More likely, Alonso got to keep his job because of information he provided. Unless Alonso did the stealing, read the docs and went to the cars to make the changes, all he did was know about it. And you can't bet your butt if I was in that position, I'd be the first one to tell the truth, because if you're not, you'll go down with the rest of the sinking ship.
Also to break his contract. He screwed McLaren and all of its employees to jump ship. Real hero material that lad. Its perfect. I hope he is being paid on performance.
There's no maybe, allegedly, or mystery about what Alonso knew or said in 2007 - it's written out in the FIA transcripts from the McLaren hearings, from the testimony of all involved. Alonso knew about the Ferrari double agent Stepney, and participated in soliciting info from Stepney - the emails from McLaren proved that as fact. Alonso was complicit in using illegal Ferrari data. McLaren's test driver, Pedro de la Rosa, was equally involved and complicit. Hamilton was not complicit and did not know of the Ferrari data or source. Fact, from the FIA hearing reports. Alonso initially denied knowledge of Ferrari information in McLaren (in the earlier initial investigation after Coughlan's copy shop fiasco), but the later timelines proved that he was lying. At the Hungary GP, Alonso threatened to Dennis that he would reveal to the FIA about the Ferrari info and source if Ron didn't make him #1 driver. As a result of that threat, Ron subsequently called the FIA to inform them of the greater penetration of Ferrari info within McLaren, not Alonso. The FIA investigated McLaren further, and recovered all the emails related to Ferrari information, including Alonso's and Pedro DLR's. The FIA called Alonso and PDLR to testify at the McLaren hearing, and offered them immunity if they told the truth and corroborated their known involvement with the Ferrari data. They didn't volunteer anything, they were summoned (and offered the plea bargain for cooperation). The FIA never called Hamilton, because they already knew that he wasn't aware of or involved with the Ferrari data. There was absolutely nothing altruistic about Alonso providing evidence or testimony - he was offered the immunity deal by the FIA so that they could nail Ron Dennis, they didn't care about the drivers. They don't call him Teflonso for nothing! If he had been at risk of censure in the Renault crash gate scandal, I'd have bet that he would have taken an immunity for testimony deal there also and admitted his knowledge of the Lap 11 crash plan.
Interesting....thanks. But was it to make him number 1 driver or was it because he was meant to be number 1 and wasn't being treated as such, with preferential treatment being given to Hamilton, as was quite evident.
You say quite evident, others say evidently equal. When did McLaren ever give a driver #1? Surely Lauda, Prost, Senna, Hakkinen, all would have liked to be declared #1 driver... but McLaren never did explicitly. If they got an advantage over a team mate, it was earned by performance and not by pit stop or qualifying preference from the team. I've never heard that Alonso had any contractual declaration to be #1 for 2007, just that Alonso says he was made promises that he would be #1. Maybe that's what he heard, but not what Ron said (ie expectations, assumptions, misunderstandings). In 2007, I recall it being stated that there was no #1, and that the drivers would alternate getting preferred qualifying positioning or pit sequencing (ie, for one race Alonso would make his qualifying runs first, next race Hamilton would make his qualifying runs first). In Hungary, that was what spurred Alonso's tantrum - Hamilton had gone out of the agreed sequence, pissed off Alonso so much that Alonso delayed leaving his tire change for the last run just enough to back Hamilton up so he wouldn't be able to make his last run. That's IIRC.
General: here in the forum there is always a lot of talk about No.1 status by contract or by preferred treatment. Most of the time the example Schumacher is named against Irvine and Barrichello...My question would be how often this team order really had to be taken to get Schumacher in front? I do not recall many races when Irvine of Barrichello had to give way to him because they were actually faster...I doubt it is much more than a handfull within the 300 races he competed in, most of the time he was in front of his team mate right from free practice one to the end of the weekend...So why does it always sound here like his success was only based on team orders although at least Irvine admitted that he was faster anyway. Same with Vettel: after winning his first WDC he was faster anyway than Webber and he would have even without no.1 status, RB only decided that they did not want a ***** fight like the one at Prost-Senna or now Hamilton-Rosberg... To your post: I remember that Coulthard had to drive for Hakkinen more than once to back him up against Schumacher so he was certainly helping his team mate even without being official no.2
Lewis Hamilton – the perfect Ferrari driver Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Lewis Hamilton ? the perfect Ferrari driver : GP Racing Plus
I was just a little sick in my mouth...... What a stupid article. Hope it never comes true, they couldn't have got it more wrong if they tried.
You keep saying that, but the majority seemed to think it might be ok, if he can stop being a cry baby.
+1 It wouldn't be very good for Ferrari's image, I would have thought. As a Mercedes owner, I feel agrieved that Hamilton is driving for them. He belongs to Red Bull, I think.
Love the Scuderia But they will not be able to overcome Merc over next few years Therefore Lewis will stick with Merc and retire there as well - just IMO
****!!!! comparing Nige and El pata negra to Gilles and Tazio!!!???? Elton to Gilles!!?? WTF..who is this guy? what planet is he from? I hadn't red such bull**** in many years, and trust me guys, there are a few good candidates to write such things right here in the f.1 section!!! Just when you think stupidity can't get any worse, comes along this guy and opens a brand new worls for me.....unbelievable.....
If I had the money, I would change my Ford Focus for a C-Classe Station just because of Hamilton !!! G
I'll sell it to you cheap...with Hamilton driving for merc the car value as dropped like a rock in the secondary market!!!
Hamilton is a great choice of driver if you are trying to appeal to gen-y and millennials. Merc want to appeal to a younger audience, take some years off their image, and sell CLA and C-Class cars. Mercs customers are dying. They need young blood to revive their customer-base. Ferrari's entry-level car is targeted at the older gen-y and gen-x audience. They are the ones able to afford the entry-fee. Hence, they go with a more "mature" driver.
