34 replies to this topic

[armonico]

This is an interview made by Michael Affabili, redactor de F1Es.NET, the first F1 Spanish web after Alonso first year in Minardi in December 2001.

I also want to thank Defcon to find it. He is a feloow forumer in a Spanish Forum.

He is talking about his year in Minardi, technical staff, being a backmaker, his year in F3000 in Astromega, his Nissan year, about certain drivers, the reason of his low cokpit position and his testing role in Renault for 2002.

Rob Smedley, now massa race engineer was who looked after Alonso in Astromega. Interesting his thoughts on the Astromega engineers.

It is only in Spanish, with audio files with his replies. it is long, 9 pages. You must click in "siguiente".

After reading and hearing it, you will understand Alonso position today on the top.

http://f1esnet.fiest...id=979757031591

Edit :spelling

[prty]

Now that's a very rare interview. I didn't use internet frequently back in those years (pay per minute in a 56K modem...) so these things are new for me. And it comes even with the audio files... thanks a lot!

Edit: I posted when I just finished the 2nd page. Now... I think the same as Pep. A lot of insider questions that you would like to know but no driver talks about.

[Pep]

The best interview with Alonso that I have read!

[jimm]

Anyone care to offer an English translation??

[dujshebaev]

Really really awesome...
An english translation could be really great. It's one of the best interviews i've read. An inusual for a top star (Well, he wasn't a top star when he answered the questions, just a teenager in a fast car).
Really really great.

[prettyface]

Interesting points... He didn't think back then that Raikkonnen had enough merit to stay in Sauber, much less go to McLaren. He rated Tarso Marques about equal to Kimi.

When asked about the mirrors in F1 cars: "You can't see anything" Just splotches of color. Closing the door on the car behind? Not really, you just don't know where it is, so stuff just happens!

Again about the mirrors, He confused McLarens with the second Minardi often "Wow, here comes Tarso real fast!"

About his low-sitting stance in the car: His first seat fitting in Nissan he just plopped and slouched there, and was surprised to find his eyes were later "inside" the car He just got used to it. Says the less he sees, the better!

Interesting that the 2001 Minardi wouldn't have improved with a better engine. They were down by as much as 130 HP, but the car was built light and slippery to an extreme. Anything more powerful and you'd never conjure enough downforce for cornering. Brunner did a great job matching the car to the engine, and Alonso was in awe of the efficiency and proffesionalism in Minardi.

He didn't think Schumacher was really that good, just the best in race-winning cars. He rated Fisi and Jarno quite highly.

Have in mind, this was the opinion back in 2001 of a very smart but quite naive and self deprecating rookie.

[dujshebaev]

an unfair translation for a great interview...
http://translate.goo...n&hl=en&ie=UTF8


Oops...broken link...
Google translate from spanish to english is understable...best than my own english as you can see
¿Cómo coño se dirá tortazos en inglés?

[Mauseri]

Originally posted by prettyface
Interesting points... He didn't think back then that Raikkonnen had enough merit to stay in Sauber, much less go to McLaren. He rated Tarso Marques about equal to Kimi.

Well it's true Kimi didnt have much merit to enter F1 ... and he didnt have much merit to get straight to McLaren. But the merit lacked because he hadnt raced anything ... instead of losing something. He performed on the level of someone with more merit and that's what matter.

Didnt Alonso say in this interview that Minardi didnt have the money to produce enough parts ..... and the worse parts went for Tarso ..... I dont think Tarso was a great driver, but the challenge he gave to Ralf and that Alonso rated him ... or atleast talked up .... a bit funny.

[prettyface]

Micra, he did indeed mention the lack of money and Minardi re-using parts for the next friday. New parts were coming only for raceday (I suppose that includes qualy) . No mention on the availability of new parts for Tarso; but he did say that he was unfairly underestimated and there wasn't such a huge gap in performance with the second Minardi, and that Tarso was usually down by a very small gap by sheer bad luck.

Good for Alonso talking up his teammate; but I'm really puzzled by his exaggerated downplaying of Kimi. Maybe I shouldn't; after all they were in direct comparison due to both being rookies in 2001. Montoya wasn't really a contemporary or a newbie depite debuting the same year; so the real comparison was between the two "enfants"; hence the latent rivalry from the very beginning.

[KABA]

The part that is hilarious is how he views the media in general and the broadcast teams in particular.

