The 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix

[Julian Mayo]

The difference between the Ferrari of Kimi's, and the McLaren of Hambone's was never more apparant than at this track.
Kimi was driving a truck, Hambone a Mini.
Its called having a different wheelbase.
Ask Damon.

[JayVee]

Good post Jim,

I am a big fan of Alonso (as everyone knows by now!!) but I didn't like what he did and said so in my earlier post. He deserves to be penalised but I also said that it was a re-action to what Hamilton did earlier. You cannot compare this action to what Michael did in Monaco if you want to be fair, yes both are wrong but they are very different.

Michael did that to prevent any driver beating him, none of the other drivers did anything to provoke him.

Alonso did that to prevent just one driver who basically ignored an agreement that Alonso would get ahead at the start of qualifying to get the extra lap, basically it was you don't give me my lap I won't give you yours.

Also, Alonso was not yet on Pole at that stage, he didn't have it in his pocket, he had to go out and grab it. I really think that he did it just so that Hamilton doesn't get his lap.

You make a very valid point about team orders however let me ask you this, if you want to treat your drivers equally don't you have to allocate according to an agreed method between the two drivers who gets to pit first, who get less or more fuel, who gets to do that dreaded extra lap, etc....
In that case, when Hamilton decides to go against the agreed procedure (and lets not go too far and call it team orders actually) and given all the friction that has been happening in the team and given the position of a brilliant Spanish driver among all those British people who are so desparate for a World Champion for the last 11 years (and will still be waiting at the end of the season), you wouldn't expect Alonso to be an angel.

It remains to be seen who will end up benefiting from this, for sure what Hamilton did triggered it and caused the team to lose their points. Alonso certainly did help things.
Now there is a lot of talk about Alonso moving, there is probably some truth to it but it may also be a way to put pressure on Dennis to sort things out.

Whatever happens, I hope Alonso is happy in a team. It is just a waste if he ends up unhappy in a team as we won't see him at his best and I really don't want to re-live those years watching Jacques Villeneuve destroy his career at BAR

[Julian Mayo]

It will be interesting to see what Briatore comes up with, to offer Alonso. Let's see, would it be something like this?
Firstly, Alonso doesn't have to prove a thing to anyone, in any car, anywhere..
Secondly, Alonso would be No1 driver, without question.
Thirdly, Alonso would only have to test when he wants to test.
Fourthly, Media and public commitments would be kept to a bare minimum.

[jacfan]

Whatever happens, I hope Alonso is happy in a team. It is just a waste if he ends up unhappy in a team as we won't see him at his best and I really don't want to re-live those years watching Jacques Villeneuve destroy his career at BAR

If you are a true fan you will stick with him no matter what.

[Redhead]

'tis a huge irony that sweet FA is 'unhappy' because he's not number one in the team.

All Schumi ever did was ensure that he had a teammate who was not on his level. Now we know why, and we have seen it before at Mclaren. The conspiracy theorists talk about contracts but I'm sure such things never existed. Schumi simply used his influence in the team to make sure his teammate was someone who wasnt going to detract from his title aspirations.

And it worked! it created an incredibly successful and harmonious team.

I'm sure sweet FA was expecting the same thing at Mclaren.

Hambone had other ideas

[Julian Mayo]

'tis a huge irony that sweet FA is 'unhappy' because he's not number one in the team.

All Schumi ever did was ensure that he had a teammate who was not on his level. Now we know why, and we have seen it before at Mclaren. The conspiracy theorists talk about contracts but I'm sure such things never existed. Schumi simply used his influence in the team to make sure his teammate was someone who wasnt going to detract from his title aspirations.

And it worked! it created an incredibly successful and harmonious team.

I'm sure sweet FA was expecting the same thing at Mclaren.

Hambone had other ideas

So he will be off to Renault or BMW, then ???

[Redhead]

'tis a huge irony that sweet FA is 'unhappy' because he's not number one in the team.

All Schumi ever did was ensure that he had a teammate who was not on his level. Now we know why, and we have seen it before at Mclaren. The conspiracy theorists talk about contracts but I'm sure such things never existed. Schumi simply used his influence in the team to make sure his teammate was someone who wasnt going to detract from his title aspirations.

