Alonso refutes Marko’s claim he’s too ‘political’

2013 F1 season

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Fernando Alonso responded to Helmut Marko’s criticism of him and denied he lets himself get distracted by politics.

Marko made his remarks last week in reference to Sebastian Vettel, saying: “he shuts himself off from the rest of the world, so that he can still call on reserves that other drivers might not have: Fernando Alonso, for example, who is busy with politics and funny comments”.

Speaking at Ferrari’s pre-season media event Alonso said: “I don’t think I am good at politics, I just drive the car.

“Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them: so clearly they do read them, maybe at night.”

Alonso also denied he had tried to diminish Vettel’s accomplishments: “I did not say that Vettel was not the strongest or that he did not deserve his three titles.

“There have been periods, like in 2011, when his performance level was fantastic and he was definitely the best.

“As of today, it’s impossible to say who will be our strongest rivals in 2013. Who will have the best car, who will have done the best job of preparation and had the best development, who will be the luckiest: there are so many factors which go to make the strongest combination of driver and team.”

However he singled out Hamilton as his most competitive rival and said he could win races in his first year with Mercedes: “Why do I say Hamilton is the strongest? Because it’s what I think, it’s my personal opinion and there is nothing political in that.

“Lewis has always won races ever since he has been in Formula 1, even in years like 2009, when he had started the season with a car that was two seconds off the quickest.

“When you look at what happens on track, you are well aware of what he is doing, that’s a fact. Last year, [Nico] Rosberg won in China, therefore I expect that this year, Lewis in a Mercedes can win more than one race.”

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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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89 comments on “Alonso refutes Marko’s claim he’s too ‘political’”

  1. All right the season seems to be warming up now….. !!!!!!

  2. Alonso needn’t be bothered with the words of a man with as pathetic a racing record as Marko.

    1. as pathetic a racing record as Marko

      1. can you explain????

        1. 9 Grands Prix in a BRM, zero points. During those nine GPs, two Grands Prix were won by other drivers in the exact same car as Marko.

          1. Don’t call me a fan of Helmut Marko because he is one of the most hated personality between the tifosi and i don’t like him at all but i think that this man is not credited enough because many doesn’t know his history
            Marko was dedicated more to the prototypes than F1 ,at that time prototype racing was very popular because big manufactureres were behind it ,he won the 24 LeMans in the Porshe 917 in 1971 and in the next year he was the official driver of Alfa Romeo
            Marko started his career at the age of 28 because he wanted to become a professional racing driver after finishing his study
            It was rumored that Marko was caught by the radar of Enzo Ferrari when he did an incredible comeback behind the wheel of the Alfa 33 beating the Ferrari in the Targa Florio 1972 and that he has an agreement to race for the team in 1973 but because of his accident that didn’t happened who knows how his career could have been turned
            It was Marko not Lauda who is 6 years elder the man of the revolution at Ferrari but i do believe that Marko has nothing to do with niki
            It is true that this man is always pathetic but that does not hide the fact that he deserve some respect

          2. @tifoso1989 . None of his accomplishments can change the fact that he turns into a giant douche bag every time he opens his mouth

          3. It is true that this man is always pathetic but that does not hide the fact that he deserve some respect

            I love this line.

        2. Okay, I’ll admit I overlooked his success in endurance racing. But where the two can be compared, in Grands Prix, Marko’s miles behind.

    2. Well he did win Le Man, but then there’s a strong case to argue that fortune smiled heavily on him that weekend with only 14 entrants finishing the race (of 49 starters)

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        17th January 2013, 16:29

        @sjm that’s why it’s called ENDURANCE

        1. Indeed, and tech in 1971 isnt a patch on what it is now which played a large part too. But there is some fortune to having 5 of the [faster] 917’s retired infront of you, and most of the Ferrari’s too, and even more so when a car that finished 2nd only 2 laps behind was heldup for near 40minutes in the pits.

