Alonso Critical Of Mclaren Drivers

[Schumikonen 2]

Fernando Alonso has singled out McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen for blame in the incident during qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Kovalainen were summoned by the race stewards after Alonso and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld said the McLaren duo were running very slowly on the racing line in the dying moments of qualifying.

Both Alonso and Heidfeld said the incident has cost them time.

"We had four (cars) in Turn Four, and then the two Ferraris I think somewhere else, so six cars or something like that," said Alonso.

"Four of them were off line, not disturbing (anyone), and two of them were on the racing line. The two McLarens."

Alonso said the situation was dangerous because of the speed difference between the cars.

"I think it is because this year's rules of Q3 being shorter, the people finish the timed lap in a different time and different position, so it was an unlucky situation," he said.

"They finished their timed lap a little bit earlier than us, but for me I am sure it was the worst thing. They are running at 60 km/h and we are at 300 km/h so it is too big a difference in speed and a little bit dangerous."

The Renault driver reckons a rules change would help, but he believes it's very important that drivers pay more attention.

"I don't know. That is a solution but as I said, we were six or seven cars, with five of them we had no problems so it is also up to us to move off the line."

http://www.totalf1.com/fullstory/view/2503...cLaren_drivers/

The guy now want to win off the tack what he can not get in the track, this is really what he do the best COMPLAIN.

Any way Hamilton and Kovy will have an Wonderful time overtaking him.

[Schumikonen 2]

Malaysia: McLaren pair handed five-place penalty

McLaren drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton will start tomorrow's Malaysian Grand Prix from eighth and ninth places after being handed a five-place grid penalty by race stewards after they were deemed to have blocked BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld and Renault's Fernando Alonso at the end of qualifying.

Having completed their laps with half a minute still to go in qualifying, Kovalainen and Hamilton both cruised back to the pits on the racing line, and when Heidfeld and Alonso encountered the pair at turn 4, had to take evasive action, resulting in them losing laptime. Heidfeld claimed to have lost two tenths of a second when the McLarens impeded him at the braking zone for turn 4, and had that not been the case, the two tenths would have given the German third place on the grid.

McLaren confirmed to the press in Sepang that Heikki and Lewis had been penalised five grid place, and also confirmed that the team would not appeal the decision. Prior to the penalty, McLaren had stood behind their drivers, saying that both had done as much as they could not to impede Heidfeld and Alonso, however, both stayed on the racing line despite knowing that drivers were still completing flying laps.

The news means that Trulli, Kubica, Heidfeld, Webber and Alonso all pick up two places on the grid.

[Quiet One 15]

Fernando Alonso has singled out McLaren drivers Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen for blame in the incident during qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Hamilton and Kovalainen were summoned by the race stewards after Alonso and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld said the McLaren duo were running very slowly on the racing line in the dying moments of qualifying.

Both Alonso and Heidfeld said the incident has cost them time.

"We had four (cars) in Turn Four, and then the two Ferraris I think somewhere else, so six cars or something like that," said Alonso.

"Four of them were off line, not disturbing (anyone), and two of them were on the racing line. The two McLarens."

Alonso said the situation was dangerous because of the speed difference between the cars.

"I think it is because this year's rules of Q3 being shorter, the people finish the timed lap in a different time and different position, so it was an unlucky situation," he said.

"They finished their timed lap a little bit earlier than us, but for me I am sure it was the worst thing. They are running at 60 km/h and we are at 300 km/h so it is too big a difference in speed and a little bit dangerous."

The Renault driver reckons a rules change would help, but he believes it's very important that drivers pay more attention.

"I don't know. That is a solution but as I said, we were six or seven cars, with five of them we had no problems so it is also up to us to move off the line."

http://www.totalf1.com/fullstory/view/2503...cLaren_drivers/

The guy now want to win off the tack what he can not get in the track, this is really what he do the best COMPLAIN.

Any way Hamilton and Kovy will have an Wonderful time overtaking him.

You gotta be kidding.

[Rainmaster 7]

I agree with Alonso's statements and the penalty. The speed difference was massive, the Macs should have been off-line like the others.

A rule change is necessary also.

