Alonso's discussions with ex-McLaren drivers...
Discussion
Autosport have spoken with Alonso and he's commented on the fact he has had recent communications with DC, Montoya and Kimi and all feel so much happier since leaving McLaren. I guess Alonso will also feel the same once he's back in the Renault next year.
So why do so many drivers find it hard to settle at McLaren?
Maybe the corporate world is not what inspires these guys to drive F1 cars, yet that is what McLaren have become...
Although I dislike Mad Max, maybe one of his comments about the sheer volume of $'s that flood the pitlane really does need to be reduced so we can move back to a non-commercially corporate driven business and back to a desire and passion to go racing for the honours of winning races and the excitment of pushing the limits technology and man without having to worry about what shareholders are going to say on Monday morning. I think of the last lap duel bewteen Kubica and Massa just a week ago - now that's the kind of F1 I want...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the brutal partnership of Senna and Prost at McLaren and then between Ferrari and McLaren never stopped sponsors knocking on the door, in fact it probably added to the spice of the sport we all once loved.
I guess is it a sad state of affairs to announce that the PC and nanny state has now hit F1 too! I bet the likes of Senna, Hunt, Villenuve are all rolling in their graves at the state of the sport they once loved...
So why do so many drivers find it hard to settle at McLaren?
Maybe the corporate world is not what inspires these guys to drive F1 cars, yet that is what McLaren have become...
Although I dislike Mad Max, maybe one of his comments about the sheer volume of $'s that flood the pitlane really does need to be reduced so we can move back to a non-commercially corporate driven business and back to a desire and passion to go racing for the honours of winning races and the excitment of pushing the limits technology and man without having to worry about what shareholders are going to say on Monday morning. I think of the last lap duel bewteen Kubica and Massa just a week ago - now that's the kind of F1 I want...
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the brutal partnership of Senna and Prost at McLaren and then between Ferrari and McLaren never stopped sponsors knocking on the door, in fact it probably added to the spice of the sport we all once loved.
I guess is it a sad state of affairs to announce that the PC and nanny state has now hit F1 too! I bet the likes of Senna, Hunt, Villenuve are all rolling in their graves at the state of the sport they once loved...
One of the best things about F1 is that it embraces a whole range of philosophies, so an ultra-professional corporation such as McLaren can exist with an engineering-led concern such as Williams or an out and out team-spirited organisation like Renault. They all have differences, no matter how professional the sport has become.
Alonso's biggest problem is that he hasn't realised that some people don't respond to some approaches in the same way. For example Schumacher wanted to be the centre of attention and have no internal strife. Senna, on the other hand, welcomed conflict, it brought out the best in him.
So for every Alonso, DC, Montoya etc, there is a Hakkinen or a Hamilton that will flourish in this environment.
Alonso's biggest problem is that he hasn't realised that some people don't respond to some approaches in the same way. For example Schumacher wanted to be the centre of attention and have no internal strife. Senna, on the other hand, welcomed conflict, it brought out the best in him.
So for every Alonso, DC, Montoya etc, there is a Hakkinen or a Hamilton that will flourish in this environment.
You may have a point. One gets the feeling that Mclaren are a clinical organization with little warmth (save the RD/LH relationship) - maybe it is the German influence?
As for sponsors knocking on doors....BA appears to have gone to ground after the "spygate" affair - apparently after being on the verge of announcing a huge sponsorship deal with Mclaren.
As for sponsors knocking on doors....BA appears to have gone to ground after the "spygate" affair - apparently after being on the verge of announcing a huge sponsorship deal with Mclaren.
The driving of Kubica and Massa wasn't quite as good as everyone seems to think as exciting as it looked for all of about three corners.
That driving would have been penalised at my local kart track as a pair of idiots who would most likely have been banned from racing again.
If the run offs had been gravel instead of tarmac then at lease one or both of those cars would have been beached resulting in a legitimate claim from one driver and another disqualified.
What we really need is battles for the lead throughout the whole race where the outcome of the race is a nailbiting edge of the seat battle where one driver overtakes only to be overtaken himself the next lap etc etc.
This used to happen if F1 in days gone by when the cars could travel closer to each other.
It could happen again if skirts were allowed again to provide downforce instead of wings.
Skirts were abandoned because cornering speeds got silly but since most tracks in use now have plenty of run off areas and the cars are built safer perhaps its time to bring skirts back.
With a limit of power to say 800bhp instead of the 1500bhp of the turbo days surely that will be safer than days of old but still provide a great spectacle .
That driving would have been penalised at my local kart track as a pair of idiots who would most likely have been banned from racing again.
If the run offs had been gravel instead of tarmac then at lease one or both of those cars would have been beached resulting in a legitimate claim from one driver and another disqualified.
What we really need is battles for the lead throughout the whole race where the outcome of the race is a nailbiting edge of the seat battle where one driver overtakes only to be overtaken himself the next lap etc etc.