[jmarinma]

I like this interview . It shows that Alonso's personality and the way he talks has not change too much since then up to today (well, he is now more polite ) , with the only difference that now he's a superstar. I like when he talks about his F3000's season with Astromega. He literally says "eran muy burros" (burros means donkeys). He almost quit the team because his opinion about technical aspects and set up of the car was completely ignored during the first 5 races. It's interesting to read that he complained about the car suffering understeer (now it seems that he has adapted his style to deal with this). In race 6th, the team decided to do what Alonso was asking for, a more neutral car and they got results inmediately. Qualyfied 3rd, and 6th in Germany. He was 2nd in the race in Hungary and he won in Spa.

[V8 Fireworks]

Well it is F3000 after all, some teams the second driver will be lucky to have any engineer at all, like Lowndes' TWR placement.

[Blaka Da Uglav]

Just take a quick glance at it and I must say... google transalation is unbearable.
Anyway thnx for the interview and if someone really does translate it... well an e-beer fo' sho!

[robnyc]

I can take a stab at it but it would take me too much time.
Interesting how he did not rate Kimi and Massa back then.
When asked if Kimi had done enough to get the Mclaren seat, his answer was he was not even sure if he did enough to keep racing for Sauber.
When asked about Massa, he said that is another one. At that time he believed the Sauber team was going to be strong in 2002 and perhaps he was not happy with the idea that they preferred Massa when he had also tested for them. He later explains that Briatore did not agree with Alonso racing for Sauber in 2002.

[SirSaltire]

I wish I could read Spanish! Translating using GOOGLE is unreadable!

[RDM]

Get ya "Alonso with a personality" interviews while you can.

Then see if you can reconcile his characterful personality with the verbal grey sludge that the grey suits at the grey McLarenCorp will have him spewing forth over the coming months.

[yr]

Originally posted by prettyface
Interesting points... He didn't think back then that Raikkonnen had enough merit to stay in Sauber, much less go to McLaren. He rated Tarso Marques about equal to Kimi.

He didn't think Schumacher was really that good, just the best in race-winning cars. He rated Fisi and Jarno quite highly.

That Alonso guy seems to be pretty good when it comes to evaluate drivers.

Kimi is about equal with Tarso Marques.
Michael Schumacher isnt really that good.
Fisi and Jarno are top drivers.

[HSJ]

Originally posted by yr


That Alonso guy seems to be pretty good when it comes to evaluate drivers.

Kimi is about equal with Tarso Marques.
Michael Schumacher isnt really that good.
Fisi and Jarno are top drivers.

The really sad thing is, a lot of people then use their "expert opinion" (like Alonso's) to support their arguments on internet bbs, even though such "expert opinion" is so oftentimes completely useless garbage. Just because they drive the cars doesn't mean they actually understand much. In general I loath the kind of argumentation where one relies on authority ("expert"), as if a word of a human being made any difference to physical facts.

[baddog]

Originally posted by HSJ


The really sad thing is, a lot of people then use their "expert opinion" (like Alonso's) to support their arguments on internet bbs, even though such "expert opinion" is so oftentimes completely useless garbage. Just because they drive the cars doesn't mean they actually understand much. In general I loath the kind of argumentation where one relies on authority ("expert"), as if a word of a human being made any difference to physical facts.

You have indeed identified a common problem.

The Argument from Authority is fundamentally a flawed one, something well understood philosohically for.. well effectively forever.

Thats not to say informed opinions are not useful, but unsupported by evidence or logic (and they do not constitue evidence or logic themselves) they are of course only opinion and not really all that useful.

[nestor]

Originally posted by HSJ


The really sad thing is, a lot of people then use their "expert opinion" (like Alonso's) to support their arguments on internet bbs, even though such "expert opinion" is so oftentimes completely useless garbage. Just because they drive the cars doesn't mean they actually understand much. In general I loath the kind of argumentation where one relies on authority ("expert"), as if a word of a human being made any difference to physical facts.

I'll bet you that if it was Kimi who gave his opinion on the other drivers , you would be singing a diferent song ...

[bl-f1]

Originally posted by yr


That Alonso guy seems to be pretty good when it comes to evaluate drivers.

Kimi is about equal with Tarso Marques.
Michael Schumacher isnt really that good.
Fisi and Jarno are top drivers.

Absolutely. Great interview. Genuine answers, except for Raikonnen's, who, let's face it, beat Fernando in karts. Still, a few yr's later, here we are, Fernando twice World Champion and Kimi off to Ferrari, so he can definitely prove wrong all who think Alonso is better than Kimi and Michael. Surely this yr hisj natural talent will hsjine in Ferrari so all this Alonso hype is finally over... and with it the suffering of seeing the best Formula 1 driver on the grid win yr after yr. No doubt this will be the yr of Alonso's bashsjers.