          I’m not belittling his win, few people can say they won Le Man in what is considered one of the fastest race cars of all time, in a era of extreme danger and hold a record of the greatest distance covered at the race for some 39years. A win is a win is a win, whether its 2 laps or 2 inches.

    3. Guys, you all gave some great information’s about Mr. Marko, but don’t forget that some of the greatest managers were not as good, in the time when they were active, as a sportsman as they are successful as a managers. Example Frank Williams, Bernie Ecclestone…and on the other hand Jackie Steward, Niki Lauda….Not to mention about similar examples in other sports such as Football and Basketball.

  3. Out of the three Championships Vettel won , Alonso choose the one that Vettel clearly-easy won due to superior machinery to support that he think Vettel is a top driver?
    He also indirectly diminishes Vettel once again by reminding us how he think Hamilton is the best . That of course, is in his convenience since Hamilton didn’t finish last season in front of him.
    He denies Marko’s opininion of answering politic with yet another politic targeting answer….
    well done Alonso

    1. Yes, no doubt his middle name is Machiavelli.

      1. Machiavelli wrote -except from what you imply- also some comedies…

    2. He also indirectly diminishes Vettel once again by reminding us how he think Hamilton is the best

      lol, what will you say if he said that Vettel is the best?, probably you will spin it to make Alonso look weak or you will say that he is diminiishing Hamilton.

      1. Loved Alonso’s reply to Marko…

        “Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them: so clearly they do read them, maybe at night.”

    3. @cosmas I totally agree.

      First he implies that he’s not into the politics and that ” I just drive the car”.

      Then he makes a totally political statement by saying that Hamilton is the strongest and overlooking Vettel (who he’s been fighting against for 2 of the last 3 years). And it is really interesting that he picked 2011 to highlight Vettel’s abilities.

      1. in what way that statement is political it just his personal opinion… maybe he pick 2011 because how easy vettel outpace webber in that entire season it is the easiest to compared because they has the same car.

        1. He has stated his personal opinion in a very political manner.

          Nobody said Vettel was undeserving of the championship in 2011. But that is the year where he had the best car. In 2012 however there were more suitable examples of how deserving he was. Anyway I just said it was interesting that he picked 2011 – I didn’t say there was anything wrong with it.

    4. I was like 2011 topos 2012? Oh man, Alonso is drunk!

      I do think Seb’s best friend is Adrian Newey but his skills make it deserving.

      However, like Alonso, I rate Hamilton above him and I won’t even bother justify.

  4. The psychological war has began between Red Bull and Ferrari before even the start of the season , it seems that the continuous praise of Lewis Hamilton is something that really bothers the Bulls because Fernando doesn’t waste any opportunity to say that Hamilton is his strongest rival
    Another thing is why this war has began early this season, is it an indication that Alonso & Vettel will be the only title contenders in 2013

    1. You can never discount Mclaren. A fast enough car can make anyone a three time world champion.

      1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
        17th January 2013, 16:34

        @infy 2010 and 2012 were good examples of Vettel not dominating the year but winning the championship struggling.
        So about your argument of a fast enough car can make ANYONE a 3 WDC, let’s see where are the 3 championships by Webber in the same car.

      2. @infy – you can never discount mclaren to mess up their season and championship chances again, that’s right!

      3. @infy

        Word in the street is Button needs superior machinery to win the title and Perez is still raw… let’s hope they surprise us.

    2. Maybe he is just sincere for once. He is talking about strongest driver in the field and he is not saying that Hamilton would be a title contender. After all they both drove together in the same car and there is no better way to compare your self with another driver.