[AleHop 0]

Schumikonen, you must be sick. It's happened every year and it is good to see that the same book of rules applies to everyone. When I saw the two cars I thought about a penalty for them, and I didn't know they were two McLaren initially.

[***TAMER*** 0]

The guy now want to win off the tack what he can not get in the track, this is really what he do the best COMPLAIN.

Any way Hamilton and Kovy will have an Wonderful time overtaking him.

You are kidding me. Alonso has every right to say what he said. The Maclarens were doing a parade lap while other driver were still qualifying and i'm not even an Alonso fan. I dislike him a lot but he is spot on here

[DarkLord 0]

The guy now want to win off the tack what he can not get in the track, this is really what he do the best COMPLAIN.

Any way Hamilton and Kovy will have an Wonderful time overtaking him.

although i m not a big fan of either alonso or lewis... i must say alonso was right when he made 'complain'. It was lewis and kovy's fault. they finished their run and should have been off racing line like the other drivers..but i guess they are thinking being in mclaren its their birth right to block others..

[AleHop 0]

I think Hamilton didn't impede Alonso (or at least tried not to do so) because he moved off the racing line but Kovalainen was driving like a Taxi (always impeding other drivers). Jeeeeez!

[yurp 0]

fair enough really - if you're on the racing line and not on a flyer, then get of it - simple as that

(should I remind people of my impartiality since I haven't been here in the off season)

would love to see a rain-drenched race tomoz - (especially if it starts dry).

would also like to see alonso put the brakes on in front of hamilton into the first corner - both into gravel and out of race. fisticuffs (always funny when they're wearing helmets) would be nice - although its probably too early in the season for it too boil over to that extent.

kimi for the win. massa 2nd, kovi for 3rd thus making championship 10,10,10 for kimi, kovi and ham.

EDIT - oops - forgot kimi got a point last weekend - EDIT

alternative prediction...

trulli, kubica, glock, sato - i can dream can't i?

[elgo 1]

Geez,there's too much hatred in the world.

[Jem of the Shire 0]

I've never liked Alonso but he is correct in what he is saying about the mclarens and he isnt complaining, just responding to a journo's question

[Schumikonen 2]

Well I must say to you that they were not the only ones doing so even Ferrari was doing that but you Alonso's problems with Macca, I found wierd too that all thoses cars were cruising when the time was still running and the rest were on their final flying lap, but do you really think that NH could have taken P3 like he said and do you really think that Alonso could have made a much better time when almost all of you are saing that he is driving a crap of car? I don't really think so but we are only a few hours ago to find out everybody's true pace this is a very wide track an faster car should have not much trouble overtaking here let's way and see NH and Alonso finishing in the podium.

PS: It's impossible to be an entire lap out of the racing line some time you will have to cross the racing line if you retuning to the pits, maybe was a coincidence that NH and FA got behind them at the point there were crossing the racing line, I don't think they did it on purpuose so why punishing them with five grid places? anyway the race would be more interesting now and should be easier for Ferrari.

[Schumikonen 2]

fair enough really - if you're on the racing line and not on a flyer, then get of it - simple as that

(should I remind people of my impartiality since I haven't been here in the off season)

would love to see a rain-drenched race tomoz - (especially if it starts dry).

would also like to see alonso put the brakes on in front of hamilton into the first corner - both into gravel and out of race. fisticuffs (always funny when they're wearing helmets) would be nice - although its probably too early in the season for it too boil over to that extent.

kimi for the win. massa 2nd, kovi for 3rd thus making championship 10,10,10 for kimi, kovi and ham.

alternative prediction...

trulli, kubica, glock, sato - i can dream can't i?

That would be so funny

[Quiet One 15]

Well I must say to you that they were not the only ones doing so even Ferrari was doing that but you Alonso's problems with Macca, I found wierd too that all thoses cars were cruising when the time was still running and the rest were on their final flying lap, but do you really think that NH could have taken P3 like he said and do you really think that Alonso could have made a much better time when almost all of you are saing that he is driving a crap of car? I don't really think so but we are only a few hours ago to find out everybody's true pace this is a very wide track an faster car should have not much trouble overtaking here let's way and see NH and Alonso finishing in the podium.

