500

I have to preface this with my overall view that Vettel won the world championship this year fair and square. For every "what-if" one might postulate for Alonso, another "what-if" for Vettel can be offered in counterpoint. Certainly, he suffered a lot of car problems when leading races for instance.

That said, I think Alonso actually had a good season. He had to fight back through the middle of the season from a point where he looked far from contention. Both he and Vettel were the most consistent and mistake-free drivers during the final run-in to the season's end. All the top guys made multiple mistakes this year, but Alonso and Vettel both managed to improve their focus for the finish, which was key.

Although the right guy one (i.e. the guy who earned the most points), Alonso made it a real fight. He is an excellent driver and I am sure he will be a top contender next year. His inability to pass Petrov simply means that Petrov and the Renault were good enough to keep Alonso at bay. I am sure Alonso must have been trying like crazy, he just was not able to do it, pure and simple.

RajDatta

That sounds very real. Thanks for your fair assesment.

RajDatta

I guess trying to gell into a new team, on top Ferrari has no pressure? He pushed hard when the results weren't there. The car wasn't up to snuff and he had to push over the limit. Same thing happened to Hammy later in the yr, when his car was not as competive, and he threw away a few races, trying too hard.
He did as good a job as anyone can expect in a car that was the 3rd best car, most of the year. He won 5 races, which in anyone's eyes should be considered pretty good (ok, 4 wins, if you take away germany).
You guys just like to dump on him because it's Alonso. Vettel made more mistakes but had the faster car and he put in some excellent performances towards the end. They all made mistakes. To say Alonso made too many mistakes is being biased.

Larry Herman

He made too many mistakes to win. So did Webber. I don't think that there is any bias in that statement. That's why Vettel was close enough at the end to win it all.

M758

Alonso had to pass multiple drivers to win the WDC. Petrov was just one. He could have won over some emtionally by making passes on people and still coming up short. I think he needed to pass 3 cars and passed zero. I would have been great to watch him pass 2 of the 3 and then maybe not pull off the last one. At least then you could save Alonso drove his best, but came up short.

Now it looks like he was held up by a rookie in a french donkey cart. Not becoming of a true multi time WDC

Flying Finn

How?
So you think he didn't make too many mistakes to win?
Just take mistake away and he's a WDC. I don't see how that's biased.

Exactly. Petrov was just the 1st step. Had it been the only step, I could understand "playing safe" and maybe waiting something to happen to Petrov and then going for it in last couple of laps but since in order to win (WDC), Alonso needed to pass Rosberg & Kubica too, there was no option but to go "***** to the wall" which he didn't do at all.

I was surprised and disappointed with that.

ltc

Of course, another possibility was that Alonso simply "gave up", knowing his team had made a mistake that cost him the WDC. There wasn't going to be a "Timo Glock" moment for him in this race as there was for Hamilton a few years back.

I agree, his drive behind Petrov was less than inspired, especially from someone with a reputation for being able to force a mistake and make a pass, and given the risk/reward payout.

Personally (Raj, now would be a good time to take a pill), I think Alonso is emotionally fragile and situations like this bear out that supposition.

ltc

Ferrari’s much-talked-about strategy error in Abu Dhabi, which saw Fernando Alonso trapped in traffic he could not find a way past, arguably cost the two-time world champion a third title this year. It was second-rate ending to a first-rate comeback. From victory at 2010’s Bahrain opener, to his mid-season lows, to overhauling an incredible 47-point deficit to arrive at Yas Marina as title favourite, it’s been quite a year for the Spaniard.

He’d started the season, his first with Ferrari, particularly hungry for success. Two years in relatively uncompetitive machinery at Renault had reaped very little reward and he was raring to go in what was widely expected to be a championship-contending car. The Italian team were just as determined to make 2010 count, after a miserable 2009, and the F10 looked menacing in pre-season testing.

But then so did Red Bull’s RB6, and at the Bahrain season-opener Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber’s lightning pace threatened to upset Alonso’s plans. But two technical issues for the Milton Keynes squad meant their qualifying speed came to nought and it was the Spaniard who grabbed victory. It was the perfect start to his Ferrari career, to his assault on the championship, and to his out-psyching of new team mate Felipe Massa.

However, it was only a matter of time before Red Bull would fulfil their winning promise, and fulfil it they did, ultimately winning nine Grands Prix. But, at the start of the season at least, whenever the RB6 lost its way, it seemed to be the F-duct-charged McLaren that picked up the pieces. Ferrari, meanwhile, floundered over the first seven rounds, with Alonso only securing very occasional podiums as McLaren and Red Bull divvied up the lion’s share of the points.

