End of Season Blues.. what I am missing :(

Like many others, I guess I have been trying to get over my F1 withdrawal symptoms now that the season is over. Weekends seem empty, with nothing to look forward to for months and months. So Kate and Wills got engaged... so what??

I am moping thinking that until April next year, there is no more Wednesday GP picture posts, no Thursday discussion or arguments in terms of the updates brought and which car would be the fastest, no talk of sandbagging or just plain uncompetitiveness of the cars come Free Practice on Friday... No sweet sound of "neeeeeeeyoooooowwwmmm" as F1 cars speed along in Qualis and Sunday races. No utter jubilation or depression after the race (dependent on how Ferrari and Fernando did that race...) AAAAAAAArgh.. how did season 2010 end so fast???!!!!Where did it all go??

One thing that I will sorely miss is the shots of the drivers waiting in the car, studying data prior to the start of the race. I wish I could be there, seeing the data and making sense of what they are actually looking at, (well, of course I regret not being a whizz in maths/physics/chemistry combo that would have allowed me to become a race engineer or F1 car designer/aerodynamician... personal physician...ANYTHING!!!!)

I also miss the butterflies that flutter in the pit of my stomach as the drivers make their way to the starting line, as the red lights get lit one by one, waiting, waiting, waiting for the lights to go off. Can anyone else understand the excitement of the first corner, the first lap of each GP? My heart racing a hundred miles a minute, lips going dry, hands trembling, eyes unblinking...

The elation one gets when the red car gets in among the top 3, wishing, wishing, wishing that the engine will last, praying for no accidents, no tyre blowin up etc. Praying that the pitstop strategy will pay off, and that the stop happens seamless and incident-free.

Need I say more? My weekends already feel annoyingly empty and will remain so for the next few months! I am glad that the drivers are getting some well deserved rest/break from their frenetic pace. However, for a fan like me... winter is indeed, a dreary season! It might be time for me to pick up bungee jumping or something. Either that or... hmmm Ferrari World is looking very tempting!

Oh Well...

I have not been updating this blog for a while.

It does not mean that I have not been following F1 or Fernando's career.
It does not mean that I have not been cheering him on all through 2010 season.
Au contraire... I was elated when Fernando joined the Scuderia. My only sorrow is the fact that I am no longer working for one of the major sponsors of the Ferrari F1 team - would have loved the opportunity to meet the guy!
I danced on tables (figuratively speaking!) when Fernando and Felipe got that 1-2 in Bahrain.
I ranted and raved when it looked like all hope was lost towards the middle of the season.
When Fernando jumped ahead in the WCC points due to a resurgence in the F10 performance, I cheered on.

Well of course, then I was thinking about updating this blog. Yet, I hesitated because I did not want to seem like the "fair-weathered fan," those that only posted when things are going right. I have bitten my typing fingers during his final year at Renault, and through Singapore-gate. So why should I start mouthing off when Fernando began to reap success? Hence the silence.

Now, I am finally picking up the pieces after the disappointment in Abu Dhabi.
Since Sunday, I have not haunted PlanetF1.com or Autosport.com. I have not read a single article or post from fans or foe. I have been stewing in my utter dejection after the Abu Dhabi fiasco.

Hey ho... anyway.. I am back.. and during this off season and for 2011 - I vow to post and share my thoughts on Fernando and the Scuderia. Well, I am not an F1 professional. I wish I was. Yet, as a fan, I guess I reserve the right to voice my thoughts.

Fernando.. have a great off-season. The 3rd WCC crown beckons in 2011. Delayed gratification will taste all that much sweeter when it is finally achieved. Here's to a great 2nd half of 2010 - and to an even better whole of 2011!

Back at Renault...!

So there I was, standing outside this seafood restaurant at a quay side in Singapore, still mourning the fact that I missed out on the first ever night race and Fernando's first win of the 2008 season when a colleague walked up to me with excitement. "Fernando's signed two more years with Renault!" he said. There we go! Finally, the confirmation and the end to the uncertainty. Funny that while it has almost been certain in my heart since Japanese Grand Prix, the confirmation is a sigh of relief.

I am happy that he will be staying another year at least, and I hope that the second half of 2008 has signalled the Renault Renaissance and next year will be a jubilant one for the partnership. All I want is to see Fernando where he deserves - on the podium. Of course the best place should be at the top of the podium, but I would settle for a consistent podium finish all year in 2009.