    3. Can’t really discount Lotus either, Raikkonen’s performance in 2012 was amazing and he was only just getting back into the swing of things. Can’t forget about Massa and Webber either, both will have the same cars as Alonso/Vettel respectively and both are incredibly capable drivers regardless of their faults. Remember, Massa almost won in 2008 and Webber almost won in 2010 – give them a car that suits them and they will deliver. And I wouldn’t forget about Hamilton in the Mercedes either…

      1. Yeah it’s just so strange that everybody is overlooking Kimi, Rosberg, Massa, Webber, Button, even Perez…..They all have chance to win in my view. Maldonado won a rrace last year. Does everybody thinks that Rosberg had chance to show his capability yet? I remember that he had blistering pace especially in Fridays even when he drove with Williams! I’m not saying that Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel are not the best wright now but I remember not so long ago how Kimi was in another level from all others except maybe Michael and he showed last year that he could be even better. We are all focused to this 3 guys. This means that I’m loosing my mind wright now and can’t wait for the 2013 F1 SEASON TO START!!!!!! :))))))

    4. @tifoso1989 – I think Alonso is right to deny that he is “too political” but for sure both him and Vettel (although it appears not so much the latter) play mind games: that is part of the competition. The physcological war has already begun and very soon the war will begin.

      What has confused me though is why he believes Hamilton will be most competitive rival: I am fully expecting Hamilton to win at least one race but I absolutely do not expect him to be a title contender, as I’m sure Alonso probably does to. Vettel surely will be a stronger contender in what will likely be a stronger car, so that comment strikes me as being “political” – which he proceeds to deny afterwards. Unless of course he was meaning something else entirely…

      1. The comment of MaxJacobson is A perfect example of how some people want to portray Alonso as a political guy irrespective of what he says… He is saying Hamilton is the most competitive rival … that does nt meant hamilton will have the most competitive car… I feel his comments make a lot of sense.. the best driver car combination and a little bit of luck is waht wins the WDC… and I loved his reply to Marko…

        ““Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them: so clearly they do read them, maybe at night.”

        1. @puneethvb – I’m not portraying Alonso as anything other than the norm in the sense of his political mind games. It is a common tactic used out of the car to try and destabilise rivals: boxers use it prolifically before they go into the ring as do F1 drivers before lights out on a Sunday afternoon.

          I am making an example of Alonso in a sense as he was the one mentioned in the article and as far as I’m concerned he is a good example: we don’t hear Sebastian making these comments because a) he prefers to stay true to the phrase of “actions speak louder than words” and b) Marko appears to have the politics at Red Bull covered.

          I’m not saying Alonso is “too political” but I am saying he is a master of the mind games (well, by master I mean he uses them – whether they actually have any effect is a different matter entirely) which is evident from his previous comments and replies on twitter. You can’t argue against the fact he tries to utilise mind games which I feel was actually what Marko was implying when he said that they don’t affect Vettel.

    5. It’s not about what Alonso said, or of him being ‘too political’, it’s all about his formidable championship campaign that stole al the glitter from Vettel’s title. Hamilton and Button both said that Alonso is the better driver and that he deserved the most to become WDC in 2012. But Marko didn’t bother to say anything about them (yet) because they are not shadowing his ‘golden boy’ so much. Just look at whom Marko targets – Webber who dared to put some resistance to Vettel in 2010, is reminded on every occasion that he’s no championship-winning material etc. and Alonso who almost snatched 2 titles but gained more glory than Seb. I bet Marko’s pillow has Vettel’s face all over it.

      1. @klaas Lol. Well said. FA had number one driver of the year on this site too, in spite of SV’s win.

      2. @klaas – I don’t think it stole “the glitter” from Vettel’s title, nor do I agree with the comments of Alonso being “more deserving” of winning the title. In my mind, there is no such thing a deservedness in sport: you win or you lose and whoever wins is the “most deserving” because they went out and won.

        That is besides the point though, Marko is obviously going to support the driver whom graduated from his development programme and has gone on to win 3 titles; sure he could make it less obvious but most of his comments are no more controversial than Alonso’s. In actual fact, the comments this is referring to were actually very reasonable (of course biased but nonetheless he made some very good points). Saying that Alonso is “too political” is perhaps an exaggeration but that is all part of the mind games (which I don’t actually agree with but we have to accept that it is all part of the game). Alonso says things about Vettel, Marko returns. I see no problem with that.

