ALONSO, 'sandbagging'?

[mustang245]

Marc Gene, Ferrari development driver, claims Fernando Alonso may be "sandbagging" to hide true speed... anyone remember day 2 session 1 @ Jerez when FA was .7 fastest in R27, last season's dud? I, for one, believe him.

 

[Kylehnat]

Everyone sandbags in pre-season testing. As usual, we won't know who's got what until they do it for reals. McLaren and Ferrari are probably still well ahead of the rest.

 

[Rykon Zero]

'Sandbagging'?

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

'Sandbagging'?

He put sandbags in his car to slow it down.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

He put sandbags in his car to slow it down.

Or just drives a bit slower than usual.

 

[mustang245]

Or just drives a bit slower than usual.

Alot slower than usual.

 

[Blake]

I, for one, believe him.

Good for you.

As good a driver as Fernando is the car is not up to scratch yet. I don’t see him challenging for the title this year.

 

[mipuumal]

And if he is, then I would just be annoyed.

Not because I dislike Fernando, but because Renault always want to be noticed.

 

[Diego440]

About 95% of Spain claims he is indeed sandbagging... Alonso always sounds overly-pessimistic in his interviews, while the Spanish media tends to be overly-optimistic regarding his race results... So I wouldn't be surprised that when they're claiming that pole/podium results are a fantasy, they're actually much closer to reality. Maybe not as much as winning or even being a WC challenger, but I think they're up there with BMW and Williams at the moment. Positively ahead of RBR and Honda.

 

[Blake]

Honda are nowhere. Force India will probably beat Honda…

 

[prisonermonkeys]

About 95% of Spain claims he is indeed sandbagging...

Yes, but the Spanish would want to believe that rather than the notion that he might not be in a quick team. Alonso played his silly season hand badly this year. He always made out that more than one team was interested in his services, but by the time he got around to signing with Renault, every good seat had been taken. I wouldn't be surprised if he had to take a pay cut because Renault were the only team mildly interested in him, and therefore Flav knew he could make his dollar go a little further.

In all honesty, I want to see Piquet Jnr. usurp the Spaniard this year. Alonso's head is too big for his helmet and he needs to understand that the racing world does not revolve around him, however much Flav might pander to his whims. Drivers in the higher echelons of racing are narcissistic by nature; they kind of have to be in order to have the self-confidence to propel a Formula One car around a ciricut the way they do. But Fernando Alonso has had it too good for too long, and it's starting to affect him. He's never truly understood what it is to have a rough season (that stint with Minardi was basically training wheels), so when everything falls to pieces he has no real idea on how to deal with it. Last year was as close as he has come, and he was competitive until the very end. He's like a child whose mother does everything for him, and when he finally steps out into the real world and is let off his mother's apron strings (or in Alonso's case, let out of Flav's sight), he simply can't survive without so much effort it's on the verge of counter-productive. I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up in a Fisi '07 role in a few years, demoted to showing other drivers the ropes of Formla One. Of course, we'd never hear the end of it.

... Wow. That turned into quite the Alonso rant, didn't it?

 

[Blake]

I wouldn't be surprised to see him end up in a Fisi '07 role in a few years, demoted to showing other drivers the ropes of Formla One.

I would. Alonso is too quick not to be desired by any team serious about winning championships. He is a proven quantity, and he’s one of the smartest drivers in the field today. His problem is that he’s too emotional outside of the cockpit and he gets himself in bad shape in the press.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I would. Alonso is too quick not to be desired by any team serious about winning championships. He is a proven quantity, and he’s one of the smartest drivers in the field today. His problem is that he’s too emotional outside of the cockpit and he gets himself in bad shape in the press.

I'm not talking about 2010-2012, mind you. I'm talking about later, when he's been in the sport for a few more years. He can't win championships forever because younger, faster drivers will always be coming along. And while he might be a smart driver, any team boss could see how that would work in their favour when they're grooming a new, younger driver. All they'd have to do is play up to Alonso's ego and make him think he's the number one, while the rookie simply feeds off Alonso's results, learning as he (or she) goes.

My main reason for thinking he's a candiate for teacher is his attitude: anyone who sees his potential as a teacher would also see his temperament as a liability. As he demonstraed last year, Alonso calls foul the moment things start to go wrong for him.

 

[Blake]

Alonso calls foul the moment things start to go wrong for him.

Which is why I don’t think he’ll be in the sport for that long. As soon as he’s not getting competitive rides he’ll drop it, I think.

 

[mustang245]

Harsh words for Alonso here. My helmet would be 'big' too, if i had been THE reason for Schumacher's retirement, in a inferior car. He already is the teacher and has aces up his sleeve, actually they're on his helmet.

 

[mustang245]

Good for you.

As good a driver as Fernando is the car is not up to scratch yet. I don’t see him challenging for the title this year.

How do you know his car is not 'up to scratch'? Do you KNOW what sandbagging is? I value Marc Gene's opinion more than yours.

