Edward Gorman, Motor Racing Correspondent
Take a trip to New York and see the city from the air

One of the most exciting, controversial and, at times, absurd seasons in Formula One is over. Kimi Raikkonen is the unexpected champion after pick-pocketing the prize at a dramatic Brazilian Grand Prix from two drivers at McLaren Mercedes in Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, who looked to have the title battle to themselves. So who are the main winners and losers at the end of an epic season?
Winners
Kimi Raikkonen
Ayrton Senna once said that every year in Formula One there is a winner but
not always a champion. That would be unfair on Raikkonen but it is also true
to say that he rose to the top at the death as much through the errors of
others as through his raw genius. Is a Raikkonen era in Formula One about to
begin? Possibly not. The Finn arguably lacks the all-round game to be a
serial winner.
Lewis Hamilton
He slipped up at the last two fences having led the title race almost all
year. But Hamilton is the most successful rookie in history by a country
mile and he beat Alonso, his teammate and defending world champion. Hamilton
has exceeded expectations and shown that he has all the qualities to be
champion next year. The key questions are: will McLaren produce a
competitive car for 2008 and how well will he do without Alonso as a
teammate, should the Spaniard leave?
Felipe Massa
The sporting Brazilian led Raikkonen, his teammate, for much of the year but
suffered bad luck with reliability and pit-lane errors. Exceptionally quick
in qualifying, Massa could easily have emerged on top at Ferrari this season
and has been justly rewarded with a contract until the end of 2010.
Bernie Ecclestone
The Formula One magnate with the Midas touch could hardly have dreamt up a
more eye-catching show, which went right down to the wire in Brazil, the
perfect place in terms of world time zones for the biggest global television
audience. This season had it all; a new star in Hamilton, a “class A”
scandal in the Ferrari-McLaren spy story and a nail-biter of a finish. Best
of all for Ecclestone, it has left everyone eagerly awaiting next season.
Losers
Fernando Alonso
The former world champion had it on a plate at McLaren this season, a team who
paid him handsomely for a chance to win a third consecutive championship.
But he could not handle the fact that Hamilton was often quicker than him
and being given an equal chance. Alonso is a charming individual who has let
himself down with his intemperate conduct. He may pay a heavy price if he
leaves and ends up in what could be an uncompetitive car at Renault.
Ron Dennis/McLaren
Dennis and his team have been embroiled in an embarrassing cheating saga with
Ferrari that cost them a fortune. Dennis has once again failed the challenge
of trying to manage two competitive drivers on an equal footing and
McLaren’s errors played a critical role in depriving Hamilton, in
particular, of an historic title through a tyre strategy error in China and
a technical failure in Brazil. The team denied yesterday that Hamilton had
caused the glitch in São Paulo by pressing the wrong button, saying it was
most likely a hydraulic fault. No drivers’ title, no constructors’ title and
one very miserable Iberian. Dennis’s annus horribilis.
The FIA
The governing body did well in the adjudication of the spy story, but there
remained a widespread perception in the paddock of an undercurrent of
personal scores being settled by Max Mosley, its president, whether this was
the case or not. At several points in the season, the FIA seemed to be
playing a bigger role in the outcome of the championship than its critics
believe was warranted.
Jenson Button
Another miserable season for Britain’s big hope (before Hamilton, that is).
Not really Button’s fault. Honda were woeful and are talking of a
renaissance next year, but there is a big gap in performance to bridge and
Button is running out of time.
The one that loses is Hamilton.
The worldwide loses in default of 2 races.
The pressure might with him.
When he mature maybe win something.
Sakami, Spain,
Alonso for me has made a big mistake by destroying what could have been a great relationship with Mclaren. Lewis Hamilton was popular this year because he was a rookie, the underdog! As talented as he is, 2008 will excert massive pressures upon him. He will be expected, especially by the
British media, to win the 2008 championship outright.
Anything less, and the media will turn on him just like it has
with other British sporting heroes when the going has
gotten tough!
Alonso, meanwhile, would still have been well placed to
win a championship with a team on the upturn. At Renault,
it may take them three years to bring the car round to a high level, which only hurts Fernando, not Lewis!
Being paid a reported $25 million a year at Mclaren, why not
let the youngster hang himself with a long piece of tabloid rope, or atleast be in a car that is his equal!
I just hope that Alonso has not made the wrong choice,
as he is still an awesome race driver, despite the bad p.r !
james hunt, orlando, florida, usa
In all of your views, what has been missed by all is that we now have an exciting championship , with possibly five or six drivers who have the potential to become champion.
During Michael Schumachers' dominance, there was nobody to challenge him for years and years, which led to a very bland and predictable sport.
I am English, but my all time favourite driver will always be Aryton Senna. Why? Because he had class, and guts.
Also, because he raced against real drivers such as
Piquet, Prost, Mansell, and Berger. He didn't always get his own way, and he was capable of taking people out, but he brought to F1 drama, and passion.
We have that now, with Alonso, Hamilton, Raikkonen, and Massa and a host of others. Don't look a gift horse in the
mouth!
The greatest champions all had a bit of ego and bile about
them, that is the reason we all adore F1. And, for all Spaniards, do you even know who Senna was? Yes, he was the man your little Fernando aspired to be and won't!
james hunt, orlando, florida, usa
Mclaren theft championship Alonso, Norbording and it gave ferrari.
Hamilton is good but it is much better Alonso
xani, barcelona, spain
talking about maturity, does enybody know who's lost his driving liscense for a month? make a guess.
xeron, cardiff, uk
Juan Carlos, you should accept that Alonso is an immature man who failed. He is a cry baby who got upset when Hamilton proved to be quick. There is no shame in being beaten by a driver as talented as Hamilton, but Alonso couldn't accept this.
Insisting on number 1 status when your rookie team-mate is ahead of you in the title race? Don't make me laugh Fernando.
English mentality? Hush.
Mark, Almeria, Spain,
Alonso is finally free from the devious and manipulative English mentality of his former team McLaren. To me there is only one thing that will remain a mistery until the next campaign and that is if Fernando Alonso will have enough time to develop his car from now up until March next year. Pat his new engineering boss says the car was getting better all the time last Championship and Alonso has already started to work on the settings and there are further improvements to be made on the wind tunnel in the aerodymanics. If everithing is going O.K. he´ll be in with a chance. We can be sure of that.
Juan Carlos, Alicante, Spain
Given that motor racing in general and formula 1 in particular have a history of doing whatever it takes in order to gain a competetive advantage I am a little confused at the severity of the punishment levelled against Mclaren. I find it very difficult not to say impossible to believe that any other team who has employed a member of staff who was working for a rival team has not in some way been able to benefit from information that this individual has accumulated during their employment. This scenario has always been occurring in formula 1 ever since day one. Why is it that only now the FIA choose to get involved and only in selected cases involving movement of information from Ferrari to another competitor, but info moving from Mclaren to Renault does not seem to attract any penalty whatsoever. I am not personally a fan of either team but what factors affect these decisions? Is it that max likes Flavio and not Ron? Is it that Bernie and Ron are top mates?
Fin Magee, Plymouth, England
A friend of mine told me Lewis spent a couple of days writing a new final chapter of his autobiography after late spoil of his world championship. Guess why?
Igor, Pamplona, Spain
I have nothing against LH but getting 7th from 18th is nothing, really. Kimi has won race starting from 17th, he has started back of the grid and finished on the podium etc. Just think about Fuji this year, Raikkonen had to change (by FIA order) his tyres at lap 3, he fell back of the grid (in awfull wet conditions). He finished third. That is what makes a driver great. LH just is not there yet.
Wilhelm, London, UK
Why is there so much negative talk about Hamilton in this discussion. Yes I do agree that he was blessed with having a great car in his first season as a driver, but surely anyone with their head screwed on should be able to see that Hamilton is by far the best driver in F1 atm. I'm not trying to say that he deserved to win the championship, Kimi won fair and square, but what must not be overlooked is that in Brazil Hamilton had an engine problem that relegated him to 18th position and somehow he still managed to finish 7th despite the retards in his team that didn't put enough fuel in his tank on his 2nd pit stop.
What I'm trying to say is that had this engine problem not occured Hamilton would hav comfortably won the championship and had he won this he would hav been the first ever driver to win this in his first year. Regardless of how good his car was, it is impossible to say that anyone is better than Hamilton atm, because he is 22 and will just get better. He will win next year!
Patrick, Bournemouth, England
Kimi is the Formula One champion; and, he probably will continue to be for the next several years, with the probability to pass Michael Schumacher's Formula One championship reign...the only two other driver's that could get even close to him would be Nico or Heikki.
On of the best things that I can recall about Kimi is his complete professionalism with the 2008 season, with all the now not-so-mysterious happenings at the Monaco Grand Prix and the complete "How to Build the F2008 Ferrari" being found with Nigel Stepney...lesser men would have offered a dissertation upon being asked if there was something wrong with the whole series of events.
