quote from Alonso about Mclaren 2007 drivers status

This is not a flambait thread and my English skills are very limited, but I could not resist!

We finally have a direct quote from Alonso about Mclaren 2007 drivers status:

"I never asked to be number one driver in any team in my career and that's coming from nowhere, and keeps repeating again from a minority.

"But what I don't want to be, for sure, is number two, like it happened sometimes in 2007," Alonso added, referring to his season at McLaren.

Source:Autosport

To me this statement seems quite credible.
( alonso seems to visit this forum )

your thoughts?

My thoughts are that he also said in the same interview that that is the past and you can't keep talking about it forever, so get off it.

My thoughts are that he also said in the same interview that that is the past and you can't keep talking about it forever, so get off it.

This is the first time that i talk about drivers status at mclaren

This is the first time that i talk about drivers status at mclaren

I wonder if the gagging order has been lifted.

I'll tell you if he writes an autobiography and explains his time at Mclaren, then it will be number 1 on my shopping list.

he wants tobe the 3rd driver?

I did not want to insult you. But this will be a trash thread very soon, I think. Just wait.

I did not want to insult you. But this will be a trash thread very soon, I think. Just wait.

It is possible, but three seasons later, people should be a little more relaxed

This is not a flambait thread and my English skills are very limited, but I could not resist!

We finally have a direct quote from Alonso about Mclaren 2007 drivers status:


Source:Autosport

To me this statement seems quite credible.

your thoughts?

Like getting that bit in has ever stopped anyone...

90% chance of thread being closed with chance of afternoon showers

Why shouldn't he be a #2 when he managed to fall back some 15ish points behind his rookie teammate. He sure as hell would demand #1 if the opposite happened. Don't even believe that BS from Alonso for a second. He wanted all the help in the world from Fisi at China 06. Cried like a baby when he (aparently) didn't get it...

Why shouldn't he be a #2 when he managed to fall back some 15ish points behind his rookie teammate. He sure as hell would demand #1 if the opposite happened. Don't even believe that BS from Alonso for a second. He wanted all the help in the world from Fisi at China 06. Cried like a baby when he (aparently) didn't get it...

Hamilton also thought he was a #2 at one point, and we know that wasn't particularly true either. If Alonso was a #2 he made himself that, both through his ontrack performances and his offtrack behaviour.

I think this is a mis-quote. ""I never asked to be number one driver" was a response given in reply to a question about the Singapore GP 08.

Hey McLaren fans, Alonso just said he was #2 driver part of 2007. Yeah you don't want to hear it, I know.
No problem with what happened, Ron was the boss and he does what he likes in his team.
Now Alonso is in Ferrari, we'll see the 2007 battle continue, this time with the red car. Can't wait.

Why shouldn't he be a #2 when he managed to fall back some 15ish points behind his rookie teammate.

I think the point here is more that McLaren lied yet again when they keep claiming they have no #1 or #2 driver, that their drivers are supposed to be equal. Now THAT is some BS I have never believed, or any of the people that spew it.

Turkey: Alonso 3rd, Hamilton 5th
Italy: Alonso 1st, Hamilton 2nd
Belgium: Alonso 3rd, Hamilton 4th
Brazil: Alonso 3rd, Hamilton 7th

Yes, clear indication that poor Fernando was a #2 at McLaren.

Hey McLaren fans, Alonso just said he was #2 driver part of 2007. Yeah you don't want to hear it, I know.
No problem with what happened, Ron was the boss and he does what he likes in his team.
Now Alonso is in Ferrari, we'll see the 2007 battle continue, this time with the red car. Can't wait.

To me this statement seems quite credible.

your thoughts?

I didn't think it was still in doubt how Alonso felt about that season. He clearly had issues during the year with status.

There's nothing wrong with his statement. Alonso was #2 sometimes in 2007., just as Lewis was. They did have that switch #1 status from race to race.

few days ago Heikki said about his performances at McLaren and lack of race pace

When asked if he agreed with the team's verdict, he said: "No. I think I know the reasons why the races were not good enough - nearly 100 per cent, perhaps 95 per cent. But I don't want to get into it that much.

and ...

