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08-04-2007, 10:52 AM
#121
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Would you believe this explanation? Not me.
From Autosport.com
McLaren team boss Ron Dennis has confirmed Lewis Hamilton was to blame for the qualifying incident involving the Briton and teammate Fernando Alonso, after the rookie driver ignored team orders earlier in the session.
Alonso has been widely criticised after he waited for some ten seconds before leaving the pitlane during his final stop for tyres.
The delay meant that Hamilton had to sit behind Alonso and was then unable to complete his final flying lap.
The incident is under investigation by the race stewards.
Although the Spaniard had been waved by his "lolly pop" mechanic to leave the pitlane, Dennis revealed Alonso's engineer had instructed him to wait as a consequence of Hamilton disobeying the team's orders earlier on.
"He was being counted down by his engineer," Dennis told reporters after qualifying. "He's under the control of his engineer. He determined when he goes. That's the sequence.
"And if you think that was a deliberate thing, then you can think what you want. I have given you exactly what happened."
Dennis said Hamilton's decision to disobey the team's orders had compromised the team's plans during qualifying.
"They were out of sequence because Lewis should have slowed and let Fernando past. And he didn't. He charged off. That's how we got out of sequence," Dennis added.
He further explained: "We have various procedures within the team and prior to practice we determine how it is going to be run, what our strategy is, and how that's going to be enacted on the circuit.
"There are some procedural issues there on qualifying. One of the things that you'll have seen several times over the course of this season is long periods of time where the car has gone down to the end of pitlane and sat for a long time.
"In this situation, we are timed to when we can dispatch the car based on when the car reaches a given temperature, and then we know how long we can hold it at the pitlane.
"The cars are dispatched as soon as possible. In this instance, Lewis's car got up to that temperature first, we went Lewis, we sent Fernando, and the fuel burn characteristics [mean that] there is a small advantage which we play from driver to driver according to the nature of the circuit.
"In this instance, it was Fernando's time to get the advantage of the longer fuel burn. The arrangement was, OK, we're down at the end of the pitlane, we reverse positions in the first lap. That didn't occur as arranged. That was somewhat disappointing and caused some tensions on the pitwall.
"We were, from that moment on, out of sequence because the cars were in the wrong place on the circuit and that unfolded into the pitstops. It complicated the situation into the result, which was Lewis not getting his final timed lap.
"So this really started from that position, and from our drivers not swapping position to get the right fuel burn in order to arrive at the point where we cut the end result to the end.
"Now, as you have often asked the question, and let me make it a very honest answer, it is extremely difficult to deal with two such competitive drivers. There are definite pressures within the team. We make no secret of it. They are both very competitive, and they both want to win, and we are trying our very hardest to balance those pressures.
"Today we were part of a process where it didn't work, and the end result is more pressure on the team. But what you hear is the exact truth of what happened, and we will manage it inside the team through the balance of the season.
"Obviously Lewis feels more uncomfortable with the situation than Fernando. That's life, that's the way it is, and if he feels too hot to talk about it then that's the way it is.
"But what I've done is, I have given you an exact understanding of what took place today. And it's just pressure, competitiveness, and that's the way it is. We've just got to get on and deal with it, but we're not hiding from it.
"We're sat on the front row of the most difficult Grand Prix to win as regards to overtaking, and therefore we want to get on with the race.
"Fernando is here. Have I explained it accurately? [Alonso gives a thumbs-up]. OK. That's the way it is."
From Autosport.com
McLaren team boss Ron Dennis has confirmed Lewis Hamilton was to blame for the qualifying incident involving the Briton and teammate Fernando Alonso, after the rookie driver ignored team orders earlier in the session.
Alonso has been widely criticised after he waited for some ten seconds before leaving the pitlane during his final stop for tyres.
The delay meant that Hamilton had to sit behind Alonso and was then unable to complete his final flying lap.
The incident is under investigation by the race stewards.
Although the Spaniard had been waved by his "lolly pop" mechanic to leave the pitlane, Dennis revealed Alonso's engineer had instructed him to wait as a consequence of Hamilton disobeying the team's orders earlier on.
"He was being counted down by his engineer," Dennis told reporters after qualifying. "He's under the control of his engineer. He determined when he goes. That's the sequence.
"And if you think that was a deliberate thing, then you can think what you want. I have given you exactly what happened."
Dennis said Hamilton's decision to disobey the team's orders had compromised the team's plans during qualifying.
"They were out of sequence because Lewis should have slowed and let Fernando past. And he didn't. He charged off. That's how we got out of sequence," Dennis added.
He further explained: "We have various procedures within the team and prior to practice we determine how it is going to be run, what our strategy is, and how that's going to be enacted on the circuit.
"There are some procedural issues there on qualifying. One of the things that you'll have seen several times over the course of this season is long periods of time where the car has gone down to the end of pitlane and sat for a long time.
"In this situation, we are timed to when we can dispatch the car based on when the car reaches a given temperature, and then we know how long we can hold it at the pitlane.
"The cars are dispatched as soon as possible. In this instance, Lewis's car got up to that temperature first, we went Lewis, we sent Fernando, and the fuel burn characteristics [mean that] there is a small advantage which we play from driver to driver according to the nature of the circuit.
