I think the whole "Alonso tried to get Hamilton's car sabotaged" angle, where he suggests that Alonso tried to get Dennis to short fuel Hamilton's car so it would run out of fuel, is incredibly stupid - did Bower completely forget that refueling was allowed in 2007? Hamilton's car would NOT have run out of fuel, even if it was "short-fueled". What could likely have happened is that McLaren allocated preferential choice of fuel stop strategy to the drivers on an alternating basis, and if it was Hamilton's turn to get the preferred fuel stop choice, Alonso may have demanded that he get the choice of preferred fuel stop as would be befitting of a #1 driver. That's hardly the same thing as "trying to get his teammate's car sabotaged" to run out of fuel. . Serious credibility loss for the book, IMHO.
Agreed, the media is trying to spin this but I think anyone can realize it wasn't as simple as Alonso going into Ron's office and demanding that Lewis's car be sabotaged...
I have read about 300 pages so far, and the author holds back on a lot of stuff about Bernie. I have heard from the local police how he was investigated for insurance fraud when he was a car dealer, that's not mentioned, or how he was suspected once of arson after his premises caught fire. The Compton & Ecclestone fraululous bankrupcy is mentioned in the book, and how he settled with the inland revenue. Not much is said about his concubine of 17 years who lived with him when he expanded into F1; she was his inspiration for branching out of the second-hand car market and becoming a property developer. Acquiring Brabham was a strike of luck, more than a calculated move. Interesting to see how Bernie took over the role of spokeman for the manufacturers when no one wanted the job: he was the newcomer among Chapman, Tyrrell, William, McLaren, etc... I still can't understand the long animosity from Ron Dennis: Ecclestone made him rich!
lol, you use sitzfleisch in english? great. i only knew of kindergarten, rucksack, blitzkrieg, gesundheit, schadenfreude, doppelgänger, fahrvergnügen... now that i think about it, i know of a lot of german loan words.
Just finished the book "No Angel". I am a bit dissapointed; there are no major revelations. Most of the stuff is already public knowledge, and in fact there are far more juicy stories circulating in Bexleyheath where Bernie started than in the book! The book is mostly a chronicle of the internal fight with F1 between the FIA and FOCA, then FOTA and the teams, CVC and the teams, etc... with Bernie always ending up in top and defeating rival bids, alternative series, rebellion in the ranks, Montezemola, etc... Long friendships that get betrayed - Ecclestone and Williams - or Ecclestone and Briatore, even Ecclestone and Mosley, or long standing feuds like Ecclestone versus Dennis, or Ecclestone versus Jackie Stewart, are also part of the story. The author was under instruction to keep Bernie's family out of the book, and apart some insight into Slavica's tantrums, the wish has been respected. Still, reading that Bernie is taken to task by his wife in public because he doesn't sleep with her, or get his hair pulled in public or his head bashed ending up with black eyes is remarkable!! In front of royalties, Slavica call her man a 'dwarf', or 'Mother****er' after a drink !!! Priceless ...
I am about halfway through the book - so far, i like it. I think it gives good insight into Bernie and his attitude, motivations, etc. It did mention the fire at his dealership and provided some insight into how it happened. I am surprised Bernie didn't give his approval of the book, I don't think it makes him look bad at all. Maybe he looks quite weak in relation to the women in his life, or perhaps a bit cold, and Slavica's b*tch, but other than that, he seems pretty shrewd.
Today, I have started reading "Bernie" by Susan Watkings. It gives a lot more infos about Ecclestone running the Brabham team. It's a very sanitized bio, so nothing too juicy; the Watkings are friends with Bernie.
Interesting review of the book here: http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_feature_item.php?fes_art_id=43093