"I think it might have looked like that from the outside, but I know what was going on and what the reasons were. That is all I need to know.

it's not directly related to Alonso's status at Mclaren but it helps to understand how that team works

source: http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/80777

FAlonso never asked to be #1 ?
So why did he run close to the Indianapolis pitwall when he failled to overtake Lewis ?

So, in 2009 pre season testing Alonso run on dry track days, while Piquet run on rainny ones, on a 70/30% basis.
Does it seems equal to you

Also, if he signed a confidentiality contract in his way out, accept the rumours and stop bitching, Alonso.

FAlonso is so FAKE, that after every line of his statement about how good Ferrari is, I asked myself:
- So... why did Alonso turn down Ferrari's offer in his first year of F1?

Edited by WebBerK, 15 January 2010 - 08:48.

But that's easy to clarify... let's ask ATM_Andy, he was Alonso's engineer at McLaren.

This is not a flambait thread and my English skills are very limited, but I could not resist!

We finally have a direct quote from Alonso about Mclaren 2007 drivers status:


Source:Autosport

To me this statement seems quite credible.
( alonso seems to visit this forum )

your thoughts?

Is that the same Alonso who was asking for more support from Renault? So much for how credible his words are

edit: In fact, Symonds said during 2007 that Alonso should come back to Renault so he can have number 1 status again

Edited by Simon Says, 15 January 2010 - 08:52.

Why shouldn't he be a #2 when he managed to fall back some 15ish points behind his rookie teammate. He sure as hell would demand #1 if the opposite happened. Don't even believe that BS from Alonso for a second. He wanted all the help in the world from Fisi at China 06. Cried like a baby when he (aparently) didn't get it...

FIA was in the pit garage to make sure Alonso was not a number #2 driver, because else Mclaren would face further penalties as Alonso revealed incrimimating evidence against Mclaren during the Spy gate. He had special protection from FIA.

Fred was number two driver sometimes, in the sense he certainly didn't cross the finish line in front of the other McLaren driver...sometimes.

Well.. duh...

Btw, Piquet also revealed how at Renault that Alonso was #1 driver. So it's not just Symonds. It's also strange how Trulli suddenly dropped alot in performance at Renault when he was beating Alonso as teammates

He could only, possibly, be talking about certain races after Hungary, by which time he had done a fine job alienating himself from the team. I mean, he wasn't even on speaking terms with his own boss, ffs.

He made his own bed.

It's a silly statement, Fernando was obviously NOT no2. There were 17 races in 2007, Hungary with the big bust-up was no 11. Fernando finished ahead of Lewis in races 12, 13 and 14. Not to mention 16 and 17.

Fact is, he messed up races 3 and 4, and so trailed Lewis in the points for the rest of the season.

It's a bit weak IMO to be pretending now it was all somebody else's fault and not fair. He needs to just get in the Ferrari and show what he's got.

In a way or another someone's gotta be number 2... can't stack the cars over each others during pitstops..

Alonso was a decent number two... he matched the rookie!

STOP dissing him!

Symonds said during 2007 that Alonso had a tendency to be slightly paranoid and feel that people were ganging up against him when things weren't going his way.

It certainly fits what we've seen.

Hey McLaren fans, Alonso just said he was #2 driver part of 2007. Yeah you don't want to hear it, I know.
No problem with what happened, Ron was the boss and he does what he likes in his team.
Now Alonso is in Ferrari, we'll see the 2007 battle continue, this time with the red car. Can't wait.

Yeah, this time with 2 prima donna's in the red team. It's gonna be fun!

Edited by Enkei, 15 January 2010 - 09:13.

Hamilton also thought he was a #2 at one point, and we know that wasn't particularly true either. If Alonso was a #2 he made himself that, both through his ontrack performances and his offtrack behaviour.

It is appearant that both drivers felt as # 2 during various points of the 2007 season.

It shows how seriously Ron Dennis must have mishandled the driver management that year (the same Mr.Dennis who was so proud of having been able to "handle" Prost and Senna....), giving all the wrong signals to both sides at various times.

The whole thing imploded, and rightly so. He was not straight to Lewis and Fernando and he was not straight to the FIA concerning the spying scandal.