Now look at poor Hamilton...every time there was a microphone within 50 feet of him, he was waxing ad nauseum on everything and anything.
As I looked at Hamilton, I couldn't help but chuckle at his deliberate attempts to sound more English than the English...he was hillarious without trying to be...
Michael Hahka, Los Angeles, CA
It's nice to see the picture with the three top drivers, but it's sad to see that Raikkonen is not in the center of the picture, like a WINNER DESERVES. Instead Hamilton, the looser!
Andy from Portsmouth, there is something that you forgot to mention about Ferrari decision... When Kimi joint Ferrari, Alonso had already a contract with mcshit, even before he won his second F1 title. So Ferrari was forced to hire someone to compete against Alonso and the only one available at that time was Kimi. Second, Mr TODT hates Alonso for what happened at the time alonso was moving out from Minardi.
To Epimethean, I always want to believe that we are in a free world, so every opinion is allowed and should be respected,even yours. But, if you do not have an opinion, do not censure!
Jose, Brussels, Belgium
Funny English Phlegm. Alonso asked for equality, F-1iers
Fco Javier Iparraguirre, Madrid, Spain
When reading these comments I start at the bottom and if it's from Spain I don't read it...
Epimethean, Reigate,
Lewis Hamilton winner?????
Tom, London,
it is so important that you all relaise that alonso can set up a f1 car. thats why in a different team he was fast last year and that same team got poop this year.. mclaren did not win a gp last year. then along comes alonso and comer 2nd and third. ......hellloooooo...1st and 3rd if lewis dad just left the poor kid alone. lewis i;m sure got all alonso car data for race day..next year he will have to set the car up himself!. even previous dadta will be useless as there are no river aids this year. because of this kimi will win. hmmm wonder why ferrari got kimi..if ferrari thought alonso was the fastest driver in the world he would be in a red car. ferrari can have whoever they want apart from lewis because lewis needs to be hand held through everything. the reason why kimi drives a red car is because he's concidered in f1 circles over an entire season the fastest man alive. i'm english but facts are fact. if ferrari wantsed alonso last year it was just a phone call away like now!
andy, portsmouth,
HAM has proven to be fast with an outstanding car tuned by ALO & PLR nothing else. Anyone with common sense will admit that flogging a car set-up is dead easy. That only prevent ALO from winning his third championship.
Goiri, Bilbao, Spain
All you miserable spaniards, extracting the urine out of McLaren because your boy didn't get his own way. Why are there so many pictures of your sour faced iberian? That's because he smiles so infrequently; our boy showed him the way to go home.
You should try reading the transcripts of the WMSC/FIA witchhunt. Your boy couldn't get his own way so he went "running to sir". Problem was, it back fired on him and Ron Dennis showed him the door and quite right too! Sadly he dragged a good team down as he did so!
Dick Turpin, Oban,
Umm, so alonso was the best was he? I think that is not only a huge insult to Kimi, but its also a complete lie - if he was the best, he would have won a third title, which he didn't. A true champion would win regardless of all the nonsense that's gone on.
Alex, London, UK
agree broadly, but the constant attempts to whitewash McLaren annoy me. They were caught cheating and Dennis only came clean AFTER Alonso threatened to publicize what he knew; so why the perpetual positioning of Dennis in a good light?
And if Alonso knew, why is no British journalist asking Hamilton what he knew?
The car was illegal and should have been thrown out - Hamilton should not even have been in the last race.
Geoff SAUNDERS, Moscow, Russia
Brilliantly put Jack from Leeds! Can't agree with you more!!
gan, london,
First of all: why is Alonso sad in the picture up this report and Hamilton and Kimi are smiling and happy. Please dont try to confuse people view.
Second: What was McLAren car before Alonso get into the team: Losers or not?
Thirth: McLaren left Alonso Behind to make English boy get the tittle and even that, Alonso the best driver, as it was shown in brazil, should have won as Ferrari let Kimi overtake Massa. Dont forghet this. English sport are the real loser becouse of Ron Dennis.
Chiri, Madrid, Madrid
british bulldogs loosers. alonso is best than hamiltonto.
joe, madrid,
Yes, of course, team paid him handsomely for a chance to win his third WDC:o/...but you forgot to mention how much they tried for him to loose WDC. People in McLaren are the loosers, not Alonso. They didn´t support him because Dennis wanted Hamilton to win. They made him feel like an enemy. Does that make him a looser? He was fighting like a lion and finished with only one point behind. He should win his third title...he deserved it for everything he had to bear up this year...
Jan, Prague, Czech republic
The big questions are a) how much the information spied from Ferrari eventually helpeld McLaren to build a reliable car,and b) what was Fernando Alonso's contribution to McLaren's success? Many things can be said about the his personality (I dont' like him much either) but he is without a doubt very good in developing the perfomance of the car he is driving.
All said and done, I'm glad Kimi finally won (and I don't like his personality either). But after such poor luck in the past, he deserves it. I remember when Mika Hakkinen was driving for McLaren, and the team made so many bad errors and strategic miscalculations in his time that it is a wonder he won the World Championship twice in a row. Kimi did not have Mika's patience and after finishing 2nd two times and after the disasterous year of 2006, he went to Ferrari. Kimi is a force to be reckoned with next year, too. He will party until season starts and then show who's the MAN. And thumbs up for Heikki Kovalainen, too.
Tiina, Kuopio, Finland
have to agree with our Spanish friends. Hamilton is the main loser of 2007. I have come to dislike him intensely, but i fear this may be because of every sentence ever uttered on the ITV coverage starts with 'Lewis Hamilton' something or other and I'm frankly sick of hearing his name. They did the same with Jenson and it annoyed me then too. I'm not denying his talent - but so he should be good after all the preparation from his team since his childhood. I firmly believe that many of the drivers in lesser cars are just as good, if not better, and until he actually wins something, he's nobody; and as for his autobiography, don't make me laugh, this is just shameful money making for the tax haven loving Hamilton. And worse still, since 30% of people on the ITV website firmly believe that despite everything he deserves to be awarded the title after the hearing, it will sell.
I also think that Mclaren have disgraced the sport this year with their constant shenanigans.
Jack, Leeds, UK
Eddie,
I can see You ain´t much of Kimi fan. But come on, don´t get ridiculous. We all know that this year´s trophy would be Kimi´s third one. If he just had´n been driving in this "british" F1 team, McLarenin past. Oh, how many times we Kimi fans had to dissapoint due to his car breaking or Ron´s "tactics". This year Ron´s tactical decicions just served Kimi better than his own team. Imagine - he lifted up this rookie in early stages, rather than two-time world champion. And now, he is paying the price. For how long? Remains to be seen...
Jerry, Millwall, UK
I admire you british, but with Hamilton i've seen for all this year an incredible attention, as if he was already the strongest pilot ever. I can assure you that most of the rest of the world considers Hamilton as a good pilot, surely talented, but nothing incredible. Probably he will win a title in the future, because i got the talent and he got the car, but the way you divinized him despite to Alonso it's been embarassing. Mclaren had in the team a two times world champion, but they prefered to give all the attention to Hamilton. You could give a title, now you have nothing. I want to remember to you that even without the spy story sentence, you wouldn't have won the constructors title, "thanks" to the hungarian gran prix...
I read this article and i laugh, considering Hamilton a winner and Alonso a looser. I'm italian, so i've never seen well Alonso for his victories against Ferrari, but sincerly this year he suffered any kind of bad condition.
After all there is only one champion..
Daniele, Rome, Italy
Kimi, Fernando and Lewis are all great drivers, and that's the problem. Schumacher did in fact leave a gap behind like Senna did. Lewis is both extremely talented and severely overrated, Fernando might be an excellent driv,surely among the best of our decade, yet he behaves like a little boy. Kimi deserves his title because he just shut his mouth, got into the car and drove. But that's pretty much all he does. Hamilton's results seems to be rather astonishing at first, yet he was far too well prepared, I refuse to call this a "rookie". It's too early to rate Lewis, but I'm pretty certain that we won't see a driver as complete and as perfect as Schumacher again, at least not in the next decade. I'm still waiting for the next miracle driver.
Lennart, Paderborn, Germany
I agree with anna from wellingorough alonso is the best and english tv and webs put hamilton as a winner but he isn´t he had only had a good years because fernando was on his team the british people must know that
smaitane, bilbao, spain
Thanks for the suggestion, Laurence, but it won't change their opinion.
xeron, cardiff,
Here is a suggestion for all the Spanish comentators on here claiming British newspapers are biased - read your own.
Laurence, clifton,
I would like to assure Spanish readers of this article that not all of us English F1 fans agree with this rubbish. Fernando built himself up from Minardi to become a 2x world champion, he scored equally to Hamilton this year despite the mudslinging he received from the British media and his own team and he is the most talented driver at present! Yet Ed has the audacity to call him a loser! Whereas Lewis he calls a winner! The same Lewis who has won 0 championships, who had every opportunity to but threw it away spectacularly and who only came 2nd because he was daddied by McLaren. I am not denying Lewis' talent, but it is totally exaggerated by the British media. I wish Lewis luck, for he will never be champion without it. It is he who is responsible for the shame of this year. Fernando could have done no different in the situation Lewis created. Next season I hope F1 will be restored to its former glory and will certainly see Fernando beat Lewis. That is my view, disagree if you wish!
