'Alonso should have stayed at McLaren'

[Dare]

I agree,Mclaren had the best car at the time and who
knows Alonso may have beat Hamilton for the title.
And it shows by Renaults own admission that Alonso was
favored at Renault which explains why Alonso constantly
bested Fisichella



.
.1 of 1.....Fernando Alonso would have come out a stronger person had he remained at McLaren after his tension-fraught season with Lewis Hamilton, according to Steve Nielsen.

Alonso's one and only season with McLaren saw the double World Champion partnered with Hamilton, who was in his rookie campaign. However, the latter's results were by no means that of a rookie.

Hamilton took the fight to Alonso out on track, causing a great deal of tension within the team as the Spaniard was not given the number one status that he had been guaranteed at his previous team, Renault.

The on-track feud soon turned into off-track drama with reports of in-fighting and favouritism making headlines as did McLaren's involvement in the Stepneygate spy scandal.

The end result was that Alonso left McLaren at the end of that one season to return to Renault. However, if he had been the Spaniard's manager, Renault's sporting director Steve Nielsen says he would have told Alonso to stay and fight Hamilton.

"Fernando was clearly our No1 driver. I think he liked that. And when he joined McLaren, I'm sure he expected the same thing," Nielsen told eurosport.fr.

"But McLaren treat their drivers equally and Lewis, even though in his first year in F1, was very fast. Fernando was shocked at having been denied No1 status and surprised by Lewis's speed. It was an uncomfortable situation for him.

"From there his relationship with McLaren deteriorated and everything about it has been published (in the Stepneygate scandal). We know what happened and he came back (to Renault).

"In fact, I think - and I do not know if he agrees with me on this but he knows I love him - that return to us was probably a mistake.

"If I had been his manager at the time, I would have said: 'Listen, you have to do this, stay and beat this guy.

"Firstly because you have the best car now, secondly because your best chance of being Champion next season is by still driving for McLaren.'

"I think he would have come out stronger."

[Jericoke]

Certainly an interesting 'what if'.  I doubt that a McLaren would have won the championship if Alonso had stayed, they would have split the points again, and again Ferrari would have run up the middle.  (Indeed, Ferrari should have paid Fernando to stay at McLaren if winning was their goal    )

As a double world champion, I can see how Fernando would be more interested in being comfortable than winning.  (Not to suggest he doesn't have the desire to win, but who needs the stress of competing with a teammate who is your equal?)

[SennaMan]

rather than thinking FA should have stayed with McLAREN, he should never have joined them in the first place even if he could have negotiated a contract stipulating he was to be their #1 driver as befits a then current and youngest two-time World Driving Champion.

I believe the Latin fiery make-up is not a good fit with McLAREN's ultra-cool, analytical and reserved company culture; look at JPM's tenure there.

in fact Hamilton lost his chance at being WDC in his debut season as McLAREN [under ron Dennis] started to race AGAINST FA at the Chinese GP and forgot about KR - stoopid idiots.

nah, both are far better off without each other and fernando's current team FERRARI [with their renowned passion and emotional style] is the best fit for him by the proverbial country mile.

[David]

I would have said Alonso is better were he is now. Even staying at Renault would have been better than McLaren for him.

[Jericoke]

I would have said Alonso is better were he is now. Even staying at Renault would have been better than McLaren for him.

If McLaren knew the season they were going to get out of Hamilton, then I doubt they'd have brought Alonso board.  (All the same, without Alonso, would Hamilton have had the season he did?  Testing was still allowed then, what did Alonso bring to the car that Kovalenin or PDL wouldn't have?)

I don't know that anyone seriously expected Hamilton to be a challenger in his first season.

[Dare]

What did Alonso bring to Mclaren?If I'm not mistaken
it seems Alonso was griping that Lewis was copying his
setups thats what.

Evidently he couldn't get them right on his own

[Andy B]

What did Alonso bring to Mclaren?If I'm not mistaken
it seems Alonso was griping that Lewis was copying his
setups thats what.

Evidently he couldn't get them right on his own

He's not doing bad now!!

[Alianora La Canta]

Well, with two years of having team-mates who couldn't set up for toffee in his second stint at Renault, Fernando would have had to learn how to set up his own car. Otherwise his career would have run aground. Thankfully Alonso learned very well, which has proven one more tool with which to gain the upper hand at Ferrari.