As a result, not only both drivers did not gain the WDC crown, but also McLaren incurred the 100 million penalty, the blame of which was then put into Alonso's court. Naturally Alonso was, from Hungary on, not inclined to back Mr.Dennis and his dealings...

It is also clear that Alonso lied about the pitlane incident in the Hungarian qualifying (when being interviewed it was very evident that Fernando is not a good liar, compared to some other drivers...) and that Lewis of course went against team instructions before the Hungarian race.

So in the end, to me, the main blame is with Ron Dennis, but Hamilton and Alonso have their share in the whole 2007 thing as well. You can see it as karma, cosmic justice being done or whatever. All three of them didn't get away without some losses....

Edited by aditya-now, 15 January 2010 - 09:16.

Yeah, this time with 2 prima donna's in the red team. It's gonna be fun!

Seriously though, unless Massa does the same as Hamilton and piles up the points early, the little guy is doomed..

It's probably black and white on a contract to make sure...

the crux of it was that alonso could not deal with hammys outright speed and consistency as a team mate. He must of been so surprised and he is now trying to convince his head that he had the speed and it was "internal dark forces" in the team that made him number 2 and hence slower then hammy.
teflonso just could not deal with hammys speed end of story -it caught him off guard when the season started.

It is appearant that both drivers felt as # 2 during various points of the 2007 season.

It shows how seriously Ron Dennis must have mishandled the driver management that year (the same Mr.Dennis who was so proud of having been able to "handle" Prost and Senna....), g intotiving all the wrong signals to both sides at various times.

The whole thing imploded, and rightly so. He was not straight to Lewis and Fernando and he was not straight to the FIA concerning the spying scandal.

As a result, not only both drivers did not gain the WDC crown, but also McLaren incurred the 100 million penalty, which was then put into Alonso's court. Naturally Alonso was, from Hungary on, not inclined to back Mr.Dennis and his dealings...

It is also clear that Alonso lied about the pitlane incident in the Hungarian qualifying (when being interviewed it was very evident that Fernando is not a good liar, compared to some other drivers...) and that Lewis of course went against team instructions before the Hungarian race.

So in the end, to me, the main blame is with Ron Dennis, but Hamilton and Alonso have their share in the whole 2007 thing as well. You can see it as karma, cosmic justice being done or whatever. All three of them didn't get away with some losses....

No Ron just let them race it out. When Lewis was complaining at Monaco it was because he WAS no2, after that they had parity. Even after Fernando betrayed the team to Max, and actually had lunch with him, Ron still gave him a car and let him race for it. Fernando very very nearly won too.

Ron is a total racer, incredibly sporting. Any other team would have nailed Fernando to the floor and handed every possible advantage to Lewis. As it was, Fernando had the car to beat Lewis in the 3 races after Hungary. Credit where it's due. Ronster .

I think the point here is more that McLaren lied yet again when they keep claiming they have no #1 or #2 driver, that their drivers are supposed to be equal. Now THAT is some BS I have never believed, or any of the people that spew it.

Mclaren couldn't lie about that. FIA would have penalised Mclaren if they found any shred of evidence Alonso was a #2 driver, they were even in the garage of Mclaren to make sure Lewis was not favored over Alonso.

And Alonso is lying, he's been crying at Renault in the past for more support. So much for his claim that he never asks for #1 status

Anyway.. the OP made it pretty clear Alonso says he never asked to be number one (in 2007) and Hamilton just kept piling on the podiums at first.... one thing leading to another..

Symonds said during 2007 that Alonso had a tendency to be slightly paranoid and feel that people were ganging up against him when things weren't going his way.

It certainly fits what we've seen.

As with every great driver; they kick off when things aren't going their way as evidenced by Lewis after Monaco...

This is the sign of an alpha-male who refuses to accept anything less than perceived equality and good on them both

Edited by Bishy, 15 January 2010 - 09:39.

Hamilton also thought he was a #2 at one point, and we know that wasn't particularly true either. If Alonso was a #2 he made himself that, both through his ontrack performances and his offtrack behaviour.