        1. @vettel1 It’s not me who said that Alonso deserved the title the most, it was other drivers.
          Vettel is playing his mind games very well too, despite of his innocent looking face. Right after he won the title he claimed that his rivals used ‘dirty tricks’ but never bothered to explain his words. Why couldn’t he act like a man and finish the accusing phrase? It was like saying ‘it was sooo tough for me to win in such a dominant car since my rivals made some funny comments’. So what if there were rumours about him joining Ferrari? Raikkonen has been linked to Ferrari when he was fighting for the title in 2005, Alonso too after his McLaren exit but they never mentioned them as distraction factors or ‘dirty tricks’.
          Marko is so good at pointing to the dust from his rivals eyes but he can’t see the boulder from his own.

          1. @klaas

            It’s not me who said that Alonso deserved the title the most, it was other drivers.

            I know but what is the distinction? Do the driver’s personal preferences somehow hold more value?

            It was like saying ‘it was sooo tough for me to win in such a dominant car since my rivals made some funny comments’

            Well for a start he most definitely didn’t have a dominant car – nobody did. What he was actually saying was quite the opposite to what you have said: he stated the fact that they didn’t affect him which they clearly didn’t as he won 4 races and put in two brilliant recovery drives towards the end of the season when the mind games started. You also say why he couldn’t just “be a man and say it”; I find that comment ridiculous as from my perspective men make a statement with their actions and not their words, so you have to apply that logic to Alonso as well in saying that he isn’t a man because he is too busy trying to play mind games to unsettle his rivals. I think Vettel was actually “the man” in this instance because he said nothing until he had won the championship i.e. made his statement on the track.

            I don’t necessarily disagree with mind games as it is an element in all sports and I acknowledge this fact but few can argue that Alonso was trying to unsettle Vettel with his comments, which is why he had referred to them as “dirty tricks”.

          2. @vettel1 I meant to say that it wasn’t me who came up the idea about Alonso being the better driver in 2012. It seems like an established trend in the paddock as some drivers believe it as most team principals too. It doesn’t hold much value as it’s a very subjective matter but it seems to rattle the guys from RedBull. If I won a contest but most people around would comment that I did a very good job but my rival was fantastic, then for sure the taste of victory wouldn’t be so sweet.
            About the manhood thing – yes, Vettel did a great job on the track but then he had to come and spoil it all with some vague accusations towards his rivals. Imagine that I called you a thief in public and when being asked to explain myself I would respond that “that’s all I had to say”. I consider that if one decides to ‘throw the glove’ then he must be a man and take it to the end.
            I don’t deny that Alonso uses mind games but RedBull have their share of ‘dirty tricks’ too, but for some reason they are persisting in their case of the pot calling the kettle black.

          3. @klaas

            I meant to say that it wasn’t me who came up the idea about Alonso being the better driver in 2012. It seems like an established trend in the paddock as some drivers believe it as most team principals too.

            Yes, which is very different from deservedness: I don’t disagree with a driver’s, fan’s or team principals’ opinion on who was the best driver but I do strongly disagree when someone says Alonso would have been “the most deserving” champion. Deserving implies that you should be given the title on merit of your driving, not the number of points scored which is why I feel deservedness simply doesn’t exist in sport.

            About the manhood thing – yes, Vettel did a great job on the track but then he had to come and spoil it all with some vague accusations towards his rivals.

            I also don’t agree with this: he in no way “spoiled” his championship by giving his view on Alonso’s comments throughout the season (such as “we are fighting against Newey” etc.); by that logic Alonso had already spoiled his championship by saying the comments in the first place. I believe though in that instance he was probably referring to Ferrari asking for clarification on his overtake on Vergne – I refuse to believe Ferrari wouldn’t have known there was a green flag and all they did in asking for clarification is make themselves look like sore losers, which is a shame really given at first they appeared gracious in defeat.

