(that's a joke. A JOKE).Was I the only one watching the qualy? Were there too many ads on your cable service?
I have two simple questions:
1. who took the first position on pitlane for Q3?
2. who took the last position to change tyres?
Both positions give you an advantage. Did you see THAT? I did. Apparently, I wasn't alone.
From the "Paddock Talk Website":
I'm starting to find Mr. Dennis a little too fishy for my taste. Perhaps Alonso is a quick thinker. I hope. Anyaway, I'm using my tinfoil hat tomorrow. Just in case.Did McLaren screw up?
Or was it an incredibly sophisticated and deliberate attempt by Alonso to block a faster teammate from defending his provisional Pole position ?
...
In Q3 of qualifying, McLaren seemed intent on putting Hamilton on Pole by having Alonso qualify on the ‘prime’ – soft – tire while Hamilton was turning his hot laps on the ‘option’ – super soft – tire with nearly three tenths in hand.
It should have been an easy Pole for Hamilton, but it didn’t happen.
Immediately following the demise of the team’s planned orchestration of the front row, Ron Dennis slammed his headphones down, and stormed off to Parc Ferme to confront his Spanish driver. When challenged, Alonso refused to listen, and walked away from his McLaren Boss who continued to sputter at him.
But Dennis’ scapegoat wasn’t the real problem today. The facts don’t back him up.
Though onlookers were quick to trash Alonso, and ridicule him for deliberately holding up Hamilton…. The facts don’t back them up.
One has to look at the specific timelines to declare guilt.
...
The truth is that Alonso was not going to be given a chance to start the Hungarian Grand Prix from Pole.
It can also be said that McLaren cost Alonso a lap of fuel. Was that intentional ? Was that what the team wanted to insure a Hamilton victory for tomorrow’s race ?
Let’s consider these questions while we look at the facts.
On Alonso’s second to last pitstop in the Q3 qualifying session, McLaren held Alonso for a full 47 seconds (From 7:40 to 6:53). (NOTE by Ciro: I was astounded by THAT) Apparently to allow for traffic to clear, meanwhile Hamilton was allowed to burn fuel during the time that the Spaniard sat idle.
The team then bungled his release when a tire warmer became stuck on the suspension. The mistake cost Alonso another full eight seconds.
Alonso completed his out lap, his hot lap and then returned to the pits. The car was jacked up, and Alonso’s tread was replaced for his final run at Pole. At the 2:08 mark, Alonso was dropped off the jacks and ready to return to the track. But the team held him again…
This time for another 19 critical seconds…
Again apparently for clear track. (NOTE by Ciro: I was amazed by that)
At the 1:51 mark, Hamilton arrived in full view behind Alonso.
At the 1:47 mark, the McLaren mechanic lifts the lolli-pop. Usually a sign that the team wants the driver to leave the pit stall.
What isn’t clear is if Alonso is actually released by the team. Unlike the previous stop, the mechanic in charge of releasing him can’t be seen counting down the release.
During this crucial nine seconds, some speculate that Alonso deliberately held his teammate to cost him Hamilton his run at Pole.
At the 1:38 second mark, Alonso drives away and finds clear track.
At the 1:26 second mark, Hamilton’s service is complete, and he is away for his doomed final lap.
But here is the key point to this presentation of the facts. And Ron Dennis should note this before he scolds his star driver because his favorite son isn’t on Pole.
Alonso began his lap with just three seconds left in the qualifying session. It took him 1:35 to get around the track from the time he left his pit stall.
Even if Alonso had gotten away when the loli-pop went up, Hamilton would have had just 1:35 to get around the track.
While the nine seconds was crucial… It was the McLaren team who kept Alonso for the extra 19 seconds before hand to create the situation. It was the McLaren team who kept Alonso a full 47 seconds the previous pitstop and allowed their drivers to get so close to each other.
The truth is one of the following:
McLaren were too smart by half
Or Alonso is the smartest driver in the world, and had this all calculated out in the cockpit of his car.
Alonso said of the incident, "I leave the pits when I'm told to."
And that makes the most sense.
If Ron Dennis is angry and upset, he only has his own team to whine at for wasting the precious seconds that left Hamilton second. If Ron Dennis is angry and upset, it clearly wasn’t his driver who created the situation.
If Ron Dennis is angry and upset that McLaren’s intended orchestration of the front row didn’t happen as planned, he only has one place to point the finger…
At his team. Not his driver.
Even so, the one who ought to be furious is Fernando Alonso.
While Alonso will start from Pole on a track where it is extremely difficult to make a pass, the team cost him a full lap of fuel by forcing him to sit idle in his pit stall. (NOTE by Ciro: my exact toughts)
They wasted 55 seconds on the second to last stop, plus 19 seconds on his final stop, plus the nine questionable seconds. That works out to 1:23 or one full lap.
Tomorrow, that lost lap could be very costly for Alonso. That is..
If McLaren allows him to win. Because if he does, he’ll overtake the team’s favored one in the Formula one points standings.
Will Ron Dennis allow that to happen ?
As to teamate rivalry... I love it, after years of Schumacher and his sidekick driver show. Bring on some more of this, it make for a hell of a better topic than the rubish about Stephneygate.