Hamilton was 22, a rookie with no F1 experience, thrown in the deep end and asked to swim. It was understandable for him to act immature at times, to be unaware of the diplomatic etiquette expected in F1 and some of his actions proved this to be the case. Alonso has no such excuse. A 2x WDC with 5 years F1 experience behind him, who quite frankly lost the plot against a rookie. There is a old Japanese saying when it comes to conflicts and it still rings true today, "Don't blame the outcome, cure the problem". We all know what the outcome was, but what really caused it? Apply Ockhams razor and the answer is as clear as daylight. The problem was Hamilton was faster than Alonso appreciated.

No Ron just let them race it out. When Lewis was complaining at Monaco it was because he WAS no2, after that they had parity.

So Hamilton was no2 at Monaco but Alonso wasn´t after Hungary (especially Brazil)???

your thoughts?

Maybe Alonso didn't ask for being number 1 driver, but instead Lewis being demoted back to number 2? And at Renault, when Alonso was clear number 1, he talks as if they are not enough behind him?

Whatever. Talk is cheap.

So Hamilton was no2 at Monaco but Alonso wasn´t after Hungary (especially Brazil)???

Well Fernando beat Lewis in the 3 races after Hungary. How does that fit in?

This is not a flambait thread and my English skills are very limited, but I could not resist!

We finally have a direct quote from Alonso about Mclaren 2007 drivers status:


Source:Autosport

To me this statement seems quite credible.
( alonso seems to visit this forum )

your thoughts?

It seems to me that McLaren were obsessive about giving both drivers equal treatment, but Alonso always pushed for more. Indeed there's the famous quote [paraphrasing]: "I gave the team 5-6 tenths per lap over the winter and what have they given me in return?". When Whitmarsh was asked about it he said [paraphrasing]: "All top drivers always push for advantage within the team". In other words Alonso seems to have been pushing for #1 status for most of the season. Indeed as early as Melbourne Brundle was reporting that Alonso was unhappy at having to use an extra set of tyres in order to compete against his teammate!!! He never pushed for #1 status? Pull the other one, it's got bells on it.

When Alonso accused Renault of favouring Fisichella he lost all credibility with regards to the subject of driver status within a team. I take anything he says with a pinch of salt now.

Edited by se7en_24, 15 January 2010 - 10:39.

I wonder if the gagging order has been lifted.

I'll tell you if he writes an autobiography and explains his time at Mclaren, then it will be number 1 on my shopping list.

I can save you the money...


I'm innocent. I was betrayed. I was lied to. They never liked me as much. I did nothing wrong the whole season it was all Ron Dennis' fault and Whitmarsh's fault and Haug's fault and most especially Hamilton's fault. I'm innocent of blackmail, I never went to Bernie and I didn't solicit information from Ferrari. Oh the perfidy of Albion!

Just need to pad that out for about 200 pages.

Alonso believes he is the best guy out there, not without some justification. He has a relentlessly one-sided view of what happened, which is doubtless necessary to keep him motivated. It still doesn't make it true, just true to him. McLaren have expressed regret at the way things turned out with Alonso, but the rules of F1 meant that one driver always had to be given some kind of advantage each race and it can't make any sense to give that advantage at every race to the guy lagging behind in the championship.

Heikki's comments don't actually point the finger at the team either. They can be interpreted that way if you have an axe to grind or possibly that the developments on the car made it more difficult to extract performance from it or simply reflect an acknowledgement of a weakness in himself that he thinks he can resolve in the future.

If a 2 time fresh WDC walks into a team and doesn't demand, and rightfully so, number 1 spot he is missing out on skills other than driving thats been a requirement, well forever, but certainly the last 30 years as has been practiced by others.

Didn't ask for number 1 over a rookie? Either a complete lie or stupidity.

"You are always hearing about that so-called equality in the team, but tell me what you brag about and I'll tell you what you are lacking. It's impossible to have equality in a Formula One team; there's always a better engine, a better lap to stop in. There's always a better option."
Alonso, 2007

I wonder whether when Alonso refers to the "sometimes" he was number 2 he is referring to 50% of the time when he was necessarily given the less good option, or whether he feels he got that less good option more often than not?

I also wonder how he expects Ferrari to manage the impossibility of equality in F1 between him and Massa.