My trip to Singapore this time is not just for work - I have been privileged to attend a wonderful session with Dr. Paul Stoltz, the person responsible for "Adversity Quotient" and it is all about harnessing adversity to our advantage. While it is apt for me to be attending this session given the current economic uncertainty, it did not escape me that Fernando has done just that with 2008. He has actually harnessed adversity and turned them to his favour. At the start of the season, he was almost the butt of joke for a gleeful media conspiracy, all targeted towards making him look immature, untalented, bitter person who could not cope with a "faster," rookie partner. The R-28 was a lame horse, poorly developed, it looked impossible to drive - after each race it was clear that it would be a feat to even obtain 1 point.

At this juncture, he could have proved his detractors right and say - "Oh well.. this season's over. My car is impossible. Let's just get on with the season as best as we can and try not to finish behind Force India." Instead, to lag behind was never an option. He mobilised the team to innovate and improve. He pushed the car to get the optimum drive possible, at times over driving the car and ended with DNF. I believe that he pushed himself to walk away from the past, to look forward, to hope and in the process found the drive and passion that he lost at McLaren. Instead of saying, "I can't see myself driving F1 for another 6 years," he began saying that he is in F1 for the long haul.

Wonderful!

I loved the way the season ended for Fernando. Up at the podium, comforting a visibly upset Massa. He gave up his youngest WDC record gracefully. 2007 was his year of adversity, and since then, he has more than grown in stature. He has gained respect for his talent, his leadership qualities, his sportsmanship. His credibility has never been higher.

Now as I look outside the hotel window to the beautiful view of the "Durian" shaped Esplanade, the Singapore River and the Merlion, I am glad that I heard the good news of him staying with Renault when I was in the city where he created history as the first ever night race winner.

Have a great winter break to all F1 fans - and most importantly, congratulations Fernando, for facing adversity square in the face and conquering your mountain. I am proud to be your fan! Keep on ascending!

A few months on...

No, I have not forgotten about this blog. Professionally, life has been very hectic at the new project with the situation being more critical than expected - One more major push till the end of the year, and we should be home free. Another 6 months to stabilise the organisation after that, and I should be looking for new projects to handle by June 2009.

I have also been travelling back and forth between my country and the Middle East and while I am enjoying the changes in scenery, I don't really enjoy long-haul flights. Maybe time for me to look for more permanent projects in the middle east?

So, that's where I am at, and yes, I am still celebrating Fernando's victory in Singapore. Unfortunately, I was not able to see him win in person - having had to fly out of Asia on 23rd Sept - my timing sucks.. but looking forward to seeing him up on the podium more often from now on.

I love the fact that he has been in the news for all the right reasons - giving his honest opinion, and the media has not been able to twist his words. Must be hard to do so, with the number of respectable team leads that have voiced their interest in signing him up for their respective teams. At the end of the day, talent speaks louder than words. How long can his detractors bring out the "Fernando is not a good team player" statement... especially the way he has proven his mark at Renault.

Of course, those who are unhappy about Fernando's win has come up with all kinds of conspiracy theories of Flav's order for Nelsinho to crash out to maximise on Fernando's early pit strategy. Sigh, if nothing else, Fernando's detractors are definitely creative and desperate.. sad state of denial that they are in... sigh.

On the other hand, we have always known how talented and complete Fernando is on the grid. His win was a matter of when, not a matter of if! Great job Fernando. Your fans will hang around patiently, cheering you on as always!

Taking A Break...

It's been a time of topsy-turvy for me as today is my first day in a new workplace. I loved the old one, but it was time to move on for new challenges, new situations.

Due to the fact that I am re-starting a new project, I will need to take a break from this blog for a few weeks at least. I am still following Fernando's progress, still yelling myself hoarse during F1 weekends, but for now, every minute of my waking hour is being spent thinking about work, and/or travelling.

Will post when I can, but am afraid, I won't be as regular until my new role has somewhat stabilised.

Balderdash... Yawn.. Yawn...

The media must be really missing statements from Fernando these days. With little being said, there is little to twist and turn and crochet into another stupid yarn of lies for the readers. So what do they do? Drag up old stories, insinuations, and then slap on it the question that need not even be asked... "Can Fernando Ever Rise to the Top Again?" (YES!) then, he gives the most obvious answer to that: "Only Time will Tell..." Whoo hoo! Excellent piece of journalism. You MUST be blushing with pride.