Mr.Schumikonen, you are out of shape. You used to make a more sense in your old days.

What in heck the actual outcome of Nick or Nando's lap has to do with the penalty? Maccas were wrong and they were penalized. Even if they impeded Piquet's most disastrous lap ever they would have to be penalized. Neither Nick nor Nando need to prove that their lap would have been the best lap ever to make the Maccas guilty.

It's a simple concept, really.

And, if you read every post carefully, you will notice that nobody, and I mean NOBODY here claimed that the Macca's ruined Nando's chance of a podium or anything like that.

Where's the guy that started the (in)famous "Be scared, be really really scared" or something like that?

[AleHop 0]

Well I must say to you that they were not the only ones doing so even Ferrari was doing that but you Alonso's problems with Macca, I found wierd too that all thoses cars were cruising when the time was still running and the rest were on their final flying lap, but do you really think that NH could have taken P3 like he said and do you really think that Alonso could have made a much better time when almost all of you are saing that he is driving a crap of car? I don't really think so but we are only a few hours ago to find out everybody's true pace this is a very wide track an faster car should have not much trouble overtaking here let's way and see NH and Alonso finishing in the podium.

Why don't you stop mixing everything all the time.

[Schumikonen 2]

Mr.Schumikonen, you are out of shape. You used to make a more sense in your old days.

What in heck the actual outcome of Nick or Nando's lap has to do with the penalty? Maccas were wrong and they were penalized. Even if they impeded Piquet's most disastrous lap ever they would have to be penalized. Neither Nick nor Nando need to prove that their lap would have been the best lap ever to make the Maccas guilty.

It's a simple concept, really.

And, if you read every post carefully, you will notice that nobody, and I mean NOBODY here claimed that the Macca's ruined Nando's chance of a podium or anything like that.

Where's the guy that started the (in)famous "Be scared, be really really scared" or something like that?

Well if you read the news carefully you will find out that NH said that he would take P3 if not for Mclaren slow pace and Alonso said that could have taken a better position (which I doubt given what he has shown so far) and that is what I mean, not that anybody here said that their chances ofr podium are ruinned. Read there are some info not posted here.

[Schumikonen 2]

Why don't you stop mixing everything all the time.

What am I mixing here?

[Schumikonen 2]

Members of the McLaren team on Saturday evening accepted the stewards' penalties, but insist that the five place demotions were not entirely justified.

"I was pretty much out of the way," Lewis Hamilton said at Sepang, where it has been raining almost non-stop since the end of qualifying.

The stewards found that the 23-year-old Briton impeded Nick Heidfeld, while teammate Heikki Kovalainen was pinged for holding up Fernando Alonso.

Statements from race control accused the pair of "travelling at a very slow speed on the racing line."

Referring to Heidfeld, Hamilton said: "If I held him up then I apologise for that."

McLaren F1 CEO Martin Whitmarsh confirmed to reporters in Malaysia that the team will not appeal the verdict, but he thinks his drivers tried to get out of the way of the speeding cars.

"If you look at the footage, our guys squeezed in as much as they could," he said, only acknowledging that the slow moving cars would have been a 'visual' distraction to Heidfeld and Alonso.

Video footage of the incident shows both McLaren drivers on the racing line as Heidfeld passes them. After Heidfeld passes Hamilton, the Briton pulls off the racing line.

McLaren added in a written statement: "We accept the stewards' decision but would like to add that neither Lewis nor Heikki impaired any of their competitors deliberately."

Heidfeld disagreed that the McLarens did not deserve to be punished.

"If they did the best that they could do, they didn't do very well," the BMW Sauber driver said.

http://www.totalf1.com/fullstory/view/2503...epts_penalties/

I think this is pretty much like what I am saying about this case.

[Schumikonen 2]

Heidfeld happy with stewards' decision

Saturday 22nd March 2008

Nick Heidfeld has, unsurprisingly, welcomed the stewards' decision to penalise Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen five grid places for impeding him during qualifying for the Malaysian GP.

The McLaren duo were adjudged to have 'travelled at a very slow speed on the racing line' and will now start the race from eighth and ninth.

