One of our more level headed members commented at the time:
checkered wrote:... I wouldn't characterise making ambiguous threats to one's team boss about giving damaging material (that the team boss quite likely wasn't aware even existed) to the series authorities in order to get preferential treatment within the team as an exercise in saving one's team. Not by a long shot. Especially as one's actions have kept the team in comparable jeopardy for six months, all the time risking the very same punishment, namely exclusion from the series.
To me it seems likely that there was a lot of damage control behind the scenes after the situation reached meltdown within McLaren and there was a scramble to explain it away. Basically the only thing that kept the WMSC from acting in a consistent fashion was the threat of a "mutually assured destruction". Too much damage to the series. The drivers were the only straw all the parties could hang on to, because trying to prove who didn't know anything became impossible. The immunity was a trojan horse in many a sense, but it certainly wasn't the intent or innovation of Alonso. Ron recognised the parameters of the situation, went to Max and "took one for the team"...
And this is how it is sold today to the public:
Ferdinand Alonso wrote:2007 was very difficult but I learnt a lot personally," he told the British newspaper Guardian. "It was good for my career to take that step of joining McLaren and growing up. I learned how to work with a team and also to withstand the media pressure. The difficulties I had were coming from the team and the media. Now I am much more prepared for everything in Formula One – and in life as well."
Dear Fred.
I cannot believe what I read. Did the team and the media screw up at Hungary black mailing Ron Dennis? Did the media freak out because the British rookie was faster? Did the team have cosy Monday lunches with the pals at the Spanish motor sport press dropping tons of critical internal details of the team to make you look good?
I must have lost big parts of my memory if I want to believe in those fairy tales. "I learnt a lot personally" seems to be the only honest bit from the above. Good to know that at least that bit was achieved.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/62583
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Jon, i love it! I gotta keep that one for later!
