Ferrari admit they 'expected' more from Alonso.

Fernando Alonso was the 'negative surprise' of the French Grand Prix at Magny-Cours, Ferrari F1 test driver Marc Gené asserts, as a member of the double world champion's own team Renault questions his commitment.

Ferrari test driver Marc Gené has revealed that the Scuderia had 'expected much more' from Fernando Alonso during the French Grand Prix last weekend - as a member of the Spaniard's own team has suggested he is perhaps not giving 100 per cent.

Alonso qualified a brilliant third at Magny-Cours, Renault's home race, but following a poor start produced indifferent form throughout the grand prix itself, with only the eighth-fastest lap time to his name. Worse still, a late error when the 26-year-old ran wide at the Adelaide hairpin enabled under-fire team-mate Nelsinho Piquet to nip by and steal seventh place, relegating Alonso to a lowly eighth spot at the chequered flag.

Countryman Gené - a test driver for Ferrari - wrote in his column for Spanish newspaper El Mundo that the former double world champion's Sunday showing had been the 'negative surprise' of the race around the Circuit de Nevers, where Alonso had triumphed back in 2005 en route to the first of his two, back-to-back world championship crowns with the Régie. The 19-time grand prix winner has on a number of occasions been linked with a move to Maranello in 2009.

"We expected much more from him," Gené reflected. "Even at Ferrari we thought he was going to be our competitor."

Alonso himself reasoned that Renault cannot expect to finish up on the podium in its current situation, with the Enstone-based outfit having notched up a paltry twelve points from the opening eight grands prix of the present campaign, fewer than half of the 28 it had tallied at the same stage last year.

"On Saturday and before the race we were optimistic," the man from Oviedo mused afterwards, talking to Telecinco, "but we need to be realistic.

"We are really only fighting in the middle of the grid; if you are slow and you can't get into a rhythm, your strategy doesn't matter."

Meanwhile, there have been suggestions within Renault that perhaps the team's number one driver is not as fully committed to the cause as he might be, with mutual disenchantment rumoured to be setting in on both sides.

German newspaper FAZ quotes one engineer as saying: "Fernando thinks only about Fernando. [In Canada] he wasn't even at the after-race briefing."

Those claims, however, received short shrift from the French concern's executive director of engineering Pat Symonds, who urged: "The bottom line is that we are the best choice for him. If he would drive with us out of this crisis, he would be a hero."
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Hmmmmm what a shock. Now he's unhappy in a mid-field team. Geee who didn't see this coming? I bet Renault feels great about their $46 million investment.

 

I've never been an Alonso fan, but after watching him drive at Montreal he really amazed me with his smoothness and ability to drive. I'll never count him out, and he can turn a bad car into a winning combination. Remember what happen last year when Hamiltons team was copying his car setups. Then after Alonso put a stop to it Hamilton began to fail. Even though I may not Like Alonso he is the total package with the right car.

 

alonso looked like he was really killing the car and himself to make the best of the situation, france if anything might just have been an anomaly. who wouldn't be unhappy with an inferior car i hate alonso as much as the rest but in this situation his dissatisfaction seems justified. at least he has kept it private unlike last year.

 

I think Ferrari should shut up and expect from their drivers only. Do they know how the Renault drives ? No.

 

Alonso is a great driver. Absolutely no question. But it sure seems like his motivation is usually based on his personal success. That's why it would difficult to imagine Alonso being happy at Ferrari unless he was the definitive #1.

I can not imagine Ferrari being happy with Alonso if they have to settle for a #2 that would not also be able to lead in the WDC to pacify Alonso.

Alonso and Raikkonen? 99% unlikely unless drugs are involved.

Alonso and Massa? If Massa wins the WDC this year, this becomes even more unlikely, I give it a 75% chance. If this were to happen, you will see Massa drive Alonso off the track if necessary. I mean literally. Massa has big balls, he just has learned to control them. Maybe too much.

Alonso and Vettel at Ferrari? This could happen. If Massa wins the WDC and Kimi retires, Massa will not stay at Ferrari to be a #2 to Alonso. Vettel will have to act like a #2

Raikkonen and Massa? If Massa wins the 2008 WDC, and Kimi does not retire, I see this combination going through the end of 2010. They get along, understand each other's humor. Consider, last year when Hamilton was leading the WDC, Alonso had a fit. Now Massa is leading, Kimi will not have a tantrum, he will either be motivated or just let the WDC go. Massa did not throw a fit when he had to give up winning his home Grand Prix so Kimi could have the 2007 WDC. They work as a team. Can you imagine Alonso doing that for anyone?

