My993C2

Why would Button let down his guard? He has been racing in F1 for over a decade now.

multi21

Sorry 26 "Ferrari" or better yet Gianni not Enzo. And as a Ferrari fan all my life Ive never heard a driver for SF or even a club racer ever say this. There were 2 laps to go --- 7 miles!! Go tell it to Button in Canada when he forced Vettel into a mistake on the laps lap and won the race!!!

You can take Alonso and his ***** attitude all u want and make excuses for him but the highest paid driver on grid should F'ing earn his pay with some sort of effort until the very end. Ridiculous

My993C2

In a post race interview Alonso said he had pushed his car hard in the last stint to close the gap between himself and the leaders. By the time he caught up to Button, he had little left in his tires and possibly in himself to pass Jenson (catching someone is one thing, passing them is another). For this I can believe the Spaniard. Of course he should have just kept his mouth shut even if he knew he could not pass Button. I know the BBC said "it may be a ploy to try to get Button to let his guard down" and maybe this is why some fans are saying this. Alonso knows his ride at Ferrari is safe for now, so I suspect he was just slagging his team in a similar manner to how Hamilton has slagged McLaren.

Of the six drivers in the three top teams there is only one guy with a smile on his face. Everyone else is rather disappointed with how their 2011 season has gone. Button is a happy go lucky guy on most days, but there was no hiding his disappointment in his post race interview this weekend. Button even admitted that this Korean track is hard on him. Is it a coincidence that some of the younger drivers drove well this weekend while the more seasoned drivers didn't have the best weekend? Maybe? Maybe not? Sector 2 and Sector 3 in Korea are very demanding. These guys are pulling 4 to 5 Gs on each corner and that is all that there is on those two final sectors, fast corners.

paradisenb

I think FA made an epic blunder in his choice of words. I suspect he regretted saying that the minute it came out of his mouth. But, what was he thinking at the time? What level of frustration must he be feeling to let a comment like that pass through his lips?
Fernando is not a quitter. He just stepped it, big time.

I really enjoy seeing Vettel's youthful exuberance. It is refreshing and brings back good memories of days gone by.

Ray S

You honestly believe that? I don't.

I get that he is frustrated driving a car that is not on pace with RB, but when is it acceptable for the highest paid driver in Formula 1 to even think "I give up" much less broadcast it out to the entire TV audience?

TwentySix

Ray,

To me, what he said didn't fit with what I was seeing... it seemed like sandbagging because he didn't back off, he went faster those last 2 laps, (see lap chart below) and hadn't they just told him a few before to go full power or something like that? I agree that no one wants to hear any driver say they give up. I just like the way he drives the car, wish I had skills like that.

41 1:40.547
42 1:40.622
43 1:40.635
44 1:40.689
45 1:41.005
46 1:40.955
47 1:40.664
48 1:40.600
49 1:40.947
50 1:40.788
51 1:40.674
52 1:41.009
53 1:41.193
54 1:40.764
55 1:40.836

Elizabeth

Astroman

Nice Pete. I think I'll stop posting in these F1 threads after that comment.

multi21

Alonso Explains

The latter stages of the grand prix saw Alonso tackling Jenson Button for fourth place, however, with just two laps to go, he told his Ferrari team "I give up, I give up."

Asked about the comment, Alonso explained "I had a little moment close to the wall. So, I asked the team how many laps left and they said 'two' and I said 'with two, I cannot do it'."

Alonso also insisted that he was not frustrated with either Massa or Ferrari as a whole.

"I was not much quicker than him at that time. I struggled a lot in the first part of the race with the super-soft tyres so I tried to manage the degradation.

"Then, after the stops, I found myself between (Vitaly) Petrov and Michael (Schumacher) and really close to their accident in Turn Three.

"Behind Nico, we also lost a bit of time, but I was not much quicker at that time of the race. When we switched to the softs, the situation improved significantly and, with a clear track, I was able to push as hard as I could.

