The relief that the McLaren team must have felt in being able to put behind
them weeks of intrigue over the Ferrari spying affair and concentrate on the
job of racing disappeared in 10 crucial seconds yesterday afternoon in
Budapest.
As Fernando Alonso, the double world champion who joined the team at the
beginning of this season, dawdled in the team’s pit box at the Hungaroring,
denying his British teammate Lewis Hamilton the chance to a register a final
flying lap in qualifying for today’s Hungarian Grand Prix, the focus of
intrigue shifted from being external to internal.
Ron Dennis, the team principal, has done his best to down-play the tensions in
his team caused by having an established double world champion in the shape
of Alonso joining the team and being immediately challenged by his rookie
teammate. Now the friction can be hidden no more.
The Hungaroring stewards’ decision to penalise the team by not allowing it to
accrue any points towards the constructors’ championship in today’s race, as
well as pushing Alonso five places back on the grid, suggests that they
believe they acted in concert in denying Hamilton his chance of a pole
position and in a way that was “prejudicial to the interests of the
competition and to the interests of motor sport generally”.
The stewards’ verdict was delivered after listening to submissions from
Dennis, Alonso and Hamilton, as well as reviewing television footage and
listening to recordings from the team’s radio discussions between the
engineers and drivers.
Both Dennis and Alonso suggested that Hamilton had initially been at fault at
the start of the final 15-minute qualifying session in which the top 10 grid
positions are determined. Hamilton lined up ahead of Alonso in the pit lane
and, for what the team described as “fuel-burning reasons”, he should have
allowed the Spaniard to pass him on his out lap.
The critical third phase of qualifying, the top 10 shootout, takes place over
15 minutes during which time the drivers set up their cars for the race as
well as compete for the leading grid positions.
They must start the session with their race fuel load, which is replenished at
its end, but can burn it off by completing more laps during the session to
make the car lighter and consequently improve the chances of setting a fast
time at its end.
Dennis claimed that Hamilton had broken an agreement by which Alonso would
have the advantage in this respect yesterday.
“The fuel-burn characteristics mean there is a small advantage which we play
from driver to driver according to the nature of the circuit,” said Dennis.
“In this instance, it was Fernando’s time to get the advantage of the longer
fuel burn. The arrangement was that we’re down at the end of the pit lane
[with Hamilton ahead of Alonso], so we reverse positions in the first lap.
That didn’t occur as arranged. That was somewhat disappointing and caused
some tensions on the pit wall. We were, from that moment on, out of sequence
because the cars were in the wrong place on the circuit and that unfolded
into the pitstops.
“It complicated the situation into the result, which was Lewis not getting his
final timed lap.”
It was claimed that Hamilton had ignored radio orders to let his teammate pass
on five separate occasions. Dennis also said Alonso had stayed in the pit
box for the extra 10 seconds because his engineer was waiting for traffic to
clear on the circuit.
The stewards noted there were just four cars on track at the time of the
instruction, and so no need to wait for a gap in traffic. This was the
reason the team were handed the constructors’ points penalty.
On his in-lap the team told Alonso he would be held stationary for 20 seconds
to allow for traffic on the track. Alonso claimed he waited a further 10
seconds before exiting as he asked whether the correct set of tyres had been
fitted.
The 26-year-old said he did not ask such a question during the initial
20-second period because a countdown was being given to him over the radio.
The stewards did not accept this explanation.
Hamilton had certainly expressed his dissatisfaction in the immediate
aftermath of the incident, initially with Dennis via an expletive-laden
radio exchange. Then in postqualifying press briefings he could barely hide
his anger.
When asked whether it had been explained to him why Alonso had remained in the
pit box for so long, Hamilton offered no answer, just a smile.
Offering his version of events, Hamilton said: “I came in. The team had told
me to take my time because Fernando was doing his pit stop, and I could see
on screen he was near enough done. I then slowly, slowly pulled up, and I
saw the lollipop go up, but he didn’t go. “I was surprised he didn’t go.
Your guess is as good as mine as to why he was there. His wheels were on,
his blankets were off and yet he was told to wait.”
The consequences of that 10-second wait could rumble on for McLaren for the
rest of the season and beyond.
The dirty trick that cost Alonso pole position
As time runs out in the fi nal 15 minutes of qualifying, Lewis Hamilton is in
pole position but aims to put in one final flying lap
2min 15sec remaining Fernando Alonso arrives in the McLaren pit to
change his tyres for his last effort. Hamilton, who has followed his
teammate into the pits, is forced to wait behind the Spaniard
1min 48sec remaining Alonso’s car has new tyres and is ready. The
mechanic lifts the lollipop to give him the all-clear to exit the pits. But
he remains stationary, eating up vital time
1min 38sec remaining Ten seconds after being given the all clear,
Alonso finally pulls out of the pits. Hamilton changes tyres Alonso then
puts in his fastest lap, pipping Hamilton for pole position by 0.107sec.
Hamilton is too late to reply and is second fastest
What they said...
FIA, world motor sport’s governing body The actions of the team
in the fi nal minutes of qualifying are considered prejudicial to the
interests of the competition and to the interests of motor sport
Ron Dennis, McLaren team boss We try to run these things tight, but we
got it wrong. We did not do what we should have done as a team. It wasn’t as
clean an operation as we would have liked it to be
Fernando Alonso They told Hamilton what to do and he didn’t listen.
That was the only problem the team had. Ron’s anger was because Hamilton
didn’t accept an order from the team
Lewis Hamilton I pulled up and saw the lollipop go up. But he didn’t
go. I just sat there and waited. I was surprised he didn’t go. Your guess is
as good as mine as to why he was there
How they stand
Drivers’ championship: 1 Lewis Hamilton (GB)
McLaren 70pts 2 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 68 3 Felipe
Massa (Bra) Ferrari 59 4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 52 5
Nick Heidfeld (Ger) BMW 36 6 Robert Kubica (Pol) BMW 24 7
Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Renault 17
Constructors’ standings: 1 McLaren 138pts 2 Ferrari
111 3 BMW 61 4 Renault 32 5 Williams
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