Transferring Affections 23/02/2008 It's not what you say, it's what you do. Reading over the comments to my last post, and particularly the discussion on Alonso that sprang up, I was reminded of Alonso's statements after leaving Renault but before he first drove the McLaren.It seemed that Fernando had always wanted to drive for McLaren, a sort of boyhood ambition. I can recall Ron Dennis expressing his surprise when he jokingly asked Alonso to drive for him and the Spaniard agreed immediately, surely an indication of eagerness to drive for the team. It all fits very nicely with Fenando's stated ambition.But now that Flavio Briatore has claimed that he and Alonso were talking about a return to Renault as early as the Australian GP last year, this deperate desire of Fernando's to be a McLaren driver looks more of a public relations effort than the truth. Even if, as Arnet has put it, it was just a case of the Flav saying something like, "Please come back. I've left your bedroom just as you left it", surely Alonso would have laughed at such an idea, if he was genuinely fulfilling a childhood ambition. And I can imagine Flavio not being eager to recall such a humiliating moment.My conclusion is that the lifelong dream thing was just hype, the kind of statement drivers make whenever they change teams. No doubt Fernando was just going to the greenest pastures available after losing patience over Renault's dithering about whether to remain in F1.Usually it is Ferrari that drivers cite as their dream team, the one they always wanted to drive for. I am old enough to remember Gilles Villeneuve saying as much when he first joined the team and subsequent events were to prove the truth of his words. Traditionally, it has been almost a requirement in the Ferrari driver's contract that a new recruit make some sort of statement to this effect and rare indeed are the drivers who declare openly that they will never drive for the Scuderia.Inevitably it was Nelson Piquet (senior) who summed up the rebels' point of view most aptly: When Ferrari win, it is thanks to the car; when they lose, it is the driver's fault. It seems to me that there must be many who joined the team only to learn the truth of Piquet's words.It was Kimi who broke the mold, of course. I watched carefully when he moved from McLaren to Ferrari but never did he claim a boyhood ambition, not once did he talk of long years spent yearning to drive the red cars. And it is quite ironic that he has fitted into the team so well, albeit after a long adjustment period.I guess the moral is that we should take these statements with a large pinch of salt. Naturally, a driver changing teams is going to be optimistic about his new employers and will say nice things about them. Even Fisichella, so obviously pushed out of Renault and having to take whatever he can get, is full of praise for Force India.But, in the end, it's when the rubber hits the road that the truth is revealed. Give a new driver a bad car and he will soon forget his hopes and dreams, muttering about bad handling and unfair treatment. The grass may appear to be greener but sometimes it turns sour pretty quickly.
Clive
Arnet I think in the case of Alonso moving to McLaren, the motivation may have been largely financial, as well as the reasons you stated, that he smelled instability, and maybe even decline in the wind. Renault are the team renowned for squeezing the most out of a budget (in that I include results, because Williams probably gets the gong for doing the most with less), and high driver salaries were not their priority, until it came time to woo Alonso back to the altar for a second go-round. I learned years ago to never make a business (or personal!) decision based solely on money, and I think he learned that lesson the hard way. In returning to Renault, he clearly wasn't returning just for money, but he had some leverage, although I really think if Flavio wanted to he could have low-balled his former star. Clearly Alonso was out of McLaren, and at the time, who really wanted him?I was quite surprised that Kimi moved to Ferrari. It didn't seem to be a good fit. But in the latest story in F1 Racing, Peter Windsor wrote of an exchange he had with Kimi at an after race party where Kimi confessed that he was quite unhappy with F1 and would leave as soon as he won a championship. The article made it clear that Kimi's motivation was driving, winning, fun, and McLaren's corporate culture didn't suit him at all. Let alone his car falling to pieces underneath him. Contrast that with Ferrari's relaxed attitude to Kimi's extracurricular activities and the fact that, as opposed to his largely fruitless years at McLaren, he now has a winning AND reliable car, and he's happier than a bride on her wedding day.We need to take most "official" statements with a grain of salt. What most F1 web-sites pump out are simply regurgitated press statements, and most interviews with drivers are yawn-inducing. Of course some of the more intelligent