Am not even bothering to copy and paste the link to this article, but seriously - Mike Doodson, whoever you are, can you be MORE original?

The thing is, we are tired of old stories. Let me help you come up with some new storylines that could potentially be of interest to F1 readers.

- The future of Anthony Davidson and Takuma Sato (that has to be at LEAST a few pages worth of speculation that you could come up with.)

- How about surprising us with a re-cap of Barichello's career since he has HAD so many races under his belt?

- Oh, here's a nice thing to write about, since you are so into re-cap, let's look at the number of career wins that Lewis Hamilton has had, and include the mesmerising wins that he has had from the back of the grid? This from the wunderkind who *choked* and threw away his lead in the WDC standing. Seriously. You give the kid too much credit in terms of him affecting Fernando's performance last year.

- Oh I read something today, about Lewis Hamilton comparing himself to 90 year old Nelson Mandela... That HAS to be something to write about. Here's the suggested headline:

"Lewis Hamilton is the Next Nelson Mandela, because like Mandela, He TOO makes mistakes.."
If you want to put a spin to a story, at least do it with style - and use new materials please.

Rehashing the 2007 story is OLD. It's 2008. CATCH UP WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD!

Yawn ... Yawn... Yawn....

Strategising...

OK, I am tired of thinking and writing things that require a lot of thought. So, I am going to come out of my closet and disclose the extent of my "fan"atism where Fernando is concerned.

I have developed a strategy of how I would meet him for the first time, and this was planned for the Malaysia F1 in Sepang or Singapore F1.

Plan 1:

Camp outside the hotel he stays in and ambush him on his way in/out with a bag full of merchandise along with 10 cameras snagged around my neck. This way I get to detain him for a few mins while he signs the merchandise items and take photos with all the 10 cameras with me.

- urr not gonna happen. He will probably sign one merchandise, take 1 photo and run! Run like the WIND! (and who would blame him...?)

Plan 2:

Wait for him to come out of the hotel, pretend to stumble and go into anaphylactic shock so that he would be forced to help me...

- urr not gonna happen either. Chances are, I would fall flat on my face and with me not knowing what anaphylactic shock entails, would display the wrong symptoms resulting in him assuming that I was suffering from rabies and make his exit quickly!

Plan 3:

Be really nice to my journalist friends and borrow their press tag so that I can gate crash the FIA press conference and run after him as he exits the stage and engage him with some delightful banter.

- urr not really gonna happen. My friends would rather interview him themselves. Even if it worked, and my friends take a leave off their senses and risk losing their jobs to give me my 3 minutes with Fernando, given the extent of my awe of the great man, I would probably end up giggling and ogling like an imbecile instead of garnering enough brain-power to engage him in any kind of conversation.

Well, there are other plans, but they get more and more ludicrous, so will not share!

So there you have it. So much for the master planner and strategiser, aye?

Anyone else out there have any plans to share?

Fernando Alonso Indifferent?

Read an article published in www.crash.net, in which Fernando stated - "Don't Call Me Indifferent".

He said:

“At points in the past, when I said I was going to win, people said I was arrogant,” the 26-year-old reasoned, “and now it is said that I am indifferent if I am in the opposite position.

“If this is the case it is because I try to be as honest as possible with the public.”

The full article is available in the following link:

http://www.crash.net/motorsport/f1/news/162716-0/alonso_dont_call_me_indifferent.html

I can only imagine how frustrating it is to have your every eyebrow twitch, every sneeze, every word uttered analysed and have conclusions (particularly the wrong ones,) drawn publicly.

However, in the case of Fernando, it is almost a blessing and a curse to have such constant strong interest in him. Compare him to Fisico, for example. Who has the time to write about Fernando's ex-team mate?

The blessing is that, it keeps Fernando in the limelight. As a public personality, it just shows how strong his personal brand is. It shows what an asset he will be to any potential sponsor, because if he decides to become an Ambassador for any cause (i.e. Renault,) it ensures that the name Renault will get the most optimum exposure to the public each time he gets mentioned anywhere.