Asked if he was happy with the ruling, Heidfeld told Autosport: "Yeah, of course. I gain two position - it is better than seventh.

"I felt that I was hampered on my fast lap and obviously the stewards felt the same way. I was impeded and I lost laptime, so did Fernando."

For their part, McLaren have accepted the decision, although they remain adamant that neither driver deliberately impeded with Alonso or Heidfeld.

"If you look at the footage, our guys squeezed in as much as they could and slowed and we don't think they impaired Nick," commented CEO Martin Whitmarsh.

"I can understand his view that having all of those cars around when you're trying to concentrate on a quick lap isn't ideal.

"We accept the stewards' decisions, but would like to add that neither Lewis nor Heikki impeded any of their competitors deliberately. It was an unfortunate incident, nothing more, nothing less. We look forward to tomorrow's race."

http://www.totalf1.com/fullstory/view/2503...wards_decision/

That's what they wanted in the end, gain off track what they could not do on track, NH said it so I was right.

[Schumikonen 2]

Mr.Schumikonen, you are out of shape. You used to make a more sense in your old days.

Where's the guy that started the (in)famous "Be scared, be really really scared" or something like that?

Don't worry like Kimi, that Schumikonen will come back too.

[maure 1]

Well I must say to you that they were not the only ones doing so even Ferrari was doing that but you Alonso's problems with Macca, I found wierd too that all thoses cars were cruising when the time was still running and the rest were on their final flying lap, but do you really think that NH could have taken P3 like he said and do you really think that Alonso could have made a much better time when almost all of you are saing that he is driving a crap of car? I don't really think so but we are only a few hours ago to find out everybody's true pace this is a very wide track an faster car should have not much trouble overtaking here let's way and see NH and Alonso finishing in the podium.

PS: It's impossible to be an entire lap out of the racing line some time you will have to cross the racing line if you retuning to the pits, maybe was a coincidence that NH and FA got behind them at the point there were crossing the racing line, I don't think they did it on purpuose so why punishing them with five grid places? anyway the race would be more interesting now and should be easier for Ferrari.

I completely agree with you. I saw NH swerving around and it was evindently unnecessary and its only objective was to create the illusion of wrongdoing. Hamilton was 100% innocent and unjustifiably penalized. Heikki was collateral damage, the object of the conspiracy was Hamilton, of course. Alonso and NH planned the whole thing months in advance, right when Alonso was single-handedly spying on Ferrari to pin it on the most honest man in F1 history, RD (Murray has all the details).

Anyway, I am as shocked as you are by these developments. When I heard that FIA was penalizing Hamilton, I could simply not believe it... it is unheard of.

[Schumikonen 2]

Don't agree that at least NH didn't lost that much time as he said? look at it here and judge by yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otac0zh0FGw

[Max Mosley 2]

I think Hamilton didn't impede Alonso (or at least tried not to do so) because he moved off the racing line but Kovalainen was driving like a Taxi (always impeding other drivers). Jeeeeez!

Hamilton probably did impede Heidfeld though.

I've never liked Alonso but he is correct in what he is saying about the mclarens and he isnt complaining, just responding to a journo's question

Yeah it seems fair enough. I do wonder if this will change anyone's opinions about the FIA favouring Hamilton...

[the ferret 0]

What a load of crap, the rules were broken and quite rightly they both have been penalised. It will be interesting off the line tomorrow with Alonso in front of LH, I can see there being tears as Nando has not forgotten last year

[Kay 0]

Glad they were penalised and they should have been more so. One wrong move or wrong judgment and there would have been a horrible crash.

A rookie gets ten places for an incident where previously a penalty has been overturned. This incident was more dangerous and more avoidable.

Heidfeld may have exaggerated, but most drivers do after an incident like this and if I remember correctly the gap to the next position was so minimal just a tiny adjustment to avoid them would have lost him a place.

They penalised Glock for blocking Webber, when Webber said he didn't have a clue where Glock was considered to block him and as above a rookie harshly, so this always had to come out with a penalty too.

I don't see why there is an uproar about it; Mclaren have accepted the penalty.