For Alonso, it was maddening, and an unluckily timed safety car at June’s European Grand Prix saw his frustrations finally boil over. Rather than dwell on misfortune, in true champion’s style he aimed to convert anger into success at the next race in Britain, but it wasn’t to be as his 14th place at Silverstone took him to even deeper depths. It was at this point that many began to question whether he’d be better refocusing on 2011.

Alonso, however, had other ideas, and at the next round in Germany he took victory in the most controversial manner possible, when team mate Felipe Massa let him through into P1. It was far from glorious, and there’s no doubt the subsequent mudslinging and Ferrari’s FIA’s fine tarnished his victory, but in one swift move Alonso had revitalised his championship hopes. Ruthlessness has always been part and parcel of world champions, and Alonso worked hard to make amends over subsequent races.

Although a DNF in Belgium - his only one of the season - appeared to scupper things once again, brilliant victories in Italy, Singapore and Korea saw him take the lead in the championship for the first time since March. It was a relentless resurgence, and at this point none of the other four contenders could match the Alonso’s combination of pace and consistency.

In Brazil Red Bull were back on fine form, taking a one-two victory and the constructors’ title. Alonso, however, was still right in the mix, with third place maintaining his lead in the drivers’ standings. And he seemed happy enough to pick up the scraps left behind by the rampant Red Bulls. A cynical approach maybe, but when he was still leading by eight points as he journeyed to the finale in Abu Dhabi it was a logical - and understandable - one to take.

But then at Yas Marina the dream fell apart. Third on the grid may have been better than his biggest rival Webber could muster, but losing a place at the start to McLaren’s Jenson Button and then being dumped into insurmountable traffic (led by Renault’s Vitaly Petrov) after a poorly-timed pit stop saw his title hopes hit the skids. Perhaps he had assumed it was in the bag. Either way, the sheer frustration on display as he harangued Petrov on the slow-down lap showed just how much a third title meant.

The failure was a bitter pill to swallow, even if its root cause did lie more in the team’s strategy than Alonso’s driving skills. If he was guilty of anything it was overconfidence - hardly a flaw for a Formula One driver at the top of his game. And there are plenty of positives in his 2010 campaign. Having been ruled out after just a few months, he never gave up and for that alone he should be praised. Vettel may have charged to glory, but he still managed to finish ahead of Webber, despite this being very much Red Bull’s season.

If anything his formidable talent has been even more obvious this season than it was when he took his two titles for Renault. They came in relatively dominant style in relatively dominant cars - or at least cars that won their teams the constructors’ championship. This year in a Ferrari only good enough for third in the team table, his formidable talent almost brought him what could have been considered the best of his three titles.

Even in the darkest days of his 2010 season, Alonso kept the faith and aggressively pursued a third championship. His focus never wavered once and though in the end Vettel won out, that he came so close to uprooting both Red Bull drivers is testament to the determination and single mindedness that has marked him out as arguably the greatest driver of his generation. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with again in 2011 - of that you can be sure.

500

I'd say that is a pretty good summary that certainly points out the positives. I'm not sure Ferrari was really only the third best car. I think McLaren had a stronger driver pairing (in terms of both drivers winning races).

Massa was not at the level of Alonso this year. Some might argue that was even more the case after Germany, but I'm not sure. However, Alonso was the driver who produced for Ferrari. I think Massa's future is on the block this coming season. If he does not raise his game, then I think Ferrari will look for a stronger second driver. The factors at play here are Massa's motivation, and the lingering effects (if any) of his 2009 accident.

multi21

Massa will get 1 more year. If he doesn't close the gap to ALonso, he's gone.

Red Bull have already said this week they would like to keep Vettel long term, but would not stand in his way if he wanted to move on to another team after his contract is up.

Should Massa not perform, I can see Kubica in the other seat short term and Vettel in the long term.

chris walrod

I was curious about this as well. In Champ car typical crew prize money is .5-.75% of winnings.

ltc

I am still trying to find out if Dietrich bought Newey his own Pacific island...something he once jokingly mentioned after bringing Newey out of retirement.
IIRC, Newey is an avid scuba enthusiast.

George from MD

"brilliant victories". "focus never wavered once" "in one swift move Alonso had revitalised his championship hopes" "rather than dwell on misfortune, in true champion’s style he aimed to convert anger into success at the next race" "Alonso worked hard to make amends" "relentless resurgence"

Who wrote this, his agent?? It's puffier than the Pillsbury dough boy.

paradisenb

^^^^+1000. Speech at The Biggest Loser's pep rally.

World class spin doctor. Makes a US politician jealous.


Edit: Paging Raj.... one....two...three. J/K Raj.

RajDatta

Sorry to disappoint you Randy, but no more entertainment for you gals!
Funny to see who is spinning what. Ms Positive throws a bomb and then her little gf's come in to tease,