This enigmatic quality, the "IT" factor, has to be carefully managed and controlled, if it were to be utilised in a way that ensures a win-win situation, both for the Brand Ambassador and the Brand he represents. Not everyone captures THIS much media attention, and Fernando is indeed special in this respect.

However, the personal cost can be significant. It can lead to this no-win scenarios, which leads to a lot of frustration. In Fernando's case, it is even more stressful as there does not seem to be room for grey areas. There is no ambivalence in the court of public opinion for him. The fans that love him can see him do no wrong. But for every fan, there is also a detractor, convinced that he can do no right.

I empathise with Fernando. He must be thinking - "all I want to do is race to the best of my ability, can people just PLEASE give me some room to be human?"

My hope is that Fernando knows that he can only be true to himself. If he allows himself to be judged in the court of public opinion, he can never do anything right.

Having said that, control and restraint is very much the order of the day. Do not play into the hands of the media. Do not give them more ammunition than necessary.

Ross Brawn's Vote of Confidence...

I have always loved Ross Brawn and the day he left Ferrari was a sad day for me indeed.

Now I have another reason why I love the guy. In an article published in http://www.f1sa.com/, he stated that Montezemolo's comments earlier regarding Fernando and Kimi is in no way a signal saying that Ferrari would never hire Fernando. It just means that having 2 lead drivers is never a good way of running an F1 team (quoting Prost-Senna, as well as Fernando-Lewis as examples.)

He went on to say that when Honda produces a WCC car:

"We will have to have one of the best drivers."

"I am not saying we want Alonso, I am just saying that, currently, there are two or three drivers that are above the level of the rest, and Alonso is one of them."

The article can be read at the following link:

http://www.f1sa.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1522&Itemid=156

Again, I think the reporters wouldn't be doing their job if they do not ask Fernando what he thinks of Ross Brawn's statement. They would probably then ask, if Fernando sees himself at Honda in 2009. Or, is Honda one of his preferred teams after Renault? What are the chances that he will join Honda with Ross Brawn there?

I think this is a MINEFIELD! It's potentially dangerous to answer any of the questions above or add fire to the speculations.

Fernando did very well this past weekend. The headlines that say "Alonso Keeps His Own Counsel" and "Alonso Positive Despite Early Finish" are so much better than "Improve or I am Gone.." and "Fernando Alonso Frustrated by Lack of Options," for example.

Let's go with "Alonso Keeps His Own Counsel" for now. I would advise addressing those questions along the following lines:

- Thank Brawn for what he said and perhaps add that Ross Brawn is held in very high esteem and his kind words are appreciated.

- However, for now, it's time to continue to dive in and work with Renault to ensure that improvements to R-28 continue to happen. For this to happen, the drivers and the engineering team need to work closely together if we are to be in the position to challenge BMW or the leaders of the pack.

- To add to team morale, add "I am proud to be a part of the Renault team that has worked so hard to provide us with a competitive car and I am proud of what we have accomplished here for now."

I think this should be the line to be adopted in facing such questions from any press, English or Spanish. Do not open any room for "mis"interpretation. Fernando has done so well this past week, let's open more doors towards selling Brand "Fernando Alonso".

Err.. I got Distracted... What was I Saying???

The epitome of yummyness? Great shot!

Brand "Fernando Alonso": Part 1

I am worried. Seriously worried. I think the time has come for Fernando to take a long, hard, look at the management of the "Alonso" brand.

He has fans. A LOT of fans. Trust me, I have been hanging around A LOOOOT of forums to gauge sentiments and how they feel about him. A LOT of fans and not just those based in Spain. However, he also has a lot of people who has a lot of things to say against him, which is not so nice. OK that is normal for anyone, but Fernando has some quarters of the Anglo-speaking media who is not looking to show him in the best light, and those who are hell-bent on Alonso-bashing, they are only too happy to join the bandwagon.

Why should Fernando care? I agree. As an F1 driver, his job is to drive hard, drive well and score points for himself and the team. At this moment in time, he is with a team that he gets along well with, but they are just not delivering the car that he needs to excel. This is the crunch and I think we all know that he has the following options:

Option 1:

stay with Renault, grit his teeth through this difficult year, and work with the team on developing a championship winning car for next year; then work with them to deliver the goods in 2009.

Option 2:

Leave Renault for a team that can promise him a winning car next year.

The options are known by all - so I don't think it needs to be said anymore. Why? The more said about this, the backlash will be more and more significant.