Anna, Wellingborough, England
Joaquin (Toronto), you say "Hamilton, MacLaren and all these sorry britons that haven't won anything since the 60's". Perhaps I could point out the names Damon Hill and Nigel Mansell to you. Free speech is a wonderful thing but if you are going to be offensive about an entire nation, try and get your facts straight!
Simon, San Francisco, USA
Andrew Longmore, in The Times today claims that this season Lewis Hamilton was driver #1. What about equity in McLaren? I thought that Ron Dennis said many times that both Alonso and Hamilton had the same opportunities!
One more question. Why do you always show pictures from Alonso with a serious face, whereas Hamilton's are always smiling? If I would not know how fair and polite you Brittons are, I would think that you make money from manipulating.
By the way, if I would be willing to bet money for the next World Champion, I would say K.Raikkonen is going to get it again. I do not trust on Lewis Hamilton's skills. It is a pitty, but I think that he will have to wait longer. Maybe in his next autobiography...
Igor, Pamplona,
Ron Dennis and Mc Laren are the clear winners for the 2007 season, not only did they put forward a competitive car to fight with Ferrari, ( the only team to do so) they hired two very fast drivers, that were equally matched, but were able to keep their team principals when it would have been easier to favour Alonso.
Mc Laren should be praised for their dedication to their management ideals, and given a great CHEER for making this season the best I can remember.
That said I have always liked Alonso as a driver, and was pleased when he joined Mc Laren, but now I am glad that he will be going elsewhere, as an avid fan of Formula one I only know what is written in the press, the spying problem that was thrown at McLaren this year was a joke, but the positive should have been the way that Ron Dennis was able to function, under this pressure.
Thank you Ron Dennis for staying the course.
Richard Evett, Newport Beach, California USA
It is false that Alonso had it on a plate this season. It has been the yellow and the not so yellow brttish press who has let him down, not himself or his caracter.
Next season will see your little novel hero cropping again around the world. Meanwhile, the fans of this cropper and the brittish press can forget Alonso for a few months, while reading the interesting biography of a 22 years old boy.
Have a nice reading.
Alf, Madrid, Spain
Hamilton had the full support of MacLaren team, Eclesstone FIA, world press, Officials ruled in his favor again and again. Alonson had all of them against him, including the TEAM not talking to him. With all of this in Hamilton's favor, Hamilton only managed to just get the same points as Alonso, imaging for a second that Alonso had that kind of treatment, he would had won by a country mile. Who are the real looser here: Hamilton, MacLaren and all these sorry britons that haven't won anything since the 60's.
Toronto, Canada
joaquin, Toronto, Canada
Mr. Gorman you must joking, I lived in England and considered your newspaper to be serious ... Hamilton a winner? don't you remember last race or last races? Influenced by nerviosism? That's very UN English ...There have been bitter, cruel attacks on Alonso from England and also to our nation. I am delighted seeing Alonso run away from Mc Laren and Ron Dennis. Only winners this year are Ferrari drivers and chiefs who took advantage from Dennis and Hamilton's inability. Take care!
Julián, Canet de Mar, Spain
Alonso is a charming individual who has let himself down with his intemperate conduct. He may pay a heavy price if he leaves and ends up in what could be an uncompetitive car at Renault.
That i remenber..Renault wins in the last decade 2 world championships...and maclaren?
humility..Mr Gorman..humility
jordi, Barcelona,
To all those from Spain who have written in all I can say is "Armada" losers. Nuff said!
John, Durban,
Problems in MCL for next season. Alsonso its free now, so next year MCL has a new powerfull opponent (apart Ferrari).
Rafa, Valencia, Spain
Whole season has been an absolute shambles based around the idea of creating a british champion, as simple as that. If Mclaren had backed Alonso they would be world champions as simple as that. Hamilton and Ron Dennis created all these problems and it is fitting what happened in Brazil. Hamilton is most definetely NOT a winner, more a whinner and a spoilt brat who together with Ron Dennis makes me ashamed to be british.
Mike, Woking,
Do you get the feeling that rest of these comments are biased?
Rory, Worcester, England
I do agree with Jonh. According to the times per lap, Fernando has been much faster. Of Course Hamilton is a very good driver, this has been his first season in F1 and he has finished second. Congratulations for that.
It isn`t fair to compare Alonso's and Hamilton`s first year in F1, because Fernando started in Minardi and fought to end the race; and Hamilton had on his hands one of the two best cars. And if he is the best driver F1 has ever had he should have been the champion. But he hasn´t.
Where was the omnipresent-manager-famous-dad when Fernando started cutting points from his adorable child?
I hope Ron Dennis, Lewis Hamlton and Fernando Alonso learn from all the error they've comitted this year. Because everyone in McLaren did things they shouldn't have.
Bye!!
Leticia, Bilbao, Spain
What happened in Brazil two weeks ago was a fantastic lesson for Hamilton and above all for Ron Dennis. He has been working for F1 for many years and he should know that this season was the first for Hamilton and if he relies on Alonso the title had been won for Maclaren in Japan. All the team has despreciated Alonso and broken his car for many weeks. Finally they have had what they needed, a very fantastic lesson with Raikkonen winner. The very big loosers have been Hamilton and of course Ron Dennis. Alonso has shown that he has achieved 1 point less than the winner with all his own team fighting against him during 7 months. Next season we will see how is Hamilton without the information given by a double world champion. ALONSO IS THE BEST PILOT TODAY AND KIMI THE SECOND, THE OTHER ONES ARE VERY FAR OF THEM INCLUDED HAMILTON
What happened with the champagne for celebrate in China the Hamilton´s championship. What a joke, they have sold the bottles for paying the FIA fine.
Roldan, Huelva, Spain
Hamilton has got talent but unfortunately he's a whiner & he doesn't handle pressure that well. I agree with Pau all the way, all he has to do was to finish fourth in Brazil but he got all clumsy when Fernando took over him. Duh?! Hamilton should just have stayed calm.
..and he can't stop whining about Fernando to the media, when the Spaniard didn't say anything bad and prefer to keep everything to himself. He is more of a man than Hamilton. I don't even understand what Hamilton is whining about when McLaren is obviously in favour of him over Fernando.
Though I don't agree that Fernando's action, impeding Hamilton in the pitstop during qualifying in Hungary, it was Hamilton who triggered all the commotion & the breaking down of their relationship.
Fernando, I just wish you have a better team to go to, since McLaren doesn't treat you that well & so bias towards Hamilton, always giving him preferential treatment. It sucks!
Cobain, Singapore,
Aw god.... watching LH spoil his already won championship has been absolutely priceless. It has defenetely paid for all the bad moments this season.
All I missed was watching Ron's and Lewis' faces, just a peak would have been enough. But the brit shadowy powers stood in my road to happiness and turned the cameras away. Such a shame...
This is what happens when you put a billion-pound-bussiness in the hands of a kid. (Dont say we didnt warn you, brits! :D)
Jorge, MADRID, SPAIN
To the Times,
this is not an unknown newspaper, the fastest driver in the whole championship this year per lap, is Fernando Alonso.We know this is England but you should tell the truth, and Hamilton wasn't close to this calculations.Have a nice day. We will see where your little guy will be next year,jajajajaja,
John, B'mth, England
Two reasons why Lewis should go to Spyker:
1. He cannot handle the pressure. All he needed to do to finish the job was to finish fourth in two races with a car that at worst can finish fourth. And HE BLEW IT!
2. He cannot remain calm if he is not ahead. He's made mistakes in Nurburgring, Turkey, China, Brazil, and was lucky with the rail in Monaco. He did a good job in Japan and Canada when he was first all the time. So if he moved to a bad team he would learn how it is to start in the back of the grid and get used to have cars ahead of him. This is how Fernando became a phenomenal driver in Minardi. And this is why Vettel will be a world champion when he gets a good car.
Pau, Barcelona, Spain
Dearest Ed,
Now this is a good F1 article and to quote the Beatles: Bye bye love Bye bye happiness Hello loneliness I think I'm gonna cry-y Bye bye love, Bye bye sweet caress..
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/formula_1/article2759331.ece
Alonso sticked it back to McLaren after they literally took advantage of him to advance the marketing driven golden boy.
Hamilton has not been faster than Alonso throughout the season. Alonso has been in front of Hamilton most of the season. But when he was behind he lost more points.
Again it is the ilusion you are perpetrading with this propaganda based in inferred perceptions and not in Solid data.
THE BIGGEST LOOSER OF ALL is Hamilton, who through away a championship served in a silver platter... NOT ONLY ONCE BUT TWICE LOL in the most ridiculous and unprofessional way. For all Alonso fans that Brasil race was not a loosing race.