And it worked! it created an incredibly successful and harmonious team.

I'm sure sweet FA was expecting the same thing at Mclaren.

Hambone had other ideas

So he will be off to Renault or BMW, then ???

He will have to be in accordance with the team principals to get what he wants, probably more likely to happen at Renault.

[Snowy]

It's hard to believe we are over two thirds of the way through this championship! It is little wonder that tensions are running high. Fernando was visibly over elated at having won the European GP and seeing Lewis flounder. He saw his championship that he justifiably believes belongs to him and not to a rookie team mate coming back to him. During the first three sessions in Hungary he was markedly quicker than Lewis and to have that advantage stamped out in the first two parts of qualifying. And then to have his agreed track position stolen by his arch rival, it is little wonder he resorted to the actions he did. Although the season appears to be frought with acrimony, recrimination and the threat of sanctions it is still one of the most gripping and intrigueing seasons in F1 history. Not since the Senna, Prost and Mansell era have we seen anything quite like it!

During the early Schumacher vs Hill years we were treated to intigue and tight battles but they only rarely translated onto the track and FIA interventions shaped so many of the seasons it was impossible to really appreciate the virtuosity of the pilots involved. Everything is very different this season, the pilots skills, traits, foibles and falibilities are being tested and displayed with remarkable clarity (by F1 standards)

My hope is that the powers that be can see through the haze of recrimination and exercise restraint and allow this great battle of wills to be played out (perhaps not fairly) on track, between passionate teams and pilots.

I really am enjoying the season immensly except to the horrible bits which are easily ignored if you are the forgiving type. Lets hope all the teams, drivers and particularly the FIA can find a bit of forgiving so I can carry on enjoying this joust of champions and hopefully future champions.

[Julian Mayo]

It's hard to believe we are over two thirds of the way through this championship! It is little wonder that tensions are running high. Fernando was visibly over elated at having won the European GP and seeing Lewis flounder. He saw his championship that he justifiably believes belongs to him and not to a rookie team mate coming back to him. During the first three sessions in Hungary he was markedly quicker than Lewis and to have that advantage stamped out in the first two parts of qualifying. And then to have his agreed track position stolen by his arch rival, it is little wonder he resorted to the actions he did. Although the season appears to be frought with acrimony, recrimination and the threat of sanctions it is still one of the most gripping and intrigueing seasons in F1 history. Not since the Senna, Prost and Mansell era have we seen anything quite like it!

During the early Schumacher vs Hill years we were treated to intigue and tight battles but they only rarely translated onto the track and FIA interventions shaped so many of the seasons it was impossible to really appreciate the virtuosity of the pilots involved. Everything is very different this season, the pilots skills, traits, foibles and falibilities are being tested and displayed with remarkable clarity (by F1 standards)

My hope is that the powers that be can see through the haze of recrimination and exercise restraint and allow this great battle of wills to be played out (perhaps not fairly) on track, between passionate teams and pilots.

I really am enjoying the season immensly except to the horrible bits which are easily ignored if you are the forgiving type. Lets hope all the teams, drivers and particularly the FIA can find a bit of forgiving so I can carry on enjoying this joust of champions and hopefully future champions.

Onya Sport, Bloody good post, Digger, tho, bloody Fair Crack of the Flamin Whip, Snowy, Me bloody old Cobber, yer has a flamin lot bloody more bloody faith in the bloody FIA not ter bloody stuff up a bloody good bloody season, than bloody I bloody do
bloody homesick for Oz yet?

[Snowy]

Yup kinda but you just reminded me why I might struggle to fit in down under! I don't think . . . no . . . I would hope I would not be able to use such colourful language with quite such regularity. Everything in bloody moderation though

[Julian Mayo]

Yup kinda but you just reminded me why I might struggle to fit in down under! I don't think . . . no . . . I would hope I would not be able to use such colourful language with quite such regularity. Everything in bloody moderation though

Bloody oath, Sport, n no bloody swearin' will be bloody tolerbloodyated, ay cobber. Getalongneckinya

[Julian Mayo]

In his latest attempt to explain his actions at Hungaboring, Hamilton describes himself and Alonso as "the two most competitive out there"..........
So I guess Kimi, Massa, Webbo, Nick, Nico, etc are just driving around to fill in time between lunch n dinner.
Such a fountain of wisdom, for one so young

[Ed]

McLaren have released the following statement in an attempt to clear up some of the speculation in the media regarding the words Hamilton used over the radio in qualifying as well as the relationship between Alonso and Hamilton.