Example: Media Backlash 1

While Fernando has been really good about saying how he enjoys being with the team, the media has smelt blood when he kept talking about how bad the performance of R-28 is. That is ALL that is making the headlines - Alonso says that the Renault car is bad (with various interpretations and repetitions, all over.)

Example: Media Backlash 2

The coverage in the past few days has been stepped up a bit, "Alonso is threatening to walk out of Renault for another team, unless he gets a better car."

Example: Media Backlash 3

Then Luca di Montezemolo said Ferrari doesn't see Kimi/Alonso pairing as the option, not unless he wants to jeopardize the team. He said a LOT of other things, but this captured the headlines everywhere.

The Impact:

1. The team will be under SIGNIFICANT pressure to perform and produce the best car that they can for Fernando, (which is good, pressure can be good.) However, what if the car continues to lag behind other mid-fielders? What then?
2. My worry is that, by continuing to criticize the performance of the car, Fernando is also playing into the hands of the media, which could go a long way towards jeopardizing the good relationship that he has with Renault and the sponsors. No employer likes employees who continuously criticize their product, (and threatening to walk out.)
3. With Luca saying what he said, the media will obviously be quoting only the part about Alonso/Kimi pairing will jeopardise the team. The whole article was written alluding to McLaren-Fernando debacle last year.

The potential fall out:

1. Demotivation among Renault team members who work so hard, and yet not produce the kind of car that is competitive enough for Fernando to win and score points;
2. Due to the bad publicity played out in the media - Fernando's image will be seen as a driver who complains a lot, and threatens to walk out when things don't suit him, altogether immature and disruptive to the team environment.
3. This will place Fernando in a Catch-22 situation - Renault team demotivated and is deemed as not superior enough for a driver of his calibre; yet
4. Other more competitive teams don't see him as a good team player to take him on.
5. Fernando could be in a worse position compared to when he left McLaren last year.

As an avid fan, I am seriously concerned and feel that Fernando needs to really take a long hard look at how to handle the rather sensitive situation that he is in for now. I have a few thoughts, but need to go for a meeting soon. Will continue with part 2 soon.

Counting Down to Catalunya

It has been a whirlwind week - major decisions made have to be revisited. I wonder if we ever know if we make the "right" decisions? It is something that I am grappling with and it will continue to bother me as we go into May, 2008.

I am counting down to the Spanish GP, which will be held this weekend in Catalunya Circuit.

Testing had gone well with Renault last week, and we all heard what Fernando and Pat Symonds had had to say about the upgrades. I hope the Spanish GP will go well for the team and that they will get more points for 2008.

Last week, I finally joined the ING-Renault F1 Team Fan site. It is great to be among those who also believe in Fernando and his abilities. Sometimes, I get really frustrated posting in some forums because there are fanatic fans who are intent on bashing drivers. IMHO, if not for drivers and their quirks and characteristics, F1 would be a dead sport. An example is Kimi Raikkonen. It has been pointed by some forumers that Kimi lacks personality - isn't it obvious that it is precisely the fact that Kimi is so different - quiet, understated, almost a "flat" character in any Dickensian novel, that makes his position as reigning WDC unique? We don't expect flat characters in novels to become heroes. But, Kimi proves that, in his case, life does not imitate literature.

F1 is a beautiful sport. We can enjoy watching it without having any feeling of hatred towards any driver. I am biased towards Fernando, but that is my preference. After what happened last year, yes, there is a little bias against Hamilton in my heart. But, I am not saying that he could never be a WDC in the future. He IS talented. If not, he wouldn't be there in McLaren. However, in my mind, Alonso is one of the best that I have seen - after Senna - ok if you count those missing years when I stopped watching F1 after Senna's death. because I missed seeing some drivers rise to the top then.

However, we all need some grip of reality and perspective of the whole situation. It's the new year, new season, a new ball game. Let's just enjoy F1 at its finest.

More Fernando Ferrari Rumour

Just read this article today:

http://www.f1way.com/news/2008/april/16/ferrari-renault-to-battle-for-alonso

The interesting statement was from Luca Colajanni, the excerpt is as follows:

Diario AS reports that Ferrari's high profile press officer Luca Colajanni met for a media lunch with Italian journalists this week.