AT LEAST ALONSO did not only had the handicap of F1 Racing, but he had to race his own team.
Rob, Essex, England
Let's face it, the driver's championship side of Formula One is a bad joke. F1 is all about technological expertise and development. F1 cars, as famously depicted on a Toyota commercial, could be better driven by remote control or on-board computers.
If you want a true test of driver skill, let all the drivers have the same car, the same engine and the same tyres. In other words give GP2, Champ Cars, World Series by Renault etc. their due as true tests of driver and team support skills and stop all this mega hype over what is probably the most boring piece of motor sport on the planet - Formula One.
Let's have more coverage of true racing and less of the F1 circus.
Truefan, Felixstowe, Suffolk
A few Hamilton false things in this page: Hamilton is the one who had it on a plate this season and could not handle the fact that he could be the world champion and waste it all in the end by pressing the wrong bottom. Alonso does never fail at critical moments and would not have lost the championship in that shaming way that Hamilton did. That is the difference between a champion and a lucky rooky. But good luck does not last for ever. Also Hamilton was quicker because he was given a better car and was helped even by FIA every time he or his father was complaining against Alonso with or without reason. Hamilton and this father are the ones with have had an intemperate conduct, including rude and provocative manners even after (that ridiculous party in a disco) having had that unnecessary fate in Brazil. Of course Alonso is a champion and would be a winner with nearly any car he drives as he has already showed twice with Renault which Hamilton has not demonstrated yet. So I recommend British next season to make sure he is a champion for sure without any help first and celebrate it later.
Paloma, Madrid, Spain
Mr. Gordon, which kind of F1 world championship have you seen? Do you really think that Lewis could have been fighting for victory with the 2006 car? Do you think that Lewis has developed the car himself? Don't you think that Vettel, Rosberg, Kovalainen or even Heidfeld should be as quick as Lewis with the same car? In ANY other team, Lewis would be out of the team by his comments after Monaco or his arguments against the team after Hungary... At last, I understand why JP Montoya left McLaren... Next year, if Alonso left McLaren, we will see how Lewis improves the car himself and realize that everybody can be fast into a fast car, but not everybody can make a car go faster (have you forgotten McLaren difficulties to reach Q3 during 2006?)
Kiriko, Madrid, Spain
denis, do you remember hungary??
If alonso had worked out first, the championship will be to mercedes, but lewis' father is a bad person, and spoke Fia and mercedes lost championship...
Lewis meet of mercedes, denis meet of mac laren
chris, london, uk
Fernando Alonso is the best!!!
Alonso have wone two championship, and he is the youngest car driver champions.
The last year Mc Claren was 3th possition, and this year with help´s Alonso would have wone the championship.
Alonsomaniaco, Spain, Granada
Remenber Hungary?
Joan, Madrid, Spain
I'm afraid you are all too blind in your opinions to see the real truth at work. This is no longer a sport in which the best man wins at the end of the day. It's a business and money talks. Strange how the Mclaren was so good, but after the spying saga it became troublesome. Strange again how unreliability suddenly struck at the last race for Hamilton, which then suddenly evaporated. Was the race as fair as it should have been? Was the outcome decided before the event? In the end, Ferrari got what they wanted, both titles and Mclaren walked away with none. F1 is no longer what it once was. No longer a sport. Lets all move on....
Jason, Newcaslte, UK
its incredible, alonso is a losers?, ja ja ja. Its the best driver now, in the future, with a normal car, the best in the history.
This english newspaper only defence hamilton because is english but everybody know that is a bad driver, with the best car loose 12 point in 2 grand prix.
Alonso win with renault, he went to mclaren and renault is a losers this year, if mclaren gave a good car to alonso he won before interlagos with many points diference. I prefer alonso in ferrari.
Frank, Liverpool, Uk
Congrat, Kimi!!
Well done, Fernando!!
Lewis.... The Times says you're a winner, so I hope next year and followings you win as this year XD, losing 12 points and being 2nd!!!!!
I don't understand why you say Button is a loser... If he had been in McLaren in his first season with the best car surely he had win something...
Asami, Tokyo, Japan
McLaren are to be blamed for Kimi winning the title. They did only one mistake in my opinion. When Fernando had some bad luck in US, Canadian & French GP's & when Lewis had a better car than the Ferrari's on those races bang,, all of a sudden they made Lewis the number 1 driver than Alonso.
Alonso has gained more experience than any other in this season & it will definitely help him to win the coming seasons championships.
Firnas, Colombo, Sri Lanka
....tipical of a british newspaper...I do not see in your list ,the only winner....the only one who make the entire car FROM THE ENGINE TO THE LAST SCREW.......the one who had his tecnology's secrets stolen by modern pirates of F1....( mc laren)...the team who saw the rules change when he was invibile....and they won again....( no rules were changed when williams was winnig all those years in rule...!
The only ..magnific drem.......FERRARI!!!!!!
For what they have done,mc laren shouldn't be able to be part of F1 anymore
P.s. I just guess .....what you would say if Ferrari would do the thing mc laren did..
Renato, Rome, Italy
You are english fanatics. Hamilton has demonstrate that is a little boy with a big car. Alonso has powered up the car and when it has been competitive the team closed all doors to the champion. Enjoy what you have win this year... NOTHING.
Oscar, Valencia, Spain
Hahahaha! Hamilton winner??, Are you people mad?? Ah ok , winner of the World´s Champion Loser of the Year. C´mon guys, let´s be serious. A superclass doesn´t make such mistakes. China, Brazil (hahaha, Lewis watch out that buttons!!). Lewis can write a book now. "How to lose a F1 championship in 2 races". And You say that Fernando Alonso is a loser??, Michael Schumacher is also a loser to you? I don´t think so.
Jesus, Zaragoza, Spain,
hmmm..hamilton winner???
why becuase he got a better treat then alonso?
becuase he never got any punishment of the fia?
And i dont understand how you can say that he is better then alonso?
Is hamilton bi champion? NOO
i would like to see if he would be his first year in minardi or spyker, like nearly all the pilots.
I think the biggest loser are hamilton and ron dennis. Hamilton becuase of the stupid mistakes he has made and ron dennis also becuase of the wrong decision he has made throughout the year, which has cost him the title.
Julian, MADRID, SPAIN
Ed, do you think that Fernando Alonso is a loser? do you think so? and Hamilton? do you know that Alonso and Hamilton have finished with the same points? and do you know that Alonso is a Formula One bi-champion? During this season Alonso has been damaged by Mc Laren many times. And in spite of this, Alonso has been third. Congratulations Alonso!!! and Hamilton, I´m sorry but I think and many people in the world think that you´re the only one loser in the Formula One 2007. I´m sorry but you have shown to be very child to ride in Formula One.
Juanjo, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
1)You forget even to name Ferrari among winners: after a decade spent with the undisputed F1 ruler Schumacher,the team managed to win both championship,producing what is actually the fastest car in F1 (even if not the most reliable), even if victim of the infamous spy story. Consider the situation of Renault. How fast McLaren developed thanks to espionage!
2)Bernie Ecclestone is economically a winner but morally loser: his plan to set British golden boy Hamilton on the throne failed miserably (THIS is really miserable,not Alonso).To the boy was permitted everything and never penalized. He was even lift up from the sand with a tow car to let him gain some points!
3)Dennis appealed in Brazil for 2° of gasoline temp. while his guy used a set of tyres more illegally on saturday and get only a fine, just 'cause he had to win the champ. Hope the next Ron's appeal we'll see will be against the decision of Modena Penal Court, sentencing him to prison for 1 to 5 years ex artt. 622 623-640 C.P
Achille Cotone, Riga, Latvia
Brazilian GP reading: Alonso clearly passed and beat Hamilton in the second turn with a used engine and 10hp less. Hamilton thinks there has to be something wrong in the setup of the Playstation game. He pushes the reset button.
Miguel, Manning, USA
Lew..ser Hamilton didn´t win . You don´t win ...you loose.
The crane driver was the real winner.
Sorry boys no rugby, no F1. You always have cricket.
Xao Vin, Madrid,
I think it's unfair for Kimi to say that he won because others had bad luck. Ok, Hamilton had bad luck in last races but only there. And in shanghai it wasn't just a bad luck... so called bad luck cost Hamilton at most 15 points in this season... (included 10 points from shanghai).
Räikkönen retired 2 times.... and that was only bad luck, which cost him about 14 points... so in the end nobody was obviously more luckier than other.
Jaakko Uotila, Turku, Finland
So you earn "The European Ombudsman
Complaint form" see you on court.
Mario De Alba , Leon, Mexico
Kimi run fast and speak low, Ferrari run as a team. Mclaren is the bonfire of the pretenses. Result is fair.
Alberto, Madrod,
Last week after the sadness and misery travelled across all England, as a consequence of the sports results in the rugby worlchampioship and specially the poor play for the national team again Russia.I am agree with Mr Gorman that Lewis Hamilton is a big winne, because he lost for himself the F1 champioship after several gift from the FIA and all the media circus care triying to ridiculaze the former champion Fernando Alonso.