No Ron just let them race it out. When Lewis was complaining at Monaco it was because he WAS no2, after that they had parity. Even after Fernando betrayed the team to Max, and actually had lunch with him, Ron still gave him a car and let him race for it. Fernando very very nearly won too.

Ron is a total racer, incredibly sporting. Any other team would have nailed Fernando to the floor and handed every possible advantage to Lewis. As it was, Fernando had the car to beat Lewis in the 3 races after Hungary. Credit where it's due. Ronster .

That's a valid point of view, and I totally second your opinion on that, undersquare.

However, the crux lies in communication - like I said the little "signals" that Ron might have given and obviously has given.

If he would have consistently said, whatever the situation, "guys, race it out, you both have the same preferential treatment" then it would have been clear to both.
But as Ron is and always has been (just read Niki Lauda's account on his time with McLaren) he likes to pamper his primadonnas.

Now when you do this to both:"Lewis, you know, in my heart you are the # 1, you always have been since you came up to me that day..." or "Come on Fernando, you are the double world champion, it is clear who is the team leader!" then this will brew into a very nice storm sooner or later.
Please translate the former into Ronspeak at your discretion, I am not good at it.

As Niki explained, and as was later evidenced by the meltdown between Prost and Senna. Also between Raikkonen and Montoya the potential was there, but there it did not materialize due to Montoya's strange loss of interest. Instead of exploding like a volcano he just left...
Yet, when both Kimi and Juan-Pablo had left McLaren at the end of 2006 they gave very telling soundbites.

Interestingly, when Ron was very clear about #1 and #2 (the Hakkinen/Coulthard years) there was the least friction in the team driverwise.

So yes, I too admire Ron for his many WDC's and WCC's , for his corporate culture which is unparalleled, yet in the department of driver management and pampering primadonnas he is not as expert as he thinks he is.

Edited by aditya-now, 15 January 2010 - 10:59.

I also wonder how he expects Ferrari to manage the impossibility of equality in F1 between him and Massa.

At least qualifying doesn't have the fuel load predicament now. Like you say though, there is still a massive equality minefield for them to step through. Perhaps he has learned that it is better to play a longer game now. If things work out as well as intended at Ferrari, it will be as much about Fernando as it is about the team.

Blewis spit the dummy when he was trounced by Alonso even when Alonso was given No 2 status. And lew the championship as a result.

Alonso was the better driver with worse treatment. Simple.

That's a valid point of view, and I totally second your opinion on that, undersquare.

However, the crux lies in communication - like I said the little "signals" that Ron might have given and obviously has given.

If he would have consistently said, whatever the situation, "guys, race it out, you both have the same preferential treatment" then it would have been clear to both.
But as Ron is and always has been (just read Niki Lauda's account on his time with McLaren) he likes to pamper his primadonnas.

Now when you do this to both:"Lewis, you know, in my heart you are the # 1, you always have been since you came up to me that day..." or "Come on Fernando, you are the double world champion, it is clear who is the team leader!" then this will brew into a very nice storm sooner or later.
Please translate the former into Ronspeak at your discretion, I am not good at it.

As Niki explained, and as was later evidenced by the meltdown between Prost and Senna. Also between Raikkonen and Montoya the potential was there, but there it did not materialize due to Montoya's strange loss of interest. Instead of exploding like a volcano he just left...
Yet, when both Kimi and Juan-Pablo had left McLaren at the end of 2006 they gave very telling soundbites.

Interestingly, when Ron was very clear about #1 and #2 (the Hakkinen/Coulthard years) there was the least friction in the team driverwise.

So yes, I too admire Ron for his many WDC's and WCC's , for his corporate culture which is unparalleled, yet in the department of driver management and pampering primadonnas he is not as expert as he thinks he is.

Well some primadonnas are beyond managing if you ask me. Ron is known as a scary guy but Lewis flatly defied him in Hungary, hard to imagine really with their respective ages and roles, and their history, but there it is. And Fernando fast enough to have won but too emotional in the end. Well he should just look forward now, he's in Ferrari at last, so IMO he should let 2007 go without the excuses and get on with 2010.