            The comments obviously didn’t rattle Red Bull though since they went on to win both championships regardless; they may have shown distaste for them but the mind games definitely didn’t achieve their objective of making Vettel slip-up.

    6. it seems that the continuous praise of Lewis Hamilton is something that really bothers the Bulls because Fernando doesn’t waste any opportunity to say that Hamilton is his strongest rival

      Fernando certainly seems to think that Vettel will feel inferior if he (Alonso) says that someone other than Vettel is his main rival. But I don’t really think that bothers Vettel.

      If Fernando does want to get under Vettel’s skin, I think he should be trying to start Vettel-leaving-Red Bull rumors. Because, that clearly seemed to irritate Vettel last season.

      1. I think FA probably just wants to get under Marko’s skin, since it is Marko that is doing the talking at Red Bull.

  5. I don’t think I am good at politics, I just drive the car.

    Nobody said you were good at politics, Fernando.

    “Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them: so clearly they do read them, maybe at night.”

    Well, if you don’t read, hear or see (seeing and reading are now different I suppose) them you’re automatically not influenced by them… That’s kind off the whole point.

    “Lewis has always won races ever since he has been in Formula 1, even in years like 2009, when he had started the season with a car that was two seconds off the quickest.

    After the team improved the car A LOT.
    Hamilton is most defenitely one of the fastest drivers on the grid but he’s not the sole reason McLaren won races that year. If Hamilton really was capable of making such a difference he would have dominated Button.

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      17th January 2013, 16:35

      @f1fannl +111

    2. Well, if you don’t read, hear or see (seeing and reading are now different I suppose) them you’re automatically not influenced by them… That’s kind off the whole point.

      – then again, if you don’t read them, how can you comment on what’s in them in the same sentence where you claim you don’t read them and are not influenced by them? I think that is the (IMO valid) point Alonso is making.

      Sure enough these statements (both from Marko and from Alonso) are, as most statements of intent or expectation are at this time of year, at least partly given to influence expectations and play the mind game already.

      1. @bascb

        – then again, if you don’t read them, how can you comment on what’s in them in the same sentence where you claim you don’t read them and are not influenced by them? I think that is the (IMO valid) point Alonso is making.

        Because Journalists tell them what Alonso has said. Also, Marko and Vettel have never reacted on the specifics of Alonso’s comments only on the fact that he has made comments.

    3. +1000

      What I understood was that Marko meant that Vettel doesn’t normally read the crap that Alonso keeps saying about him, but even if he does come across something (which is hardly surprising in this day and age) he just ignores it. Alonso is just twisting around Marko’s words. The two are playing mind games after all….

  6. Fair play to Alonso, he’s got the politicking down to a tee.

    And what he’s said is clearly getting Marko’s back up, otherwise he wouldn’t be moaning about it, as Alonso said.

    1. It’s more like Marko is getting to Alonso, rather than the other way around.

      First Marko makes these comments and then Alonso feels the need to respond to them on Twitter, which is most likely exactly what Marko wanted.

      Alonso is also responding to them now. He even says:
      “They [Marko’s comments] were a bit mixed up, without any real control. So I do not think we should pay too much attention to those statements.”
      Seems more like Alonso has mixed up Marko’s statements and although he says he isn’t, Alonso is paying rather too much attention to what Marko is saying.

      And it really doesn’t matter even if Alonso does get to Marko, he’s not the one doing the driving Vettel is. Marko is there for such political statements.

      Alonso on the other hand is here to do the driving and although he implies he just drives the car, his comment about Hamilton being the strongest has a strong political ring to it.