Fran, london, london
Who is Hamilton?
rafa, Barcelona, SPAIN
Lets give Fernando Hungary stolen points and I would love to see what you would say . Hamilton is a good driver, but I don´t see him winning next season either if Alonso leaves Mc Laren. What strange Q3 times for FA in the last races, has anyone got a clue why this happened? Do you have an answer Ed?. Fernando a loser... Finishing with the same amount of points as Hamilton after all we have seen during the whole season, how can you say that. Ed you will end writing for The Sun.
Alex Artiles , Salt Lake City, USA
Dear sons of Great Britain: all of you should learn how to accept a disaster. Who is the guity? Dennis of course. And Hamilton, because you cannot give a Formula One car to a kid (this is not a Playstation game).
You (McLaren) had a Formula One bi-champion in your team and you did't know how to manage. Bad luck.
Next year Alonso hopefully will be in Renault or Toyota and will provide you another opportunity to accept that you'll loose the championship ... another year.
Next Sunday I'll be supporting Alonso in Oviedo. He is the only winner this year.
Pepe, Madrid, Spain
Hamilton Winner??? is that a joke??? ah ah ah ah. You are very funny.
Only Kimmi is the champion and Alonso the winner.
Dennis and Hamilton are the losers.
Alonso with a cycle is faster than Hamilton with a F1, and also better.
Fernando Alonso, ESPAÃA, ESPAÃA
Lewis wants to race, he or any other competitive driver would not just sit in forth position and win - Alonso last weekend did not try to win, he sat there because had given up.
john, clevedon,
It will be funny to read what you have to say next year when Alonson becomes world champion driving a Renault once more and Hamilton only seeing thepodium from the distance.
Get it in your head Ed, if it wasn't for Alonso McLaren wouldn't had a chance in hell to win anything.
Let's see what Hamilton does next year, probably nothing, if Kimmi being a better driver than him never managed to win, your boy will have to fight for a least score a point. He'll be racing agains Button for the last place.
Joe, London,
I am an englishman, but after many years watching formula 1 have no option but to say that I am ashamed of the way people in the UK insult a person like Fernando Alonso who obviously expected more as he arrived as champion and although maybe he shouldn't have, just because it was an englishman as team mate, it suddenly became unthinkable when it has always been the way in F1. Furthermore, the media in the UK is awful and now the times with Edward Gorman joins a long list of tabloids.
You never even gave Alonso a chance even to give his view. First when he talks( probably too much) you say he shouldn't and then when he decides to fix that then UK media do nothing but to accuse and insult him. IT IS MAINLY YOUR FAULT THE BAD NAME OF UNFAIR AND PIRATES THAT WE HAVE GOT NOW IN SOUTHERN EUROPE AND INDEED IN MUCH OF THE REST OF THE WORLD. SHAME ON YOU
John Smith, york, United Kingdom
I want to see Maclaren-Mercedes (do not forget the Germans are the main owners of the team) aspiring for the 2008 title only with the Hamiltons (I suppose that since they want Alonso out of the team they will also aspire to have a docile teammate). Good for Mercedes....they have been the real loosers (I have heard their sales in Spain have dropped dramatically later)
Miguel, Murcia, Spain
winner -n- Person who wins.
loser -n- Person who is defeated
(Oxford Dictionary)
miserable -adj- 1. Very unhappy . 2 Causing wretchedness and unhappiness. 3. Poor in quality
(Oxford Dictionary)
I am persuaded that you feel a little miserable. Don't you, Mr. Gorman?
John , Alicante,
Hamilton has been the biggest losser in this season. Nobody can lose having 12 points before 2 races to the end.
Tony, Zaragoza, Spain
We should think every journalist is unbiased, however, dear Edward you haven't been it in this article. You don't need to discredit Alonso for hidding your miseries. We realized in Spain how fast Hamilton is. We can consider is a good driver he's very fast but unavoidable he hadn't experience and for this reason it has got obvious consecuences. Hamilton a winner? Hamilton is a bad-mannered and daddy's boy, and very stupid (like you have proved in this article) because he was the only guilty for loosing the Championship. He didn't need "fight" against Raikkonen when his tires was absolutely destroyed and of course he didn't need compete against Alonso for only one position during the start when being 4th it was enough. How it is possible you say Hamilton is a Winner? Agree with you McLaren have been a huge mess this season. Everybody have been mistaken ,nevertheless in the last two races Hamilton didn't need team only driving in a standard way it had been enough to win the champ.LOOSER.
Pedro, Madrid, Spain
Miserable Iberian? That sounds bad.
A bit of respect to a double world champion please.
Juan Onate, Geneva, Switzerland
First excuse my bad english, it is not my languaje. I think that many opinions in this blog are not focusing in sport, they only see the country of birthplace of each pilot like the most fundamental thing. I think that is not what it is F1. It is about cars, about drivers, about winning races, about teams, no matter at all what colour is the flag in the podium.
Winner this year is Kimi Raikkonen, as it is Felipe Massa by his driving and his team mate support.
And winning is also ScuderÃa Ferrari, of course. They do a wonderful job even with mistakes like everybody had in the year.
Lewis Hamilton did a fantastic work and he loses the championship because of his inexperience and it is natural. So did Giles Villeneuve many years ago. So Hamilton is a winner also, like are Rosberg, Kubica, Kovalainen, Heifeld, Sutil and few others drivers.
Alonso is a loser, not as a driver, he is a very good one but not a great one. He is a loser as person, by his attitude in the spy affair.
Jorge, San Rafael, Argentina
Hamilton was wrong, not Alonso and Alonso is'nt a loser because he was two times world champion. McLaren is two times loser because did'nt give Alonso the same chances of Hamilton. I am sorry for Alonso e happy for Ferrari. Ferrari is the winner and wins with Kimi like Schumi.
Marcello, Rome, Italy
Incredible! Now Alonso is a loser, and the golden guy who couldn't cope with the pressure and couldn't take advantage of his lead, Mr. Hamilton, is a winner!. I am feed up of that arrongant attitude in this country, but that is too much.
That very miserable man you talk, is double champion. Honest, direct, and not a double faced man, as some others. We support Alonso everywhere. I don't see that support for your guy.
Why?
Hopefully our beloved Kubica (please, "Kubitsa" is said, not "Kiubika"), will follow the steps of Fernando, not Lewis.
Best rookie? I wonder if he would be the same good in a Minardi.
Come Fernando!
Pawel Klutz, Croydon, England
Although I'm Spanish I've lived in the UK for a long time and I think I can see both sides of the argument that has been the main issue in many of the posts in this blog. Lewiss has suffered in the end a strange balancing act which somehow wiped out the huge advantage he had gained before through a number of excellent drives, some luck and some questionable decissions. I think it's funny that t the beginning of the season FA made a number of unforced errors when under pressure by his team mate, but in a really quick process LH has ended up where FA started: Thinking more about his enemy than about his driving. He couldn't do anything about some mechanical problems (or could he have pressed the right b.?) but he clearly lost his tittle through not thinking on his feet. Difficult to see whether he could end up "burnt" after such a quick rise -and fall- and whether FA will be able to be himself again. What will the new rules reveal about driving skills? Will LH become another Button? mm
carlos c., london, uk
next year, will Hamilton need de help of de FIA? I thing this year it was incredible, I only hope that next year all the pilots suffer the equal rules, this year LH has 8 or 10 extra points of a present from de FIA.
pedro, santander,
Losing Alonso and winning Hamilton indeed that necesitais a psychiatrist. Better to ask as the spoiled kid of mclaren could have won after all the helps of the FIA.
Francisco, Granada, Spain
I love this new humour section! I think this guy, Gorman, will be a serious rival in hollywood for eddie murphy and leslie nielsen.
Kindly Regards for your national LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSER, Hamilton. Maybe next time, ROOKIE
Korisevich, Madrid, España
The biggest loosers in this championship has been Mr. Dennis and McLaren. Not recognising this fact is just lacking objectivity. Hamilton didn't win, despite his talent and support, because he has been far too greedy. He's an excellent pilot but lacks experience, and most of all, fair play. So far Alonso has won 2 championships, and has ended third with the same number of points that Lewis, he can't be that big of a looser as you say he is.... get over it!!!
Anna, Nice, France
How amusing it is to hear such criticism of British Journalism, given that Spain is probably the only country in Europe to out gutter-press this one.
Oh, and Davide - were you referring to Italians such as Michael Schumacher and Kimi Raikkonen? Just between you and me, UK drivers have won the F1 championship 12 times, more than anyone else, anywhere. Italy is 9th on that list with 3 wins. 9th. Just above Spain, in fact. Australians have won it more times.
Oh, and just to pre-empt your nationalistic fervour regarding the constructor's championships. France won that three times, Italy fifteen times and the UK?
Thirty-two times.
¡qué escándalo!
Dan, Hampton, UK
When will the hype stop? The fact is that Raikkonen won more races, scored more points and made less mistakes than the rest.
