Very good point. Alonso's behaviour was utterly disgraceful and monstrous. No doubt Ron Dennis has up his sleeve some plan for thoroughly shafting Alonso this time around. I'm looking forward to seeing how it plays out - served cold.
I can only go on what I found out for myself. I used to work at Mclaren (pushing a broom round, nothing posh). I met Hamilton as a nipper when he was racing karts, and then again after he signed for Mclaren, and he's always been nice as pie to me. His dad strikes me as a pain in the arse though. And Ronnie D was always nice as you like on a saturday or sunday, but a 2-legged ball of fury every other day.
Kirky: Alonso was such a disaster for McLaren last time with the resulting £55 Million (I think) fine that his threat brought about. How Ron Dennis can ever work successfully with him again, seems really hard to believe. So how well did that work out? Has Alonso been shafted thoroughly enough by Dennis this season? Or is another installment due next year?
WTF have Honda been doing this year? They never get into anything if they aren't going to be competitive - but this year has been an utter disaster ! Whilst it's thoroughly amusing seeing McLaren at the back of the grid, I do feel some sympathy for Alonso and Button - it's got to be demoralising knowing that the car is utter sh*te and isn't going to get better. Two world champions deserve better than that. Hopefully next year will be better (yes, I know I said that last year...).
You have to understand the F1 constructor rules (which I don't) which restrict the amount of testing Honda as a new team were permitted to do. Overly simplified, a new team is severely restricted in what engine parts they can develop and fit which has been a major contribution to their uncompetitiveness. Heaven forbid that a new team should make monkies of the senior teams in their first year. This is also the reason why the Newman Hass tie up with Ferrari is causing such consternation. Andy
So have you forgotten about the way Alonso royally shafted McLaren (and especially Ron Dennis) in 2007? Ron D has a long memory, and what goes around comes around ... In the light of how he behaved, I don't think Alonso does deserve better.
True but still prevented from developing the engine because of the current rules. In my book the lack of performance by comparison to the established engines is not all Honda's fault. Andy
Fair enough... But I still expected better from Honda - they really don't like losing, and generally don't play if they don't think they'll win.
I'll have to agree to disagree on that one. Ron D and McLaren don't exactly have a great reputation for treating drivers well. The back row of the grid is no place for an ex world champion, no matter who he upset...
Alonso secretly tried to blackmail McLaren (his own team!) into giving him more favourable treatment by threatening to reveal secret info about rule-bending team tactics . Ron Dennis refused to be blackmailed, so he immediately revealed the info himself and took the punishment. Alonso departed McLaren prematurely at the end of 2007 on extremely bad terms.
Well my theory is that Ron Dennis has been waiting for 8 years for an opportunity to screw Alonso. His chance came in 2015. Revenge is a dish best served cold, as the cliché has it. Alonso has finished 17th with 11 points.
So Ron knew that the car was going to be way down on power, lured Alonso away from Ferrari at how many millions per year and sat back and smiled to himself when the McLarens were at the back of the grid ? He must have been pretty upset in 2007.
Not exactly. Ron Dennis would much rather have been at the front of the grid winning GPs. But if they were going to be at the back, there is no-one Ron would rather have in the car than Alonso. And he was very upset indeed in 2007.
