Ferrari test driver Marc Gene believes that Fernando Alonso may be sandbagging in testing.
Sandbagging is when a team or driver deliberately conceals the full pace that they have, leading to slower lap times. Sandbagging is often done to mislead onlookers and rival teams about the true pace of the car or driver.
Gene believes that Renault may be quicker than their testing times suggest. “Although they have not been the best in testing, they knew since April of last year that their car was not working well enough, and they started then working for 2008,†he explained. “It is possible that we are witnessing a wolf in sheep’s clothing and that Fernando will be at the front again,”
It is not the first time that Renault have been thought to be sandbagging just before the start of the 2007 season, many believed that Renault had yet to show their true pace in testing. However, it appeared that at the time, Renault were not sandbagging as they failed to challenge the top teams on race weekends as expected.