Mclaren and their precious Lewis have only themselves to blame. They got greedy in China and missed the first opportunity to seal the championship by racing for the win rather than points. Then they repeated the mistake in Brazil - Hamilton with his reluctance to concede a place to Alonso and McLaren with a three stop strategy that left Hamilton with too much ground to make up. Fourth places in either race would have been sufficient.
Before everyone shouts "gearbox problem", remember that McLaren's reliability was much better than the Ferrari's. Massa's season came unstuck with mechanical failures and Raikkonen would have won the championship sooner had it not been for breakdowns earlier in the season.
Raikkonen put in a great performance and is the deserving champion. Hamilton will get his chance again. And Alonso might just about have stopped laughing.
Rob Jerome, Nottingham , UK
I will never be completely surprised. There will always be some more surprising.
Do you really believe your own words?
Do you really believe Hamilton BEAT Alonso? Only for ONE point difference? INCREDIBLE.
Hamilton has exceeded expectations. I DO agree. May be is the only thing you can say it´s truth.
WInners: Hamilton. UPS. Do you really believe someone who loses 17 points in 3 last races doing STUPID acts like loose the track 2 times, and UPS "pressing the wrong button" is a winner, a champion?
Someone in McLaren should tell him the car is not controlled by MS WINDOWS and it´s not necessary to restart it, just controll the wheel and use properly acelerator and brakes.
Do you really believe hamilton "has all the qualities to be champion next year"?? Someone acting like a teenager, pressing wrong buttons when he is about to be THE WINNER. Come on. Even you DO NOT BELIEVE such words.
By the way, if you say somehting like "one very miserable Iberian" you should know .......
Kilea, Sevilla, SPAIN
Being Portuguese, and given that Portugal is a part of the Iberian Peninsula I must say that the remark that "very miserable iberian", is at the very least shocking for a newspaper of the Times' caliber... I would expect to read something like that in the Sun or a likewise stupid comment regarding Lewis Hamilton in "As" or "Marca". But i also have to understand that both british and spanish media, plus hamilton, alonso and Ron Dennis, made an excellent job in destroying all of Maclaren's chances this season. Either pilot could have been easily crowned world champion but instead they were gunned down by their own ambition. I have to say it is particularly enjoyable reading all this nonsense from both sides. But do get a grip on you geography knowledge and leave my country out of it!
all the best for Ferrari for next season
Sergio Antunes, London,
Hello everybody out there,
As other guy said in this forum, if you compare Lewis Hamilton perfomance against Jaques Vileneuve one on his first F1 season you can find that JV was a best overall rookie. The coincidence is that both have had the best car of the moment. Jaques Vileneuve has not proved with the pass of the years to be that kind of legend that he might arrive to be. Is not Hamilton the same case "10 Years After"? What is your opinion about Jenson Button? May be both were oversized by "good press" guys....
Probably the best chance would be the following: wait five years and we alltogether will be able to go on with this sterile conversation.
I can not mix sport with nationalism, I only want facts. Too much fanatism on a lot of other guys' comments.
Best regards
Giovanni di Dio
Giovanni di Dio, Las Palmas, Canary Islands- Not Europe!
"Miserable Iberian" ? How disrespectful! That shows that you guys cannot get over the fact that Hamilton did not win..... a good character lesson for all of you! Alonso could be very outspoken at time, but let's not forget that he was the one that showed Lewis how to get the max out of his car....
Again, a very good character lesson for all of you! Hope you learnt something....
C, New York City, NY, USA
Renault is not as competitive as McLaren. They have been showing it for 8 years.
hahahaha
david, Paris, France
"...and one very miserable Iberian..."
Mr. Edward Gorman, you can hide behind the title os Motor Racing Correspondent, in fact this is an unrespectful and racist comment.
KR, LH, FA ... they deserved the Championship, your comment is an insult. Shame on you!
sergi, geneva, switzerland
Edward Gorman: Your point of view is very funny.
ALonso loser and hamilton winner? ha ha ha h ah a
A world champion or a very good pilot cannot lose this oportunities. LH with the 5 place was champion and made one of the most stupid races in the history of F1. He is a talent pilot no doubt , but he is not inteligent.
All the year with all king of support (team, fia), remember hungary, germany, japan, ron dennis etc,etc, etc.
LH is only a good pilot, better perhaps if his daddy is not present, but with this demonstration I Think hw will never be champion in F1.
Aldo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Hamilton should be a loser, all the english press has put hamilton as the best rookie ever, but realy come on, sebastian vettel has done how many races and was almost second on the japanese grand prix and he was fourth on the the chinese garnd prix.
No rookie has ever start in a winning car, put vettel there and he would of been just as good, and mclaren had a winning car thanks to alonso, and the team gave everything to a rookie instead of trusting alonso, if they would of trusted alonso, they would have at least one of the titles, but of course they are english and they wanted an brit to win, but of course he blew his chances because he was a rookie, and made a rookie mistake.
Carlos Artiles, Clearfield, Utah
alonso the best!!!!!!!
Sandra , Santander, Spain
I agree with most of the comments, and see that people in UK is not idiot at all, even when they read this kind of news every day
Why are you so blind to see reality? Obviously, you just want to sell your newspapers, but you sell a distorted reality to your readers
What was McLaren this past years before the arrival of Alonso, who helped them take the car to a new level? Let me tell you: they were nothing
Alonso has won 2 championships against people as Michael Shumacher, and without him, Hamilton would have 50 points. Or why does everybody want Alonso in his team? Oh, it looks like he's not so miserable at all..
On the other side we have your loved hero, Lewis, with the lack of results of Button you've putted all your hope in this kid, who has demonstrated that wasn't ready for this responsability, and has cried to the FIA, who helped him every single time. They've used rules as they want to help Lewis, and santionated Alonso with rules that didn't exist. Who is miserable?
Paul, Brighton, UK
my dear eddie,
Winners : Kimi Raikkonen ,Bernie Ecclestone
Fernando Alonso
Pirates/losers : Ron Dennis/McLaren , Lewis Hamilton
Losers : The FIA , Felipe Massa
Hamilton is the most successful rookie in history and the first one with big team: McLaren-FIA-Ecclestone-Edward Gorman-Cheat-Lucky&ferrariproblems, after that is in the second place..... ummmh Should be isn´t successful
Juan, Tenerife, Canary Islands
"Miserable iberian" , Mr Gorman ? miserable is one of the worst words you can use against a man, I didn´t expect such language from you. Your behaviour is a hooligan´s one. There´s a war inside McLaren, but you´re suppose just to tell us, not to take part. I´m an iberian as well and I feel you´re speaking about me too.
Javier , Seville , Spain
Edward Gorman don´t know what he writes, Alonso is the best and JAJAmilton is a learner. McLaren is a bad team!
Alonso --> Renault, Madrid, Spain
No Doubt â âRon Speakâ Lyrics
You and me
We used to be together
Everyday together always
I really feel
That I'm losing my best friend
I can't believe
This could be the end
It looks as though you're letting go
And if it's real
Well I don't want to know
RON SPEAK
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts
RON SPEAK
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Our memories
Well, they can be inviting
But some are altogether
Mighty frightening
As we die, both you and I
With my head in my hands
I sit and cry
RON SPEAK
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)
RON SPEAK
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
It's all ending
I gotta stop pretending who we are...
You and me I can see us dying...are we?
RON SPEAK
I know just what you're saying
So please stop explaining
Don't tell me cause it hurts (no, no, no)
RON SPEAK
I know what you're thinking
I don't need your reasons
Don't tell me cause it hurts
Don't tell me cause it hurts!
I know what you're saying
So please stop explaining
RON SPEAK,
RON SPEAK,
RON SPEAK,
oh I know what you're thinking
And I don't need your reasons
I know you're good,
I know you're good,
I know you're real good
Oh, la la la la la la La la la la la la
RON, RON, uh-huh Hush, hush darlin'
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush
don't tell me tell me cause it hurts
Hush, hush darlin' Hush, hush darlin'
Hush, hush don't tell me tell me cause it hurt
Joaquin, A Coruña, Spain
How the hell can a F1 Team spend over 90 milion pounds in a champion and then just give the 100% of support to a rookie how the hell anyone can be that stupid, i´m glad that mc laren lost the championship, Denis face should be priceless, just to note that renault is not a uncompetitive Team (they won the chamionship, drivers and constructors the last 2 years) mc laren should learn, also without the the adjusts of Alonso in the car mc laren will be in the the same position next year, the losers one. and i bet Alonso will become a winner again in renault. Oh yes about Hamilton just a big laugh to see how handle the pression. Not a Winner just a terrible brainless loser.
Xino, Rotherham, South Yorkshire
Fernando a loser...are you kidding? He's he best pilot any team could have, he should have received much more respect from McLaren. And moreover, why the hell do they sign the best pilot? To treat him as a newcomer...that's something difficult to understand. I wish he could find a real team, not a bunch of radical british pushing for his local hero...