This used to happen if F1 in days gone by when the cars could travel closer to each other.
It could happen again if skirts were allowed again to provide downforce instead of wings.
Skirts were abandoned because cornering speeds got silly but since most tracks in use now have plenty of run off areas and the cars are built safer perhaps its time to bring skirts back.
With a limit of power to say 800bhp instead of the 1500bhp of the turbo days surely that will be safer than days of old but still provide a great spectacle .
Although undoubtedly Alonso wanted imply to everyone that others had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier since due to the way its run, he actually chose his words carefully from what I can see (to give him a get-out "ive been misquoted" argument).
He didn't actually say that those drivers had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier elsewhere nor did he say he'd talked to those drivers specifically about this topic, what he actually said was:
"I have spoken a lot with (David) Coulthard, with (Juan Pablo) Montoya, with Kimi (Raikkonen), and they have all left the team and found a lot of happiness. There must be a reason."
Montoya possibly, but I very much doubt someone like DC or indeed Raikkonen would have spoken "a lot" to Alonso specifically about their happiness at Mclaren, and those kind of conversations are even less likely to have happened recently Id think, because it would be pretty obvious to those drivers that Alonso would most likely end up "quoting" them in the press if they did.
He didn't actually say that those drivers had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier elsewhere nor did he say he'd talked to those drivers specifically about this topic, what he actually said was:
"I have spoken a lot with (David) Coulthard, with (Juan Pablo) Montoya, with Kimi (Raikkonen), and they have all left the team and found a lot of happiness. There must be a reason."
Montoya possibly, but I very much doubt someone like DC or indeed Raikkonen would have spoken "a lot" to Alonso specifically about their happiness at Mclaren, and those kind of conversations are even less likely to have happened recently Id think, because it would be pretty obvious to those drivers that Alonso would most likely end up "quoting" them in the press if they did.
LocoBlade said:
Although undoubtedly Alonso wanted imply to everyone that others had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier since due to the way its run, he actually chose his words carefully from what I can see (to give him a get-out "ive been misquoted" argument).
He didn't actually say that those drivers had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier elsewhere nor did he say he'd talked to those drivers specifically about this topic, what he actually said was:
"I have spoken a lot with (David) Coulthard, with (Juan Pablo) Montoya, with Kimi (Raikkonen), and they have all left the team and found a lot of happiness. There must be a reason."
Montoya possibly, but I very much doubt someone like DC or indeed Raikkonen would have spoken "a lot" to Alonso specifically about their happiness at Mclaren, and those kind of conversations are even less likely to have happened recently Id think, because it would be pretty obvious to those drivers that Alonso would most likely end up "quoting" them in the press if they did.
Indeed.He didn't actually say that those drivers had been unhappy at Mclaren and happier elsewhere nor did he say he'd talked to those drivers specifically about this topic, what he actually said was:
"I have spoken a lot with (David) Coulthard, with (Juan Pablo) Montoya, with Kimi (Raikkonen), and they have all left the team and found a lot of happiness. There must be a reason."
Montoya possibly, but I very much doubt someone like DC or indeed Raikkonen would have spoken "a lot" to Alonso specifically about their happiness at Mclaren, and those kind of conversations are even less likely to have happened recently Id think, because it would be pretty obvious to those drivers that Alonso would most likely end up "quoting" them in the press if they did.
Montoya was going to lose his ride because he couldn't cut it. Naturally he was happy to depart - to a job with less pressure to perform, which is five times nearer to where he lives. He is also now allowed to bring his 100 closest friends and family to the paddock with him for each race.
Coulthard also wasn't cutting it, and was destined always to be second driver if he could keep his job at all. He moved to a role much more in keeping with his skills, and where he's allowed to grow whatever poxy excuse for a beard he fancies.
Raikkonen moved to a team closer to where he lives, a team that is indifferent to whether he goes out with his pals and drinks himself into the ground, and for which he's being paid either the first or second largest salary in sports history.
They all have reasons to be happy, but none of those reasons have much to do with being a top F1 driver.
coetzeeh said:
You may have a point. One gets the feeling that Mclaren are a clinical organization with little warmth (save the RD/LH relationship) - maybe it is the German influence?
There is something in this point (although it's the Ron influence, nothing to do with those crazy Germans).McLaren are anal about achieving the bast parity in cars between drivers. Of that there is no doubt. But in other ways they make errors, or show a degree of favouritism.
- DC several times did things for the team over himself. But in his heart he knew that Mika was Ron's golden boy.
- JPM needs to be revered as the wayward genius. He had this at Ganassi, and for the early part of his Williams tenure. There was no way he was going to get it at Woking, unless he won seven races straight.
- Going further back, Michael Andretti fumed that he got only notional seat time, and that his comments were ignored. He was no Senna, but it goes some way to explaining why he was much further back than he should have been.
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