The statement read:

Over the last few days there has been some inaccurate and misleading reporting of certain events which transpired during the qualification for the Hungarian Grand Prix. Whilst the team would normally not comment on such speculation, Lewis has asked us to correct one important matter of untrue critical commentary. It has been reported that Lewis used the “F word” to Ron Dennis over the team radio immediately after the qualification session had been completed. The team have investigated this claim and reviewed the radio transmissions and we can categorically confirm that Lewis did not use the “F word” at any time during any conversation with the team. The team and Lewis are extremely disappointed that the use of the “F word” appears to have been invented and repeated to the media.

Lewis has requested that the team issues the following statement on his behalf:

“For the record, Fernando and I are fiercely competitive and respectful of each other. We are both ambitious drivers who want to win. However, we are not drivers at war, as has been widely reported.

Although we did not speak on Sunday we have spoken since the weekend and continue to have a professional working relationship. In fact, Fernando and I plan to meet up over the holiday period.

As an individual in my first year in Formula 1 I have done my utmost to conduct myself in a professional and open manner. Of course, I have made mistakes, not least during the last weekend, and those are open to public scrutiny. I have my own regrets and have dealt with matters arising. However, it is disappointing that inflammatory and untrue material is given to the media and published which may damage reputations. This inflammatory material is then commentated on by many others as if it is factual.

Whilst I wouldn't normally communicate through press statements, I felt it important to set this matter straight."

[Redhead]

You have to take your hat off to Ron "Darth" Dennis, its like he's got one of those little light beam thingys Will Smith had in Men in Black and zapped everyone in the eyes with it and whatever he says is accepted as gospel.

Somehow now Lewis is the villain of the piece, hes fallen off the pedestal, he's lying on the ground and the mob is surrounding him, people are kicking him and the rest are getting their joliies from realising he's human like the rest of us, and revelling in punishing him for it. Talk about tall poppy sydrome.

Even JM is happy to mis-quote him above (contrast it with the actual quote in Eds post below) to perpetuate the new myth that he is a egotistical, totally self interested piece if work.

And what was his sin?

He didnt let Alonso past in Q3.

What effect did this have?

Due to the pecualiarity of certain tracks (of which the Hungaroring is one), if both team drivers are in Q3, one is able to have one extra fuel burning lap than the other. Mclaren had decided that Alonso would have this extra lap. The benefit of the extra lap would be a car that was 2.3kgs lighter relative to the other which equates to 0.05s quicker lap time.

Thats right, just in case you missed it, I'll say it again Lewis's crime was to make sweet FAs car 0.05s a lap slower.

Sweet FAs crime was to prevent Lewis from completing one of his hot laps.

Which do you think is worse?

Lewis's transgression deserves further analysis. The theory is that sweet FA would have been ahead and could have hared off in to the distance to give himself more time to put his extra fuel burning lap in. As it was Lewis headed off so quickly sweet FA had trouble keeping up. You have to wonder how much further ahead sweet FA would have been and how it really affected the planned sequence of stops.

Of course Lewis's real crime was not costing sweet FA 0.05s, it was disregarding team instructions. But how do we know about that? because his team told us all about it. In other words, in response for his disobedience his team has completely shafted him, I would have thought that was punishment enough.

The other thing that mystifies me is people excusing sweet FA, suddenly two wrongs make a right, petty revenge is now justifiable.

Lewis doesn't deserve his new reputation, sure he has lost some gloss, but that was not real anyway, he has made one mistake, Im picking hes got the class to learn from it, at the very least the guy should be cut a bit more slack.

[Julian Mayo]

In his latest attempt to explain his actions at Hungaboring, Hamilton describes himself and Alonso as "the two most competitive out there"..........
So I guess Kimi, Massa, Webbo, Nick, Nico, etc are just driving around to fill in time between lunch n dinner.
Such a fountain of wisdom, for one so young

Published in "The Times"Wednesday