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#21695
This seems interesting. Someone on this forum said that it takes 2 to Tango when talking about the Alonso/Dennis relationship. I totally agree with it and this might prove that after all Alonso wasn't the only bad guy. Of course, the way he blackmailed his team was totally wrong. But he must have been pushed to behave that way.

DC sympathises with Alonso's McLaren plight.

Tue 30 Oct, 10:34 AM

David Coulthard has waded into the increasingly bitter row between Fernando Alonso and Ron Dennis, suggesting the McLaren team boss always favours one of the two drivers within his team to the detriment of the other.

The Scot - who drove for the Woking-based outfit for nine years from 1996 until 2004 - compared the situation between Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in 2007 to that which he himself experienced when paired up with Mika Hakkinen between 1996 and 2001.

In his recently-released autobiography, It Is What It Is, the Red Bull Racing ace echoes Alonso's sentiments that his 'hands and feet were tied', as the Spaniard claimed to Spanish radio station Cadena SER's El Larguero earlier this month in the wake of Dennis' post-China claim that 'We weren't racing Kimi (Raikkonen), we were basically racing Fernando'.

"Dennis always has a favourite," the book reads. "The first indication of favouritism towards Mika came in Melbourne in 1996. My race engineer and Mika were discussing strategy for the race, and I was also in the conversation.

"At a certain moment the door opened and Ron Dennis came in. I got up to shake his hand, but Ron ignored me. Instead, he sat down next to Mika and said 'what's your plan for the race, boys?'

"Everyone listened to Mika's plan and Ron said 'that's fine, and that are they going to do?' My team boss referred to me as if he was talking about someone from a rival team."
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By scotty
#21698
If something like that happened to me (the incident DC describes) i would also, predictably, be very confused as to why the team boss is acting like that when he supposedly promotes complete equality between team mates.

That would make Ron Dennis somewhat hypocritical, no?

Also, you have to consider that he probably wrote that before the events of the end of this season, and he didn't write that as a result of them.... adding weight to the argument that RD is probably like that to an extent.
User avatar
By deMuRe
#21713
I still don't understand how Ron Dennis can say McLaren doesn't have team orders, Mika was like a 2nd son to Ron, he got prefferential treatment all the way...

I think we haven't heard the full story between Ron/Alonso, if I had to put money on it I would say it's a fairly simple broad explanation. Alonso joined thinking he was going to be Ron's darling, Hamilton was quicker then anyone expected and Ron found a new darling, Alonso was thrown off guard and probably went about things the wrong way in trying to maintain his number 1 status.
By Mikep99
#21715
I think the Myth surrounding Ron Denis/ McLaren is slowly pealing off.
Also Alonso was not too happy about a rookie upstaging him, so he spat the dummy.
They both played a part in it.
User avatar
By raithrover
#21772
Aye, totally different scenarios that DC and FA found themselves in, although DC didn't do as well as he should have at McLaren and its easy to rest the blame elsewhere.

An interesting book that I didn't know existed, might get it one day.
User avatar
By McLaren Fan
#21774
Again, your all missing an important piece of information: Alonso behaved like a hermit from when he came into the team. How is he expected to bond with his mechanics and engineers, who worked bloody hard for him, if he barely speaks?
By Ron Dennis
#21781
What did you all expect DC to say? He was soundly beaten by ALL of his teams mates! Now he has an excuse - in the same way as Vettel leaped on the blame Hamilton bandwagon when given an out for his crash.
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By McLaren Fan
#21786
Coulthard says a lot of things. Sure, he is always moaning that people don't obey blue flags and make infringements on the rules and, then, in this year's Monaco Grand Prix he scythes across Kovalainen who was on a hot lap. :roll:
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By f1ea
#21788
How is he expected to bond with his mechanics and engineers, who worked bloody hard for him, if he barely speaks?


His english is not too good :wink:
User avatar
By McLaren Fan
#21790
How is he expected to bond with his mechanics and engineers, who worked bloody hard for him, if he barely speaks?