 

[TheCracker]

He already is the teacher and has aces up his sleeve, actually they're on his helmet.

Why was he beaten by a rookie in the same machinery last season then?

Schumacher didn't retire for fear of been beaten by Alonso, he retired because he simply had nothing more to prove.

 

[mustang245]

Why was he beaten by a rookie in the same machinery last season then?

Schumacher didn't retire for fear of been beaten by Alonso, he retired because he simply had nothing more to prove.

Tied in points actually.
Alonso beat Schumacher fair & square. He had nothing 'left' to prove.

 

[Diego440]

I disagree. Schumacher dominated the sport in every way. After being world champion seven times, there was very little Alonso or anyone could do to challenge him.

 

[TheCracker]

Schumacher also pretty much destroyed every team mate he had. Alonso still couldn't beat a rookie in the same car last season.

 

[mustang245]

I disagree. Schumacher dominated the sport in every way. After being world champion seven times, there was very little Alonso or anyone could do to challenge him.

Alonso dominated MSC 05&06, little he could do about it.

 

[mustang245]

Schumacher also pretty much destroyed every team mate he had. Alonso still couldn't beat a rookie in the same car last season.

Due to the mismanagement of one Ron Dennis. Braun never had that problem...

 

[TheCracker]

Due to the mismanagement of one Ron Dennis.

Due to the lack of ability of one Fernando Alonso to gell a team around him in the same way that one Michael Schumacher could. More like.

Braun never had that problem...

Braun Todt never had drivers who were pulling in different directions to the team. If you don't work with the team you'll never win a championship with them.

 

[kikie]

Why was he beaten by a rookie in the same machinery last season then?

Schumacher didn't retire for fear of been beaten by Alonso, he retired because he simply had nothing more to prove.

I heard that he had to retire because Ferrari was interested in Kimi and they can't stand each other.

I also read or (?) heared (?) that Alonso isn't going to stay an F1 pilot as long as Schumacher was. Something wrong with that sentence.

If he's sandbagging, isn't that a bad thing for Renault? How can Renault test their cars properly if Alonso is sandbagging?

 

[TheCracker]

If he's sandbagging, isn't that a bad thing for Renault? How can Renault test their cars properly if Alonso is sandbagging?

Teams always sandbag whilst testing, it's about not showing your hand until qualifying begins at the first round of the season.

I heard that he had to retire because Ferrari was interested in Kimi and they can't stand each other.

I bet if Schumie had been willing to commit to signing another 3 year contract at Ferrari, Kimi wouldn't have even been in the picture.

 

[mustang245]

Due to the lack of ability of one Fernando Alonso to gell a team around him in the same way that one Michael Schumacher could. More like.



Braun Todt never had drivers who were pulling in different directions to the team. If you don't work with the team you'll never win a championship with them.

Well i guess Dennis has what he 'wanted', two "kid" drivers with no setup skills, at least they have PDLR (another Spaniard) to do that. Read the news about what Sir Stewart has to say about McLaren chaces this year.

 

[mustang245]

And I do believe Alonso will 'gel' quite nicely @ Renault where he'll get treatment MSC got with Jean Todt, who got axed also. MSC was happy to get his way, too. All champs are bit of prima donnas. MSC parking @ Monocco to deprive Alonso hot lap during qualifications was desperation. He no longer had skill to stop Alonso.

 

[Metar]

Marc Gene said they might be sandbagging. And with testing now over, we'll have to wait two weeks before we definitely, completely know. There's no point in making a thread about a potential sandbagging by Alonso during Winter Testing, which has it's own thread, and then turn it into a who is better and why Michael retired thread.

And Cracker - don't you think Lewis was a bit of a super-rookie, one with enough skill to challenge any driver on the field on his first year?

 

[mustang245]

Teams always sandbag whilst testing, it's about not showing your hand until qualifying begins at the first round of the season.



I bet if Schumie had been willing to commit to signing another 3 year contract at Ferrari, Kimi wouldn't have even been in the picture.

Kimi & Lewis are not sandbagging...
When Alonso took last years car and outpaced this years cars for other teams @Jerez by .7 tenths, you mean you didn't hear about that? The whole damn paddock was shocked. He now plays the sleeper role to let Raikonnen bear the pressure to perform. He knows when to go fast and when not to. That's his strength aside from consistency. He wants everyone gunning for Raikonnen who is not used to pressure. He's a thinker, not a drinker...

 

[TheCracker]

Kimi & Lewis are not sandbagging...
When Alonso took last years car and outpaced this years cars for other teams @Jerez by .7 tenths, you mean you didn't hear about that? The whole damn paddock was shocked. He now plays the sleeper role to let Raikonnen bear the pressure to perform. He knows when to go fast and when not to. That's his strength aside from consistency. He wants everyone gunning for Raikonnen who is not used to pressure. He's a thinker, not a drinker...

Thanks for that great insightful information 👍