      1. Yeah it’s just word play…FA was drawn to respond, but then, there was a slight insult toward him in what HM said so perhaps a response was warranted, in his opinion…and at the same time FA seems to ‘be political and make funny comments’ and yet still do the driving…so whatever floats his boat…imho FA can say whatever he wants…he backs it up with performance on the track and is obviously not distracted from his main task, just as HM claims of SV.

  7. Alonso 1 , Marko 0 !!!
    hahahaha Fernando is a crack!! Thumbs up for him!!

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      17th January 2013, 16:36

      because you say it? I would say thumbs down and the thing remains the same hahaha… They are just warming up the battle for the championships

    2. Yeah, he returned it to Marko very cleverly. Good chap.
      +1

    3. I do believe Marko won round 1 by making Alonso feel the need to respond to his comments on Twitter :P

    4. It’s 1-1! The games will continue I suspect until well after the season has ended.

    5. @catracho504

      More like 0-0. With these childish games I fail to see any winners. But apparantly Alonso thinks he’s good at it so I expect another childish season from him with childish reactions from Marko.

      1. Actually, I’ll change my statement and agree with @f1fannl – nobody wins in a battle of words, you win on the track! If we are to believe Vettel anyway he just ignores entirely the whole argument, so it’s pretty much pointless…

  8. Why is this story so familiar to me?
    IF Ferrari build a less than a dominant car this year we all known how this story will unfold…
    Alonso will again indirectly blame his team for not providing him a competitive car and if he manage to win some races or have a chance for the championship , he will start to tweet samurai philosophies to flatter his Ego…. until the last race where he fail to win it once again , yet finding an excuse by saying this is the most he could do with This car……
    History repeating

    PS: Shirley says it Better than me

    1. OmarR-Pepper (@)
      17th January 2013, 16:39

      @cosmas hahaha great song, you could say Ferrari inspired her

    2. @cosmas Well said!

      When Alonso does badly it’s Ferrari’s fault, but when he wins it’s all him.

      But according to Alonso when Vettel wins it’s only because of Red Bull, but when Vettel doesn’t win it’s his fault and not Red Bulls.

      1. I can honestly say the Credit Newey getting these days are solely due to he was with Vettel. If he was with Fernando then no matter How much better cars he will have the Credit will goes to Alonso rather than Newey.

        1. @harsha – exactly! People just seem to have this notion that Vettel is a very average driver that has chanced upon driving a very good car, which as is evident from his Toro Rosso days is clearly not the case. I actually think that Vettel could give Alonso a very stern challenge in identical machinery, perhaps even beating him.

          Even if you do have the fastest car (which Vettel didn’t last year) it is no mean feat to win three straight titles.

  9. Fikri Harish (@)
    17th January 2013, 16:06

    Can’t a driver voice his opinion without people trying their damnedest to read between the lines?
    Every single time an article about Alonso pops up, the only comments I read are about him playing mind games and being political. Can’t we just take his opinion as, you know, an opinion?

    1. i completely agree…he’s just answering the questions he is asked, i dont see where “politics” come into any of it

    2. davidnotcoulthard
      18th January 2013, 13:37

      About Alonso and Helmut Marko.

      I don’t know if any of the 2 are irritated by them, but somehow i actually am………The comments are getting pretty annoying.

      But since there aren’t any F1 cars racing in January…..I suppose I can live with FA and HM’s war.

  10. Who will have the best car, who will have done the best job of preparation and had the best development, who will be the luckiest: there are so many factors which go to make the strongest combination of driver and team.
    *cough* No disrespect to vettel *cough*

    1. *cough* No respect to vettel *cough*

      Now Fixed

  11. Waste your time answering Marko. Just have fun in Wroom i think about drive even better.

  12. Alonso: In my opinion Vettel is the best driver on the grid.
    Marko: Fernando Alonso is trying to jinx Sebastian.

  13. One thing is for sure. Alonso has his opinions about things and he can give answers in many languages !!! He is not feeding only our eyes with his performances, but also our ears… The most important thing though,is driving the car. I am happy to see that” tyres have been warmed…!

