody know of a Ferrari fan blog where we can read what they think about this?

    44. rewnid the season 2 months bak and read the blogs

    45. Am I the only one feeling sick reading such comments from this hollow driver?
      It is sad to see that Alonso has all the elements to be remembered as a great F1 pilot, but probably will be remembered as a cheater, a liar and a ignorant person.

      1. I agree with that.

      2. Well you must think that is ferrari who talks. Would you really think that he or the team are going to ask for pardon. Ferrari why? Fernando what for?

        I’m feelling sick about all comments in this post. And english biased press. Now, I can read spanish press like Marca even with respect. Look at what I’m saying. English press is making me think that Marca is an unbiased newspaper. lol.

        bye bye

    46. I do not understand all this talk about Ferrari team orders after the German GP in Hockenheim. In Interlagos 2007 Felipe handed first palce to Kimi who became World Champion thanks to Ferrari team orders. Anybody had anything to say then and that decision had a much bigger effect on the championship. In fact, without that Hamilton would have been world champion in 2007, whereas the events of Hockenheim may have no effect on the WDC.
      You talk trash now only because you hate Alonso. That’s a really mean way to look at Formula 1 and certainly those who make the rules should not follow the advice of fans that fake their resentment only to hit a driver. You just wanted an excuse to hit Alonso. Every top driver wants to win all the time and they do not care for anything else. That is the difference between the a champion and a good driver (like Massa): their will to win. Senna crashed Prost (and Prost did the same to Senna), Schumi crashed Hill, and Hamilton cheated for a “simple” third place in Australia a year ago.
      Some of Massa’s races this year were horrible, why Ferrari should bet on him? They spend million of Euros to win the championship and deserve to decide the way they want (and the same is true for any team in F1). Please, do not tell me that what really matters is to participate.

      1. You talk trash now only because you hate Alonso.

        I haven’t said anything about Alonso in this article, I only reported what he said.

        In Interlagos 2007 Felipe handed first palce to Kimi who became World Champion thanks to Ferrari team orders.

        Bit of a different situation when one driver is out of the championship running, as I said here:

        Why the team orders rule must stay

        1. I was not talking about your article, the comment was referred to other people’s comments, sorry!
          But I cannot see how the Interlagos thing could be considered less bad than what happened in Hockenheim. Team orders are banned because teams should not modify the result of the race… so they can modify the result of the whole championship, instead? It does not mean anything that the one of the drivers was out of contention. By the rules and by the people’s reactions to what happened in the last race, Kimi should have won the race and the championship by his own effort, that is by overtaking Massa. What about if I had bet on Hamilton being world champion in 2007? The real difference is that Alonso is less loved than Kimi (at least the Kimi of 2007!). I do not want to say this is right or wrong but it is clearly the reason. Maybe Alonso deserve this treatment, but what I like to point out is how inconsistent are the fans reactions from one time to the other.

        2. The FIA knocked Felipe Massa out of running already in Valencia.

    47. So, I imagine in Hungary that all the other teams are just going to stay in the garages all weekend so that Alonso can enjoy another ‘Special’ win?

    48. News just in: Alonso’s car to have a new upgrade. A flashing blue light so that everyone will pull over when they see him coming through..

    49. It’s wrong, must be “Whining is a great feeling” of course he does it all the time.

    50. I sort of hope that this press release is actually from Ferrari central, rather than Fernando himself. Nobody in the center of such a storm could be so insulated as to issue such a statment.

      Alonso IS a great driver. Ferrari has upped their game and deserved the 1-2 finish at Hockenheim. Sunday’s decision BY THE TEAM to move Massa aside is deplorable. You would need the intelligence of a lettuce not to see this.

      The reason we have the team orders rule is Ferrari doing exactly this, swapping the 1-2 position of their drivers in 2002. Does this weekends debarcle enhance F1’s image to the world (and importantly to all involved, it’s value as an advertising opportunity/investment)? NO!

      Luca DiM and Alonso pushing the “We won!” message is really not going to convince young fans that this is a sport worth following. Ergo et sum – aim at foot and squeeze the trigger.

      Alonso is a very good (great) driver. He used to be pretty good at overtaking. Think, if he is going to regain a surely waning fanbase, he needs to do it on the track, not in the pre-race brief or media releases. He’s not Satan, but this PR sure makes him look silly.

      For the record – I’m Brit. Not a Ferrari fan. Not a Nando fan (well, like the chicken). Love our sport.

    51. My impression of the race in the German Grand Prix is that Ferrari had already thought trough this beforehand (becouse of previous experience with Massa and Alonso), and they had a rule (probably well consented by both riders; in fact they can not oppose it becouse the drivers know it is fair) The rule says that whoever is fastest in the race goes front. No need for dangerous overtakings. This rule also solves many strategical problems teams have with their own drivers like who pits before, fights in the first corner, etc. It makes for a much simpler race and, in fact, much fairer for both raiders and for us the fans.

      ¿Who says, decides, is the fastest driver? Well… this could be the problem sometimes as evidenced by the extrange movements Alonso had to go though to convince the team he was fastest. We, spectators, know more or less that the driver trailing is normally the fastest.

      It remains to be seen what will happen if the situation reverses (it probably will)and Alonso is forced to let Massa overtake him. If we see it, that´s fair… if not we will know there are real team orders against the fastest driver.

      This is my reading of the race and it explains why Massa has not complained much. He knew the rule… and he knew was slower.

      I leave for the bloggers to consider the fairness or not of this rule, but I think goes a long way to solve one of the biggest problem in Formula 1: It is sometimes said that it is a team sport… eventhough, funnily, your more dangerous opponent is your team mate.

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