drivers, Coulthard, Webber, Rosberg, Button, and more, do give some insight, but you're always left wondering what is not being said. When Button says the obvious-that Honda did the right thing by hiring Brawn, what he's not saying is how bad the old car actually was and how desperate did the situation get. Was there panic? It's the F1 equivalent of an interview with a hockey or football player:" Well, we're going to go out there and give it 110%. You know in the last few games they had a really strong defense, so we're just going to come out with a strong offense......"That's why blogs such as this are so important for fans. It's a place where you and we can congregate and try to make some sense of the soap-opera. Thanks for the opportunity, Clive! Date Added: 23/02/2008
Clive I love reading between the lines and trying to work out what's really going on, Arnet. Most of the time I get it wrong but it is all paid for when something turns out to be correct and I can say, "I told you so!"I must admit that Alonso snuck that one by me, however - at the time, I believed him. Hence this post... ;) Date Added: 23/02/2008
Steven Roy Ferrari seem to have dropped a few of their customs over the last few years. It used to be you could tell what day it was by the news from Maranello when a new driver joined.First there was the inevitable 'every driver dreams of driving for Ferrari'. 'I always wanted to drive for Ferrari' was never enough. It had to be ever driver.Then you had the comment about being blown away by the factory and facilities usually including the odd word of awe on meeting Ferrari himself.The it was out to Fiorano for the instant lap record. Over a period of 30 or 40 years every new driver and every new car was reported to have set a lap record on the first visit. Changed days indeed as the 2008 car has still to set a record as far as I know.I have to say I believed Alonso when he made the comments about McLaren. I believed Lewis Hamilton when he said he grew up watch Senna and Prost and only ever wanted to drive for McLaren until I worked out that he was seven years old when Senna left. Interestingly Kovalainen is in this weeks Autosport making comments very similar to Alonso's. It looks like McLaren are copying a Ferrari custom.DC when he went to Red Bull said he felt free to say what he felt now because all he had to think about was one man’s opinion rather than all the sponsors etc of McLaren where he had to worry how a statement would play out in a foreign country or culture. He only had to think whether Mateschitz would object or not and Mateschitz effectively gave him free reign to say and do what he liked. DC said that on his first meeting after sign Mateschitz told him that if he wanted to dye his hair or beard purple he should just do it. I can imagine Ron Dennis's reaction if Lewis Hamilton turned up with purple hair. Date Added: 23/02/2008
Clive Oh dear, McLaren turning into Ferrari and Ferrari itself becoming relaxed - what is the world coming to? Sometimes I think that nothing is sacred anymore...Interesting that Mateschitz should say that to DC on arrival - did he know how David would feel after working for McLaren for so long? It certainly looks that way. Date Added: 23/02/2008
Arnet I can just imagine what was said between Frank and Patrick behind closed doors about Jacques' baggy pants and bleach blond hair...... Date Added: 23/02/2008
Clive Me too, Arnet. I suppose they were prepared to put up with it as long as he kept winning! Date Added: 23/02/2008
Steven Roy That's what I love about Frank and Patrick. They only want a driver who gets the maximum from the car every time he sits in it and who doesn't need a babysitter when he is out of the car. It doesn't matter whether he is scruffy and has purple hair like Jacques or calls a spade a £$&@#$ shovel like Alan Jones or even hates his team mate like Piquet and Mansell. The only thing they care about is what he does in the car. Date Added: 24/02/2008
Pink Peril I always thought Alonso jumped ship because of two things.Firstly the $$$ that Dennis offered, and secondly Ghosn's reluctance to commit to F1 for 2007.This boyhood dream line was just a cliche. Date Added: 24/02/2008
Clive Certainly looks that way, Peril. Maybe he's found out now that money isn't necessarily the most important factor... Date Added: 25/02/2008
Haplo What do you mean Clive?He clearly didn't have ANY other choice but Renault. Date Added: 25/02/2008
Clive We were talking about Alonso's initial move to McLaren, Haplo. At the time, he could probably have driven for any team except, perhaps, Ferrari. When he left McLaren, however, I agree that his options were much more limited, especially when it turned out that the Red Bull and Toyota rumors were just that - rumors. Date Added: 25/02/2008
Haplo Oh, I though you meant his move from McLaren to Renault. Nevermind me. Date Added: 25/02/2008
Clive No problem, Haplo - it's the kind of mistake I always make! Date Added: 25/02/2008
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