"I did 20 qualifying laps to catch the group in front, but we arrived a little bit too late to the battle. I was only quick in the last stint so we will try to see why."

Having been soundly beaten on Sunday, Alonso now concedes that podium finishes and not race victories will the target for the remaining three grands prix of the season.

"If we have some podium finishes in the remaining races, they will be welcome. And, if by surprise we can win one race, it'll be even better!

"Mostly, we will continue to work towards next year, trying new things and maybe, taking a few risks with our strategy.

"I gave my all for 20 laps, but there was no more I could do with just two laps to go and that is why I said what I did on the radio."

9.5 Degrees

I think we are all a little upset how it went down but lets keep it light around here especially after such a terrible day yesterday for open wheelers and us that love to watch them do their thing

TexasRider

You know IF it was me in the car , I am not so sure that I want everybody in the stands and the world in the TV audience listening to my conversation. You are going 200 mph and trying to win and in a battle with the car, the others cars and drivers, the track, and who knows what else at the moment.

I can guarantee you that you dont want to hear some of the conversations coming out of our offices from time to time. Sure we are all professionals but there are times it takes other means to sort out or to convey your message. And in the heat of the moment in the car I might say something that I likely would not say later.

Looks like he ran hard so I will give him the doubt. I had said for some thime this year that Ferrari and Alonso was unlikely to finish any higher than 4th this year. But that brought out the " Alonso is the only one " guys here.

It is still darn good racing.

agdamis

Guys, guys, guys!,

How in the F did this become a "Alonso sucks" thread again!

Some of my own thoughts I would like to share:

1) congrats to RBR on their second constrictors championship in a row.
2) congrats to Vettel and Weber on a great year in clinching both titles
3) as I have said many times before Alonso is a very passionate driver who in the heat of battle says things that get misunderstood. I agree withTexas Rider that a lot of these conversations are picked out NY the media randomly and offer the platform for conspiracy theories.
4) I think Pete's post of Alonso's explanation post race is enough explanation for me.
5) 26 - the lap times are clear indication Fernando was on it as these laps comparable if not superior to the front runners at times. See attached link

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/statistic...-fastest-laps/

6) a special thanks goes out to Randi for once saying something somewhat complimentary of Alonso, his fans appreciate it.
7) 26 - your thoughts on Button's desired reaction to Fernando's comments although creative I think are a bit far fetched.

gums

I don't know why this is such an Alonso bashing group. He is widely regarded by many as the fastest in F1, certainly the most passionate, and his accomplishments speak for themselves. Personally, I much prefer rooting for him in a Ferrari than I did Schublocker.
Hamilton's frustrations I don't understand, but I suspect something will come to light soon. I don't like the way he is chastised for pushing hard and trying to pass.
I am happy for Button, he surprised us all when he joined McLaren, and now it's paying off. I always thought he was a great talent, even when he was in the worst car in the field. He deserves his success, he's smart, smooth, consistent and the most eloquent to interview. I hear that he also has the biggest yacht in Monaco harber.
I also hope Weber can win one this year.

9.5 Degrees

I can understand it. Alonso has been a model citizen and driver up to that point this year and it's always disappointing to hear that anyone gives up. Probably something he would like to take back if he could, as we all have experienced at one time or another in our lives.

Pete must be really conflicted. A lifelong Ferrari fan that can't stand their #1 driver It's okay, take a deep breath, it'll all be better in the morning.

Sean F

The issue centers around his character. Clearly he is a good drover.

Some think he is no better or worse than any other F1 pilot in that regard, others think he has demonstrated a pattern of behavior that suggests a poor character. There are facts (like his text messages on stepneygate) and there are suspicions (like crashgate). Depending how you interpret these things, your opinion can range from *meh* to *he's a tool*

Land Jet

"Must be because he's black". Whenever I hear that excuse, especially from a man who has had so much opportunity and success, it disgusts me. I used to be a big fan of his until he uttered that tripe. Now I want to see him fail over and over until his frustration builds to the point of self implosion. What a dick.