José Francisco Zapata Cortado, Alicante, Spain
Let's go Alonso!!!
José, Madrid,
When Hamilton any other pilot win two championships in a row with a team like Renault, we can talk.
Hamilton has had the best car this year, all the support from his team, the set up for the races has been done by Alonso and he has has telemetry data from his team mate for qualifications, and he hasn't even won the championship.
If Alonso had had the same treatment and support he 'd be champion again.
McLaren has been become in a circus with too many clowns, Dennis, Hamilton, Anthony Hamilton, Haug, Witemarsh,...
McLaren doesn't deserve the best pilot; Fernando Alonso.
When was the last time Dennis won any title???? As soon as Kimi left that circus (McLaren) he won the title.
Carlos, Miami, EEUU
Obviously, you British haven't got over the Hamilton fiasco.
You've been waiting so many years to get a world champion. First you tried with Button, who resulted to be a completely let down. Now another disappointment with Hamilton.
I believe that Alonso represents all you want. That's the reason you hate him so bitterly.
Nevertheless, you didn't get what you desired, and you will have to wait another year.
Meanwhile keep sighing.
Ulon, Zurich, Switzerland
Hamilon lost and it is sooooooo good !
philippe, paris, france
Dear Eddi,
the only miserable person here was Ron Dennis: he could have chosen the winner/experienced pilot and would be champion now. Instead, he has only a big NOTHING. As father in law: 10 points. As F1 Team Leader: 0 points.
And what about Kimi? He may be the winner-but-not-champion, but nobody will remember in 20 years that hamilton almost-won-a-title...
At last, but not least, don´t forget: Dennis tried it with Montoya and Kimi a couple of years ago, and didn´t got the championship either. To build a winning car you need not only the best engineers, but also an experience pilot like Alonso. Let´s see if Rosberg/whoever can do the same next year... ´cause one is for sure: McLaren won´t have a champion on his team the next season.
PS:Btw, using words like "miserable" as an adjective for a person, could be good enough for The Sun, not for The Times.
Peter, Vienna, Austria
Alonso Loser??? HAHAHAHA.. What a laught . No one belive that. He finist in same points and triumphs that Lewis and he gets no help from his own team. No ones remember now what Ron sais in China... "Battles was agains Alonso, not Kimi" HAHAHAHA C'MON !!
Alonso was very happy in Brasil.. The world nows he is the real winner and Hamilton the real Loser.
Frank, London, London
Do you really think that Hamilton is a winner in this competition?...to finish second, with the two last errors, only confirms what we have been telling all the season. He's a good rookie and a bad player. Game over Lewis.
Nobody says that he is a bad pilot , but from our point of view, he don't need any class of favors or external help to gain the world championship. He will win, and provably in a short time, but the impression you have transmitted to the Spaniards, is that MacLaren has done pitfalls, have played dirtily, and has manipulated the information, and above all, they have blamed of everything happened to Fernando. Can you tell me if is this the English Seniority?...Yeah?...we thought that was another thingâ¦Lord Ron..
Last comment Ed, when you say âmiserable iberianâ, you are insulting Fernando, my mother, my family, and me. Be careful with these words, amigo, your comment can be very bad interpreted.
Ric, Barcelona, Spain
Alonso can be considered as a looser is because he is 3rd this year, after having winning 2 world championships.
But before consider Hamilton as a winner, check first Alonso's job: he took an uncompetitive car, which did not finished all races, very hard to drive and to keep into the runway, and after correcting it with the engineers, McLaren got a realible and competitive car. This is not but, I guess. Anothe fact is how did Hamilton help to achive that?, He had no experience, had he?
Both pilots have shown to be fast, but Hamilton has shown his lack of experience and self control at the key moments of the season. But he is not a looser, 2nd in his first year, poles, winnings, podiums. The only looser is Dennis. He did not manage some situations correctly: The affair with Ferrari, the fact that he could decide to have a world champion in September, the fact that Hamilton should only had 2 pit stops at Brasil, the comunication: "we run against Alonso". Did he burn Hamilton in Brasil?
Felipe Ramos, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
Hamilton a winner???
The way he has trown away the title, that's great, yeah.
He's a part of F1 History now, as the guy who needed 3 points out of 20 to win title, and didn't score it.
Also as the first driver who makes a right at 20mph while entering pit-lane.
Could have been the biggest winner, but at the end he's just "the great loser".
Serge, Jaen, Spain
Blimey, don't you lot get excited about F1, possibly the most boring 'racing' (and I use that in the loosest sense of the word) in the world!
Get rid of pit stops & have one long race, then we'll see who's the best racer & maybe, just maybe, some overtaking other than in the pits!
Also I'd just like to say Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. ;-)
Neil, London, UK
Alonso is the number 1, and Hamilton is only a good rookie. If you fight with a great bullfighter like Alonso, you must to learn with him, and Lewis is an impulsive and silly f1.
Anthony, Oviedo, Spain
Is really Alonso a loser? I guess he is the happiest person in Mclaren, because his teammate didn't win meanwhile he defends himself saying that his car was biased, so he couldn't win. He argues a lack of equality in the team, so in that case he have lost the championship, but the team have lost everything too. Is Alonso a loser? I don't think so.
Is it Hamilton? obviously not, he was in his first season and could show all his potential in the fututre. Th real loser? Mclaren and Dennis who made all they could to get a brithish winner at any cost, but time puts things on order, luckyly.
Josh Evans, Athens, GA
"Miserable iberian"
Just a quick note to fellow Spaniards. I think the term "miserable" in this context means unhappy rather than the meaning it has in Spanish (more like despicable). There's been some misleading translations in Spanish papers that make it sound like an offensive statement. Any native please comment
Ignasi, Barcelona, Spain
A pair of things, i do not know what you understand by loser, but Alonso has gained more last year than if he had gained the world title of the way that Hamilton would have done it, the weeping one. The second, and within the ignorance in which the English delight themselves, say you that Alonso is not iberan, but from an origin ceitic territory, as it is Asturias. And another thing, safe that you had been able to choose another word for miserable.
Daniel, Oviedo, Asturias
You can say whatever you want even 'miserable spaniard' or loser but as I could see previously, only Räikkönen, Todt and Alonso were happy in Brazil (and obviously the rest of team Ferrari), so keep on saying Lewis is also a winner. So there in England, you celebrate the 2nd place of Hamilton and here in Spain however, we celebrate the 'victory' of Hamilton. Congratulations everybody!!!!!
JC, Aviles,
For me, as a Spaniard, is interesting to see that Hamilton is considered "a winner" in the British press. This would have been our approach in Spain 5 or 10 years ago. Not any longer. FA has not won, the Spanish Basketball team that came 2nd in the European championship have not won...In Spain, now, and after many many years, winning is coming 1st. Not second. No excuses. And that's how we are getting champs in most of the sports. My honest recommendation is to you change your approach or mediocracy will be the result.
ipod, Madrid, Spain
As, Pau, I think this is so stupid.
If Fernando Alonso decides to go out from McLaren, then, we'll see if Hamilton can make a car to win the championship. And next year, we'll see if Hamilton is really a great driver, as I think, but without a World Championn as partner, who gave him all for make a competitive car.
Antonio, Sevilla, Spain
Alonso is a professional, nothing more, which also does not need outside help to win races, nor his father back to defend him.
Hamilton has shown exactly what applies in the latter two races. What you have is envy
Noah, Madrid, Spain
Good grief! Such bile from Spain.
You may be losing something in the translation. The article is pointing out who has gained from this season and who has lost.
It is not a pro british, flag waving article. If you actually read it it agrees with a lot of your own points.
And for those of you with your small minded xenophobic comments, you should have a long look at yourselves in the mirror and grow up. This is a sport we're talking about!
The majority of you have completely missed the point.
Chris Phipps, Worthing,
I think that Spanish sponsors ( Banco de Santander and Mutua Madrileña above all ) should think twice keeping investing money on a team where the pilot, his father and his tutor have made life impossible for a Spanish pilot. It is not that Alonso has more opportunities for being world champion twice( that it should be ) but at least both pilots should have had the same opportunities.
On the other hand, if Alonso leaves Mclaren , as everybody expects ( specially Spanish supporters )it is commented that Nico Rosberg would take his place. Well, Nico said in Interlagos that he was going to miss Alex Wurz´s experience when making the set up of the car ; so poor Hamilton next year , who´s going to make the set up for him ? Nico Rosberg ? I doubt it much.
antonio, vigo, españa
When I read the comments, I scroll down to skip the ones from Spanish people (I already know what I'm going to read, it gets pathetic at times) and the ones written by the British (to avoid reading embarrasing biased and often racist remarks). What people from out of these 2 countries write is often more interesting.
I'd say Hamilton's been a loser this season too. That's my opinion. Because despite of being a rookie, everything was favourable for him. And he screwed up. Simple as that. He and MClaren screwed up. Britons are blinded by the fact this has been his first season in F1. In the same situation, with the same car and team, it's impossible to say the likes of Kubica, Rosberg or Vettel would have done it worse than him. Perhaps they would have won the Championship. Why not?