I cannot advise Alonso to the effect of staying a second year at McLaren. Put simply, it was the management that Fernando didn't get on with - Lewis was mostly a catalyst, not an instigator. Since the management would have been the same in 2008 as 2007, the only likely effect of asking Fernando to stay would have been an even bigger explosion in the inevitable falling apart. At least as it stood there was a plausible smokescreen of spy scandal to hide behind.

[Dare]

I always though Mclaren wold have had more
World Champions if they'd have had a clearly
number one driver.

Without Montoya Kimi might have had a couple WC's
there speaking of which I think was a big mistake
when Kimi left Merc for Ferrari

[Scott]

There are exceptions of course, but I agree Dare...why is Mclaren so adamant about always having equal status for their drivers?  They obviously pay one more than the other, why not manage them that way as well?  The exception would be this year - when they have two WDC's on board...that needs a bit of special massaging to get the most points for the team.  But previously, I don't know why they just didn't go for it by having a clear #1.  It seems a bit foolish on their part to continue that way.

[Jericoke]

I always though Mclaren wold have had more
World Champions if they'd have had a clearly
number one driver.

Without Montoya Kimi might have had a couple WC's
there speaking of which I think was a big mistake
when Kimi left Merc for Ferrari

Tell that to David Coulthard 

It's a corporate culture thing though.  We see the drivers, and forget about the 300 or so people who support those drivers.  You need more than the best drivers to win, you need top engineers, mechanics, strategists designers etc.  Each driver has their own team within a team.  Are you going to get the best when you tell your guys to aim for second?  Is someone who spends five years supporting the 'b' driver going to be ready to step up for the 'a' driver?  McLaren has decided that they want everyone to have a winning attitude and goal.  You suggest this has lead to less champions, which is possible.  However, it has provided a team that has been on the top for a very very long time, and always has a chance to win.  While Ferrari has tasted more success than McLaren, I'd suggest that McLaren has taken more leaps for the brass ring.

(I agree, Kimi should have stayed at McLaren, he'd have won the 2007 championship there too.)

[lkjohnson1950]

Hind sight is always 20-20. Kimii was going from a team that seemed to blow up a Merc engine every other race to one that had won 7 out of 9 championships. 

Lonny

[John S]

(I agree, Kimi should have stayed at McLaren, he'd have won the 2007 championship there too.)

I can't agree with that, if Kimi had stayed at McLaren then Michael would have stayed at Ferrari. I am pretty sure Schumi would have had more than something to say about the title that year.

I feel Alonso bottled it and took the more comfortable option by jumping ship from McLaren. Ferd may have been up to the task against Lewis, he also may not, we shall never really know because he just couldn't risk it. Failure against Lewis would have seriously damaged his career, chickening out just leaves the question in the air, an old quote goes; "he who fights then runs away lives to fight another day".

On the question of no number one status at McLaren I personally think this separates the real stars from the support act. Yes it's true that the team can suffer when the drivers are more evenly matched, but it also gives the team an advantage in the constructors title if they can keep the downsides to a minimum.

McLaren and Williams seem to set more store by the constructors title than the drivers crown, after all the constructors points reflect the superiorty, effort and commitment of the whole team. Makes life a lot better for us spectators too when we, and the drivers, know there are no team orders.

[stealthhaggis]

Every driver wants to beat their team-mate, take that away and you don't have that extra element. Apparently Alosno should have stayed at McLaren so he could exorcise his Hamilton demons once and for all. Either he would have managed to overcome him or he would have been beaten, either way at least he would know he tried. He clearly did not like the competition and I think that says more about his ego than anything else as he could not handle being beaten and, not only that, well beaten in some cases. Lewis learned from Ferd, ferd did not learn from Lewis. It was a shame as they pushed the team forward and it could've led to something epic for McLaren and the 2 drivers but instead Alonso lost it, then so did the team and the rest is history. Look at Button/Hamilton now, both have been beaten by the other but both are being professional and seem to be having fun, if Alonso could just get past his ego he would learn a thing or 2. Thats where Schumacher was so great (mutter, mutter, cheating, mutter ), he was never afraid to learn and it is also why he is not losing the plot with Nico.

[Ian]

   Like it stealth.