Asked about Alonso's famous personality, he is quoted as saying: "Fernando is an intelligent and professional driver who always knows what he wants to say."

As much as the thought of Fernando going to Ferrari puts my heart into my mouth (my favourite F1 driver driving for my favourite team,) I know that I should not put my hopes up too much - what with Massa being signed till 2010 and Kimi being the top driver there.

My opinion, for all that it's worth is that Fernando should let other people talk about the Ferrari rumour and not comment on it anymore. The backlash from the media each time he says something about Ferrari is just not worth it. Further comments in the positive of this rumour will also have an adverse impact on the morale of the current team.

Let others do the PR work for you, like in the case above!

Ted Kravitz Apologises

It must have been while I was on my no-internet, no techie gadget break that the apology from Ted Kravitz of ITV came through. I didn't see it until it was pointed out by someone else on another forum. This was on his allegation of Fernando "brake testing" Hamilton during the Bahrain GP.

The link to the said article is posted below:

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=Ted_Kravitz&id=42286

He stated that:

So while noting that it’s not such a daft suggestion, I have to apologise to Alonso for implying that he might have done something like that on this occasion. Come on, Fernando, you know we like you really.

He also stated that brake-testing, lifting are all part of "a driver's armoury...in front of someone trying to overtake them." He then went on to quote a few examples - Fernando vs Robert Doornbos in Hungary 2 years ago, and Kimi vs Hamilton in Interlagos. This, he adjudicates, makes it right for him to assume that Fernando did the same in Bahrain.

OK, Ted - yes, yes, you can make all the excuses in the world to justify why you said what you said during a "live" coverage. The point is, you accused someone of guilt with no proof - it's a case of giving a dog a bad name and hanging him, and really - as a professional, you should know better!

Anyway - as it turns out, you actually did Fernando and his fans a favour. The bias that was there but never acknowledged was brought out in the open. Maybe in future, Fernando will get the fair coverage in English speaking media that he deserves. Also, kudos to you for having the integrity to actually apologise publicly... which is more than can be said of other biased F1 commentators.

119 Laps - Day 2 Testing in Barcelona!

119 laps??? That's close to 2 F1 races! Give the man a trophy! Wonder how many laps Fernando would have completed if not for the engine shutdown in the afternoon session? With that number of laps and mileage, as well as the different packages tested, I am sure it has been a very successful session, with plenty of great data for analysis. Great job to the team and of course, to Fernando.

Pity it's already past midnight here, and I need to get some shut-eye. Gym very early tomorrow then work all day... sighhh.. Tough life!

Really want to hear the comments after today's test session.

Can Alonso Rise Again (ITV Talkback)

Doing my usual rounds today to check out the latest news on Fernando, I came across the article titled "Can Alonso Rise Again?" in ITV Talkback section.

To read this article please click on the link below:

http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=Talkback&id=42311

What interested me were the responses from most of the readers, most of whom are based in the UK. Out of 15 responses, 13 were positive. The readers acknowledge his skills and talent, and his strength of character. These people are sure that he will rise again. (Though, not many are confident that he would stay with Renault post 2008 season.) From reading various F1 forums, I always had this nagging feeling that Fernando is not getting the respect that he deserves from the Anglo-world. From reading the responses here, I stand corrected.

There are die-hard fans of teams, such as Ferrari or McLaren who support the teams, and whoever happens to drive for the team. In my case, I have always been a Ferrari supporter. It's hard not to support Ferrari, they are consistent and the display of team-spirit there is great. Just seeing the red cars make me smile internally. However, I don't really like Felipe Massa - don't know why... I never did resonate with the guy. He is an ok driver, but I believe that if not for the might of the Ferrari engine, Massa would be a misnomer at the back of the field.

Alonso on the other hand - it doesn't matter to me which team he is with. If he stays with Renault this year, and ends not in the top 10 of the table - it is fine. It will be disappointing of course, but all the great drivers have had bad seasons. At least he had a year of introspection, and racing without pressure. It's racing for the heck of it - and that is, I think the best kind of racing.

Of course, in an ideal world, he would also stay at Renault for 2009, hopefully his input would result in a better, more competitive car and he will be up there, challenging Kimi and Kubica for the WDC. However, if the pace of development and budget allocation make rapid progress unlikely, I don't think anyone would blame him if he goes to another team.