    1. Yeah FA is quite something to not only be ‘busy with politics and funny comments’ but at the same time practically convince the world that HE was the WDC in spite of having a 3rd place car in the WCC. No wonder Marko is rattled. See Klaas’s comment above where I think he nails it on the head.

  14. Yeah FA is quite something to not only be ‘busy with politics and funny comments’ but at the same time practically convince the world that HE was the WDC

    Speaking of funny comments!

  15. The news seemed to be getting spammed by Ferrari this week!

    I also think one of the main reasons Vettel is “never involving himself” in “comments and funny stuff”, is because he seems to have many people around him who are doing it for him… Marko (COUGH)… Horner… (COUGH)!…

    1. @nick-uk BOOM. My thoughts exactly.

      Then again, Ferrari is an inherently political team (Alonso, Schumacher, LDM, Todt, Prost, Mansell, Pironi, Forghieri, Lauda, Enzo himself; I can go on and on with this). Rare is the non-political driver there (Kimi is a good example). But when they do end up there, they usually don’t last very long.

    2. @nick-uk
      Vettel is in this sport for so many years and its obvious he is not keen on playing mind games. LDM and Domenicali also speak loud and often, but thats not stopping Alonso for sharing his opinions on twitter and interviews. Seb is 25 years old and triple WDC, if he wants to speak nobody can stop him

  16. The Alonso-Hamilton love is getting a bit nauseating.

    Doesn’t anybody else feel that all the praise Alonso keeps heaping on Hamilton is not sincere, but has some sort of ulterior motive to it – to unsettle Vettel, to get Hamilton on his side, since Hamilton beat him in 2007 at least he got beaten by the best etc (Someone even mentioned that Alonso kept putting down McLaren to help encourage Hamilton to move from McLaren to Mercedes so that he wouldn’t be a threat to Alonso for some years)

    However the praise Hamilton piles on Alonso seems more sincere. But it could always be because Hamilton beat Alonso, and by saying Alonso is the best that makes Hamilton look even better.

    1. I think this is just word game playing through the media and hasn’t nearly the effect you are giving it. I think FA likely thinks he could have won WDC’s in the Red Bulls too, and likely thinks that SV has had it easy, but while the likes of Marko are going to sit there and praise SV like he is a god while insulting FA, FA is going to respond. So his shot is to say LH is his real concern. Doesn’t have to be what he truly thinks or not. It’s word play. I don’t think FA thinks he is ‘getting LH on his side’ nor do I think FA would expect anything he would say would have an affect on another drivers staying with or moving from teams.

      Similarly I think LH might be giving SV a shot by praising FA, again, because he too likely thinks that he could have won in the Red Bull too ie. that SV didn’t do anything special and it was really FA that was the star of the season.

      Come the end of the day, no matter who sounds like they praise or demote whom, there’s only one winner every year and it will be every man for himself ultimately. They will all be competitors once the 5 red lights go out.

      1. while the likes of Marko are going to sit there and praise SV like he is a god while insulting FA, FA is going to respond

        Wasn’t it Alonso’s comments that kept putting down Vettel (“we are fighting Newey”, “I’m fighting Hamilton not Vettel”), that made Marko respond, and not the other way around? It seemed more like Alonso started it, and Marko was just responding to it.

        Perhaps the effect that my statement implied seemed more than I intended. What I really meant is that it is all basically mind games they are all playing – hoping to unsettle each other by them (not everyone will be influenced by them, but there is a possibility that some will be in some ways). And like you said at the end of the day every man is for himself.

        1. Agree with @mharker about Alonso started it, i don’t know why some people think he is that innocent. I admire his ability in the car but when in the drama he often the cunning one

          1. From what I remember it was actually RedBull who started the psychological war, right after Hockenheim 2010.

    2. but has some sort of ulterior motive to it – to unsettle Vettel

      How do you know that Alonso didn’t actually target at Raikkonen, after all if the Lotus unveils a winning-car Kimi could be unstopable, or maybe it was Perez whom Alonso wanted to sting?
      This is called paranoia my friend, when everything a driver says is interpreted as a way to rattle a rival – this is getting nauseating.