His english is not too good :wink:

Are you for real? Raikkonen got on well enough at Sauber, McLaren and now Ferrari, as have other drivers whose first language isn't English. Further, Alonso's English is not that bad.
User avatar
By Fact Man
#21876
Again, your all missing an important piece of information: Alonso behaved like a hermit from when he came into the team. How is he expected to bond with his mechanics and engineers, who worked bloody hard for him, if he barely speaks?


Well, where is your proof? You guys always try to avoid discussing the point by attacking FA (I'm not trying to defend his actions, consider me as the devil's advocat :twisted: , I question everything). How do you know that he acted like a hermit? Is your proof what Hamilton/Delarosa said. Well, why do you believe them and not him?

All the Hamilton people do is blame things on others. If it's not FA, then let's attack DC, or Webber. I mean what does DC know; he's a loser, right. Wasn't that what Michael's fans used to do :lol: . Oh, hold on, is this too controversial to discuss. I might get in trouble with the mods because someone might get offended :wink:

Again the artile refers to a trend on how RD behaves which is contrary to who he claims to be. Do I believe DC, yeh I tend to believe him more then RD because I don't think the latter is a saint nor is Hamilton. Also, I don't believe that Alonso is a saint either.

I said something during the season when Hamilton/Delarosa where saying that they tried to help Alonso feel more welcome. I'll say it again, you try to make someone feel welcome only when they don't feel welcome.
By Ron Dennis
#21882
I happen to think that DC is making an excuse for being a second rate driver.

He has spent his entire career being upstaged by his team mates in the best cars available
User avatar
By Fact Man
#21893
I happen to think that DC is making an excuse for being a second rate driver.

He has spent his entire career being upstaged by his team mates in the best cars available


I respect your point of view. But being a second rate driver doesn't necessarily mean that his opinion of RD is wrong or biased!
User avatar
By McLaren Fan
#21898

Well, where is your proof? You guys always try to avoid discussing the point by attacking FA (I'm not trying to defend his actions, consider me as the devil's advocat :twisted: , I question everything). How do you know that he acted like a hermit? Is your proof what Hamilton/Delarosa said. Well, why do you believe them and not him?

All the Hamilton people do is blame things on others. If it's not FA, then let's attack DC, or Webber. I mean what does DC know; he's a loser, right. Wasn't that what Michael's fans used to do :lol: . Oh, hold on, is this too controversial to discuss. I might get in trouble with the mods because someone might get offended :wink:

Again the artile refers to a trend on how RD behaves which is contrary to who he claims to be. Do I believe DC, yeh I tend to believe him more then RD because I don't think the latter is a saint nor is Hamilton. Also, I don't believe that Alonso is a saint either.

I said something during the season when Hamilton/Delarosa where saying that they tried to help Alonso feel more welcome. I'll say it again, you try to make someone feel welcome only when they don't feel welcome.

Well, first off I'm not a Hamilton guy. I support McLaren, but appreciate the skills of drivers, like you with a football (real football 8) ) team, the only exception being Senna.

So, did Hamilton do wrong? Certainly. Has Alonso done wrong? Absolutely. How do I know Alonso behaved like a hermit. I have none but rumours of his silence have been round from early last season from a few people at McLaren from mechanics to management. They expected him to be a little more upbeat and involved given his skill, personality and status. As for trying to make him feel welcome, it's just as valid to say that because of his silence McLaren tried to up their efforts to make him feel at home.

Coulthard being dubbed as a second-rate driver is unfair. I think he's a solid pair of hands and did a good job for McLaren. Being up against Hakkinen was always going to be tough. He was a very fast driver. He does gurn a bit though, however, I find it tough to believe that he would stay at the team for so long if he was so unhappy.
By Ron Dennis
#21912
I happen to think that DC is making an excuse for being a second rate driver.

He has spent his entire career being upstaged by his team mates in the best cars available


I respect your point of view. But being a second rate driver doesn't necessarily mean that his opinion of RD is wrong or biased!


no it doesnt - but you have to admit it is very convenient for DC to claim he was no.2 and therefore excused of not doing better than he did when at McLaren, indeed a great excuse for being upstaged by two Fins. Christ - even Damon Hill was better!

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