And please LH didnt outclass FA. Wihout the Hungary incident (to say just one) FA would have probably finished with more points at the end of the season.
Michal fom Poland, Madrid,
Fernando is the best
John, London, England
Fernando has improved your car, now Alonso goes away of MClaren. That will happen? "British ungrateful"
Pedro, Badajoz, España
First of all, congratulationsKIMI!!!!!!
Secondly, Congratulations FERNANDO, hoping this is your first and last year in McClaren. You are the best mainly after saying that Kimi had been a deserved winner.
Thirdly, HAMILTON U R A LOSER!!!!!!!!
Finally, We are still waiting for Hamilton´s congratulation to Kimi, Pride is not a good adviser darling!
Brittons try memorizing this: FERNANDO ERES EL MEJOR, PUXA FERNANDO!!!!
delhi, Oviedo, Spain
I can't stop having fun seeing what happenned with your English RooKOie, ha ha ha.
Don't be afraid Edward Gorman, next year Miserable Alonso will be World Champion another time.
And Ron Dennis? Will see him in next Lost chapter?
Ha ha ha
Congratulations for your void and 'objective' review of 2007 F1 Championship
Carlos, Barcelona Spain, Spain
The loser was Hamilton, because he was the only who has the championship in his hand, and he losed it.
Fran, Barcelona, spain
Ed: "miserable iberian".I'm sure you could have said "unhappy" or something like that. Oh,Yes,unhappy at McLaren,where he was cheated and sabotaged along the season. .It's obvious that they already had a rider(LH),and a good one though rookie,they only needed another pilot to implement the car as Alonso really did.
Do you think Hamilton is a winner?He won nothing at all.
He was too ambitious to wait another season and learning a lot from Alonso,an experienced, not a rookie.Driving a F1 car on the track is quite different to the simulator or the play.He is not alone and must master the situation.Now,if Alonso leaves
McLaren,we shall see next season how McLaren's car performs and Hamilton's place.
Alonso found an uncompetitive car at Renault and made it competitive(as he did with McLaren's),winning TWO consecutive championships fighting against SHUMACHER.
"...paid him handsomely..."Toyota offered him 165M euros
for three seasons.,what McLaren paid has been a real bargain.
.
RAFAEL, Oviedo, Spain
Leaving aside the witty use of "miserable" there, was Alonso feeling miserable? You bet! If you believe him (and, at times, RD also), he was racing against his own team and against questionable FIA decissions (such as in Hungary). Should we factor in just on-track results (that is, a more than likely win by FA in Hungary, had he not been outrageously penalized) it would have been extremely difficult to describe Alonso as a loser this past season, don't you think?
Apples with apples. Hamilton has been a very succesful rookie. No doubt about it. Now, how many rookies had these many advantages (grooming ad nauseam, most competitive car, a world champion as a teammate , a country--not mentioning its raucous media--behind him...) in their debut? Can you imagine Hamilton racing for Toyota, Toro Rosso, Spyker or the like? Would had he been equally successful? I seriously doubt it.
Cincinnati Kid, Cincinnati, OH, USA
Loser is the one who lose something. And who has lost most this year?
Ron: Two championship , then he is the biggest looser
Hamilton: A championship with 17 point advantage with 20 left, them he is another big looser
Alonso: Previous world champion. He has lost the title. Loser, but nobody expected him to win at the biggining. so , he should no be that desappointed. ( A small loser)
Whatever else you want to argue is pointless.
Guillermo Vicente, Dublin, Ireland
Lewis the best rookie? He started in one of the best teams and he had as a teammate a champion, and this champion taught hamilton all the things that th rookie knows. But, who is the youngest champion? Who ended with the Shumacher's age? Who had the same points that lewis had, with his team and the FIA (remember the race in hungary, without this penalty the winner would be alonso) aginst him? Hamilton a winner? a driver who pressed the "pit lane speed contolled" because he was too nervous? This is a champion? Alonso is a champion, and Kimi too, but Hamilton thougth that he was a champion but no. And please, now don´t say that he is the champion because he is a rookie, no , he has too many things for learn, one of them is humbleness. And, before Alonso Mclaren was trying to end 5th, Fernando made Mclaren a chmpion team, but they wasted this for gave the title to Lewis, but Oh! surprise! he wasn´t able to bear it.
Mathew, Santiago, Spain
eddie eddie, you has just cover yourself with your own words.
pablo, Barreda-Cantabria, Spain
"and one very miserable Iberian". This journalist definitely shows his true colors for writing this controversial article, and for sure this article has been posted all around Spain and South America. I belive in freedom of speech but always with moderation and respect to the others.
Alejandro, Miami Beach, USA
This "miserable iberian" has won twice the world whampionship, how many times winned it any other Mclaren driver in last 10 years?
Is really a pilot problem, why Kimmi hadn't won any with McLaren?
I hope Alonso will race next year in other team, Renault or even spaiker, if it's needed.
Where is the honor in lost both champioship?
Juan, Pucela, SPAIN
Oh my god!. The best race for Fernando will be running far away, so so far away from all those "miserable losers".
fernando, Alcoy,
Is Hamilton a winner? It is a pathetic loser and weeping. A child who has taken advantage of the expertise of Alonso at the time of making the adjustments of the cars and believed to be the king of the world until it has demonstrated what it is, a complete novice when everything depends on him, fails miserably . Because that's you dont't say, the sorry spectacle that gave in Brazil.
And, frankly, how you love that Alonso was British?
Ana, Barcelona,
This is so silly. Any driver who is told, "listen, would you like to be in a position where you have to finish fourth in the last two races to become world champion, with a car that at worst can finish fourth" would say "yes" without hesitation. Hamilton became greedy, wanted to win everything, and ended up in the gravel pushing the worng buttons. That sounds like a big loser to me.
I do admit he is very good and might win the WDC at some point, but he simply lacked experience. That experience that you get driving a Minardi or a Sauber and starting in the bottom of the grid.
Pau, Barcelona,
Don't you just love that "drink and drive" image?
Andrew Milner, Karuizawa, Nagano
Yous guys are incredible, you believe your own fables. Youe precious new comer will be nothing without the edge that Alonso brought to the team this year. But please, let´s recall, wasn´t it Ron Dennis who said "the race was against Alonso and not Kimi", very well managed Ron! as for your hero (with no titles) remind mclaren to take the buttons out of sight next year. It´s OK you can still kidd yourselves, Alonso is a hirrible driver and a very bad team mate, we see how competive is your car next year...without alonso.
Alex, Las Palmas, Spain
These comments are generally more entertaining than the articles they're tagged to so thank you for all involved with the flag waving and nation bashing this season as it has kept the quiet moments between races anything but.
I have to say that on the whole I agree with this article but rather than "winners" and "losers" it should be "who gained the most" and "who lost more than expected"
LH became a household name so there should be no denying he has gained a huge amount regardless of whether you love him or love to hate him and his rapid rise to fame. FA produced so much for MC but before the season started few would have thought he would have to battle so much with the team. He didn't do this with the poise of a two times champion so his image has been tarnished by his own hubris.
KR was focused throughout the year but was overshadowed by all the controversy unfortunately
The only winners were the fans - we had the most entertaining F1 season in years both on and off the track
CB, Tokyo, Japan
Fernando Alonso emerges as a loser because he was unable to make up for the 5-place grid penalty imposed by the FIA, who take advantage of every excuse they can make up to nail the Spanish driver.
However, the 'unhappy Spaniard' has the inner satisfaction of having prompted Lewis Hamilton's final SJ (ask Mark Webber for the meaning), with the invaluable assistance of the many hours spent practising on the PlayStation, hitting the "Reset" button whenever he didn't like the way a race was going (Interlagos, of course).
If Alonso remains at McLaren, I would surely expect Ron Dennis to again make the mistake of 'racing Fernando'. Mr. Equality does not seem to be the type to learn from his errors.
Hamilton, on the other hand, steps forward every time he goofs off and has the honesty to admit his mistakes. This mark of character saves him from being a full loser despite having been the FIA's Designated One and having failed to take the title earmarked for him by Uncle Bernie.
Michel Angstadt, Serranillos del Valle, (Madrid) Spain
Alonso 2 - Hamilton+Ron+Father :)+FIA (Hungary, safety car, tyres..... ) 0
Hamilton winner? hahahahahaha :)
Alonso loser ? hahahahaha (remember Hungary?) hahahaha
Congratulations Hamilton
Congratulations Ron Dennis
Congratulations McLaren
Spain is a feast
El Justo, Santander, Spain
Hamilton in the winners group?
This guy has lost the title in the most stupid way in the last 25 years at least.
Gorman, you are a poor guy. It looks like the one you support needs to do very little to make you happy.
Its OK you enjoy being the first of the losers
Peter, Madrid,
go Hamilton!
denis mistake taken alonso to mclaren
mclaren th best!
gabriel, madrid, españa