"In this instance, it was Fernando's time to get the advantage of the longer fuel burn. The arrangement was, OK, we're down at the end of the pitlane, we reverse positions in the first lap. That didn't occur as arranged. That was somewhat disappointing and caused some tensions on the pitwall.
"We were, from that moment on, out of sequence because the cars were in the wrong place on the circuit and that unfolded into the pitstops. It complicated the situation into the result, which was Lewis not getting his final timed lap.
"So this really started from that position, and from our drivers not swapping position to get the right fuel burn in order to arrive at the point where we cut the end result to the end.
"Now, as you have often asked the question, and let me make it a very honest answer, it is extremely difficult to deal with two such competitive drivers. There are definite pressures within the team. We make no secret of it. They are both very competitive, and they both want to win, and we are trying our very hardest to balance those pressures.
"Today we were part of a process where it didn't work, and the end result is more pressure on the team. But what you hear is the exact truth of what happened, and we will manage it inside the team through the balance of the season.
"Obviously Lewis feels more uncomfortable with the situation than Fernando. That's life, that's the way it is, and if he feels too hot to talk about it then that's the way it is.
"But what I've done is, I have given you an exact understanding of what took place today. And it's just pressure, competitiveness, and that's the way it is. We've just got to get on and deal with it, but we're not hiding from it.
"We're sat on the front row of the most difficult Grand Prix to win as regards to overtaking, and therefore we want to get on with the race.
"Fernando is here. Have I explained it accurately? [Alonso gives a thumbs-up]. OK. That's the way it is."
08-04-2007, 01:24 PM
#123
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If that is the truth, i feel the punishment is WAY too harsh. How could you purposefully ruin a qualifying run of one of your drivers? He made a mistake, great, then fine his *** and grill him afterwards. To do this more often than today will make Lewis want to leave the team, and he has an emotional connection to that team.
I still can't believe it.
08-04-2007, 01:38 PM
#125
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The time they had sitting there in the pit could have easily been made up on track. There is something more sinister behind this for sure. I like McLaren and all, but that is not very sportsman like. If I were a major sponsor for Lewis, I would fine the team myself.
08-04-2007, 05:18 PM
#126
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Stewards relegated Alonso to 6th and McLaren will not earn any constructor points no matter where they finish is the rumor. I usually do not agree with the stewards but I do on this one.
Last edited by -j-; 08-04-2007 at 05:22 PM. Reason: spelling
08-04-2007, 06:16 PM
#128
Alonso in 6th and no constructors points for McLaren....hopefully they'll learn their lesson and not try to mess with the grid places again. Good call by the stewards.
I hope Lewis dominates the race from start to finish.
Ron Dennis needs a kick up the *** pulling a stunt like this, glad he's getting punished. Making Lewis sit there while the clock was ticking was a ****ty move.
Fear the Iceman...now he's 3rd starting from the clean side of the grid....
I hope Lewis dominates the race from start to finish.
Ron Dennis needs a kick up the *** pulling a stunt like this, glad he's getting punished. Making Lewis sit there while the clock was ticking was a ****ty move.
Fear the Iceman...now he's 3rd starting from the clean side of the grid....
08-04-2007, 08:27 PM
#129
Ron Dennis didn't exactly look happy after the incident. I don't think he was involved in the whole thing.
But, there were definitely some shenanigans in pits, and hopefully this doesn't happen again.
Damn, I'm hoping Heidfeld gets a good start tomorrow and can lead the race, if only for a little bit.
Go Heidfeld!
But, there were definitely some shenanigans in pits, and hopefully this doesn't happen again.
Damn, I'm hoping Heidfeld gets a good start tomorrow and can lead the race, if only for a little bit.
Go Heidfeld!
08-05-2007, 04:33 AM
#130
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Alonso in 6th and no constructors points for McLaren....hopefully they'll learn their lesson and not try to mess with the grid places again. Good call by the stewards.
I hope Lewis dominates the race from start to finish.
Ron Dennis needs a kick up the *** pulling a stunt like this, glad he's getting punished. Making Lewis sit there while the clock was ticking was a ****ty move.
Fear the Iceman...now he's 3rd starting from the clean side of the grid....
I hope Lewis dominates the race from start to finish.
Ron Dennis needs a kick up the *** pulling a stunt like this, glad he's getting punished. Making Lewis sit there while the clock was ticking was a ****ty move.
Fear the Iceman...now he's 3rd starting from the clean side of the grid....
I'm very happy about what the stewards did. Like I said earlier it's stupid tp punish your driver by killing a qualifying run. What if a few others pulled quicker times?
Team punishments should be done afterwards, and should hit the pocketbooks. I think their actions were stupid and they then tried to make it all honky dory, and the stewards said: SORRY!
Actually, it kinda amounts to the schumey stoppage at Monaco last year. I think they should have left the constructors points, but put alonso in the back, similar to what they did to schumey.
08-07-2007, 11:07 AM
#133
Now Alonso is threatening to leave McLaren and Ron Dennis says he'll let him!
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40318
This whole Alonso/Hamilton/Raikonnen battle is the best thing to happen to F1 in years. Let them fight it out Prost/Senna style.
http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=40318
This whole Alonso/Hamilton/Raikonnen battle is the best thing to happen to F1 in years. Let them fight it out Prost/Senna style.