[Sir Frank]

Originally posted by bl-f1

... Raikonnen's, who, let's face it, beat Fernando in karts...

I didnt know they raced together, any more info on that?

[txarli]

Originally posted by Sir Frank


I didnt know they raced together, any more info on that?

Yes they did it in karting junior World championship , and Alonso was ahead Kimi.

Here is a picture of Alonso and Kimi together:




Can´t remember but i think Alonso was World Champion and Kimi third.

[HoldenRT]

Originally posted by baddog


You have indeed identified a common problem.

The Argument from Authority is fundamentally a flawed one, something well understood philosohically for.. well effectively forever.

Thats not to say informed opinions are not useful, but unsupported by evidence or logic (and they do not constitue evidence or logic themselves) they are of course only opinion and not really all that useful.

I agree but if we can't trust even the most informed opinions, then it says something about just how meaningless ours are.

[ExxonValdez]

Fantastic interview. He's genuine, sincere, naive and extremely open for the journalist. Fantastic overview of the Formula 1 experience from inside: the way they made his first seat -he was so anxious to drive the following day that he didn't care that his seat was too low... he had to get used to it: actually, he couldn't see the track well...

About his opinions on Kimi and Schumacher, he's not that strong. He's talking in a context of jokes and small talk. He's not making statements, but just talking in a friendly environment. Fantastic the way he describes the G forces on his face the first time he runned really fast...

Sad that there's too much press-pressure on him today for being really sincere in a interview. I'd love to hear his experience of a F1 driver today, being world champion...

[Big Block 8]

Originally posted by HoldenRT
I agree but if we can't trust even the most informed opinions, then it says something about just how meaningless ours are.

Don't put yourself down too much. The title of "most informed" can be deceiving, as the authority could have received flawed information that overshadows the bigger amount of genuine information, or the authority could be pursuing an agenda, or bias that is not so well known to the public.

It's also good to remember that almost all evaluations in F1 are based on guesswork, as the cars and teams are not similar and direct comparisons are practically impossible. So, a true authority really doesn't exist in this game.

[ensign14]

Originally posted by prettyface
Interesting points... He didn't think back then that Raikkonnen had enough merit to stay in Sauber, much less go to McLaren. He rated Tarso Marques about equal to Kimi.

In Scrabble, yes.

[armonico]

Originally posted by Sir Frank


I didnt know they raced together, any more info on that?

I read an article sometime ago to comapre thier careers. There was a karting race in which the fight for the win was between Kimi and Alonso. Kimi was first and Alonso second. Alonso tried to pass him and went out and Kimi won the race. (I think Alonso still finished second)

[armonico]

Originally posted by txarli

Here is a picture of Alonso and Kimi together:

He is not Kimi, his name is Antonio Garcia.

[baddog]

Originally posted by HoldenRT
I agree but if we can't trust even the most informed opinions, then it says something about just how meaningless ours are.

No thats the exact opposite of the truth. The point of the problem with the argument from authority is that if I say something true, and flav says something false, I am still right regardless of who he is.

[armonico]

Originally posted by jimm
Anyone care to offer an English translation??

Sorry, jimm, the interview has 617 lines and about 8,800 words and he is talking in an informal way. It would take weeks if not months to tranlate it.

Some people had made good summaries on some matters arose in the interview.

[armonico]

Fernando Alonso - Formula Nissan Champion 1999



http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

Fernando Alonso - Karting exibicion in Asturias (that are skills in a kart )

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

[armonico]

Fernando Alonso - Australia 2001 interview about the race (In English)

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

[armonico]

Fernando Alonso - Exclusive Interview [PART 1]

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

Fernando Alonso - Exclusive Interview [PART 2]

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=


The interview is around the middle of 2005 season. It is in Spanish with English substitles. IIRC, pep translated that interview in a thread in 2005. Now you can see his expressions and hear his voice. I think it can be applied to 2006.

[robnyc]

Originally posted by armonico
Fernando Alonso - Exclusive Interview [PART 1]

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=

Fernando Alonso - Exclusive Interview [PART 2]

http://www.youtube.c...related&search=


The interview is around the middle of 2005 season. It is in Spanish with English substitles. IIRC, pep translated that interview in a thread in 2005. Now you can see his expressions and hear his voice. I think it can be applied to 2006.

I did not know Andre Agassi had become a TV reporter..