  17. Chris (@tophercheese21)
    18th January 2013, 4:52

    Helmut Marko just looks evil.

  18. 2007 was that political drama, Alonso ;)

  19. Alfredo Riverson
    18th January 2013, 11:04

    Exactly. I never laughed so much in all my life. It’s the straight face too……
    “I don’t think I am good at politics, I just drive the car.”

    Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

  20. i genuinely dont see the correlation between “politics” and answering questions at a press conference, either he answers the question with honesty or he refuses to answer, who wants drivers that refuse to answer questions at a press event?

    1. @scuderia29 – Kimi fans! ;) Anyway, I think this goes beyond simply answering questions at a press event: Alonso has also taken to twitter in his responses. Really the whole Alonso-Marko argument is rather pointless as Vettel appears to pay no attention to it anyway.

  21. ok, let´s analyze Alonso´s words

    “I did not say that Vettel was not the strongest or that he did not deserve his three titles”… facts show he is right (he has said that Hamilton is the strongest rival…in his personal opinion)

    “As of today, it’s impossible to say who will be our strongest rivals in 2013. Who will have the best car, who will have done the best job of preparation and had the best development, who will be the luckiest: there are so many factors which go to make the strongest combination of driver and team.”… it is completely right.

    “Why do I say Hamilton is the strongest? Because it’s what I think, it’s my personal opinion and there is nothing political in that”…is it right?…why not? Is Hamilton an average driver, someone who shouldn´t be considered as “the strongest”? Are we in a position to judge someone’s personal opinion? How can we know what Alonso thinks or feels?

    “I don’t think I am good at politics, I just drive the car”…well, he drives a car and it is impossible for us to know if he considers himself good at politics so…it can be perfectly right

    “Some recent remarks have surprised me, but I can’t see the sense in them. Some say they don’t read them, don’t hear them and don’t see them, before adding that they are not influenced by them: so clearly they do read them, maybe at night.”… If you didn´t hear them, didn´t see them and didn´t read them, you couldn´t talk about them…if you spend your time talking about them, you are influenced in some way by them. All I can say is that he is right.

    I don´t know if Alonso is good at politics; I only know that his words make all the sense. This is the only thing I can say from a rational perspective.

  22. Handbags and ten paces stuff. I had to agree with alot of what Helmut Marko said in his interview, especially about Mark Webber, but to say others are political and ‘suggest’ that you are not! Right. They are all political in F1, and non more so than people like Helmut Marko. Fernando Alonso was within his rights to criticise Marko, yet I can still not get around this Alonso/Hamilton ‘lovefest’ we have witnessed recently. Both drivers last year showering the other with praise, once sworn enemies now the best of friends. I wonder how long that will last?
    Would Alonso be so full of praise had Hamilton just won three titles in a row, or is it because Hamilton has been out of the picture in terms of the championship in recent years? Its obvious that Alonso is of the opinion simular to that of the majority on this site, that Vettel is a good driver in an exceptional car. Put him in a Sauber for instance and the real ‘talent’ will be exposed.
    I have to laugh at all this. When the ‘majority’ of these guys win titles its largely down to the car being bloody quick, and consistenly so. It was the same for Fernando in 2005 and 2006 with Renault when he was champion, so thats important. Many harp on about Vettel never having driven a slower car than Adrian Newey’s Red Bull rocketship but that again, is nonsense. Vettel won the 2008 Italian Grands Prix at Monza in a Toro Rosso, the first and only victory in the teams short history. And in the rain I might add! Oh the injustice.

  23. handbags.jpg

    They both tow the political line, they have to, it’s just that Alonso is much more likable than Marko!

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