That is why the Kimi/Felipe combination is the best for a team manger, and the Scuderia. Teamwork.

 

Is it possible that Alonso went wide on purpose so Piquet could pass him? That way he won't get fired, and be replaced by a driver that is a threat to Alonso's position.

 

The day Alonso drives for Ferrari is the day I stop rooting for the Scuderia, at least until he is gone. A cheater and general PITA will not make it in Italy.

He is such a d**sche, I can barely stand to look at him. Petty, whiney, and not very strong mentally IMHO. When he is on his game he is a very good driver, perhaps the best. But his big failing is his inability to rally the troops behind him. People just doing their job professionally will keep you in the game, but people passionate about seeing their driver and team win is what give you championships.

His reputation over the spygate scandal has been permanently damaged. As if many people needed another reason to dislike him. Go drive BMW so Kubica can have the Ferrari spot.

 

You have to remember that Delarosa was testing the Ferrari specs and passing them on to alonso. It didnt have a lot to do with alonso/

 

are you defending Alonso Franco ??

 

I'd like to see Massa Kubica.

 

I think it was pretty clear from the De La Rosa/Alonso e-mails in the The World Motor Sport Council's ruling hat it had very much to do with Alonso. The same appears true with respect to Alonso's alleged threat to tell the FIA about his own involvement in the use of Ferrari information unless Ron Dennis slowed Hamilton down. It was a new variant of blackmailing - do what I want, or I will tell the authorities about my own wrongdoing.

 

He is a bit off for one race and he's not motivated or giving 100 percent? Wow, even Senna got beaten by Berger once in a while. This story is BS.

 

No matter what is going on around him he should be doing 100% for them all the time.
He blows..

 

Relax. The commentary of Gené in that newspaper wasn´t intended to be negative or offensive for Alonso. It was later refunded with another stuff by another journalist just to stir the sh*it.

 

actually, Alonso's performance this season is really good, IMO. he seems to have shut his mouth and let the driving do the talking. it's just too bad renault gave him a crap car. i however, would like to see him stay, and see if he can pull a Schumacher and transform the Renault team into what they were once 2-3 years ago.

however, i just hope they won't replace the current Scuderia line up. there's no reason to replace the current lineup, unless of cos, Kimster retires at the end of next season.

 

NOOOO!

 

He hasnt really shut his mouth. In the last week he has twice said that the car will never be fast enough to get a podium this year. He said that they should scrap the development of the R28 and work on next years. Thats always nice for a Renault fan to hear...giving up the ghost with 10 or more races left. Here is another .......

The German newspaper FAZ reports that Alonso is growing impatient with Renault, and that the feeling may also be mutual by many inside the French squad's pits.

One engineer is quoted as saying: "Fernando thinks only about Fernando. (In Canada) he wasn't even at the after-race briefing."

Engineering chief Pat Symonds, however, insists that Alonso is wanted: "The bottom line is that we are the best choice for him."

"If he would drive with us out of this crisis, he would be a hero," the Briton added.

© CAPSIS International
Source: GMM

 

So what he says the car is crap. It's not like it's not true.

 

I guess that you just don’t understand what really goes on in the circles of the F1 business. He doesn’t find the time to go to the after race briefing but he can meet with the media and slam his car which is the same as slamming your team. Imagine the sponsors and what they are thinking now? Alonso is simply arrogant and stupid. For anyone(Tifoso) to want this imbecile to come to Ferrari is beyond comprehension.

 

Ding Ding Ding;
We have a winner !

The day Junior passes Alonso in a fair fight is the day the world ends.

 

And I guess you believe everything you read. I understand the business of F1 just fine, I wonder if you do..

 

Alonso? Let his teammate by? Have you guys ever even heard of Fernando Alonso? This is the same guy that HATES to be beaten by a teammate and he'll let Piquet by? BS. If you looked at Alonso's Renault, it seemed to be oversteering badly most of the race. The rain made it worse and Piquet who was finally having a decent race got by. Like I said before, even Berger beat Senna at McLaren from time to time.

 

Luis, I think they were having a laugh,..

 

Or out whinges the ex champ

 

Not so.
I really believe the only way FA would be passed by Junior is ( as was implied by RobertC ) that Alonso purposely let him through to retain Jr's job and thus pose no threat of a more talented driver taking his place ( tell me Alonso doesn't think like this ) or if the car was crippled per Rcr3317.

Just like he wanted to make his pal Sato look good ( Now that was kidding )