F1 drivers do not become F1 drivers just to make up the numbers. The challenge is to be the fastest and the best. If the development process in Renault is too slow, if Renault is not capable of showing their commitment towards staying in F1 for the long term with a justified amount of money spent for research and development, at the end of the day, Fernando needs to go to greener pastures. He is much too talented to be wasting away in the midfield. We all understand that!

Professional Fan for Alonso??

Yup, I got back from my trip to a beautiful secluded beach on an even more beautiful island - so, am all burnt to a crisp now. Well, yes, there are things called sunblock - but, I had also forgotten how much fun body surfing is, and doing it all day for 3 straight days has to be counter productive to ANY amount of sunblock applied. No complaints though.. it is so worth it!

Anyway, yes... just before I left for holidays, I came across the advertisement by Aficionado regarding the search for Alonso's Professional Fan. Yes, I was excited. In fact, so excited that I actually wrote to the ING sponsorship department regarding the Spanish content of the advertisement, and why it appears that only Spanish people were allowed to apply. (Yes, they replied saying that their counterparts in London would let me know why, but I never heard from London...)

So I wrote to Flavio's (Briatore) email address (from his website,) and again.. Nada. Nothing. (OK, OK.. that was a bit of a long shot, even I know that!)

Today, I got back and saw in Planet F1 Forum that the applicants were supposed to submit a video of themselves on YouTube. Just out of curiosity, I decided to check out some of the submissions. What's my personal take of the process? More power to those who submitted, but certainly not something that I would do, no matter how big a fan of Fernando Alonso I am - (though this certainly pains me, as the free F1 passes and access to the pit etc is like A DREAM come true for an F1 nut like me!)

So, why not? If it meant that much to me, why not send a video, after all, who is going to see it? The following are my most honest reasons:

1. It matters to me because I guess my self-esteem is not strong enough to withstand the potential ridicule by any Tom, Dick or Harry who has access to You Tube. (Oh, and videos posted on public domain has a tendency to come back and bite you in the butt in future...)
2. Am confused as regards to the role. I thought the role of the fan is to bring the fans closer to Alonso and vice versa. How is doing public commentary on You Tube going to show the person's aptitude for the role? Surely the role of the Professional fan is supposed to be more strategic rather than public?
3. The whole process sounds too much like a three-ring circus...

So, I will concentrate on my strengths and focus on what I am actually willing to do... I will continue working on this blog privately, doing the research that I need to do quietly, posting logical and objective comments on F1 forums in defence of one of the most talented and complete F1 drivers of this generation when needed. And to all the applicants, Good Luck! God Speed! May the best fan win!

Short Vacation

Well, I am taking a break and running away from the rat race and am turning in my laptop, gadgets, what-have-you for a much deserved pampering at the beach - and yes - non-alcoholic pina colada (with the little umbrella in it, thank you very much!)

Will attempt to wean myself away from all news F1 related and otherwise until 15th April - after which I shall be back with a vengeance.

However, this morning at least, I did go through what has been written regarding Fernando today, (sorry, I know I keep vacillating between Alonso and Fernando - but, I guess I tend to go all "Alonso" during a race, and on off weekends, will refer to him as "Fernando".)

An example of how 2 stories from the same source can be given flavour - depending on the bias of the writer is outlined below:

The first is the more neutral article:

"Alonso Learning from Adversity" (by Ian Parkes) -

http://www.sportinglife.com/others/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=others/08/04/08/AUTO_Renault_Alonso.html

and the second in Planetf1:

"Alonso Bemoans : Renault Are Only 8th Fastest in 11 Teams."

http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3213_3396556,00.html

Actually the articles came from "Q&A with Fernando Alonso," which I found to be very enlightening in regards to R-28 and the performance in Bahrain. Personally, I felt that Fernando, again, was very open and honest about the car and its capabilities and managed the question on the collision with Hammyboy really well. He is once more, very realistic about the chances in Catalunya. None of the arrogance and diva-esque attitude that he was so often accused of. To us fans, he is being realistic and open, but to those who are into character assasination, they manage to twist the whole interview as Fernando complaining and moaning "AGAIN" about the car.

I feel that Fernando is consistently proving that he is a great driver each time he gets on track. The car is very slow coming out of corners, and the handling of the car seems to be rough, yet, the fans have seen some really exciting racing from Fernando (in the middle pack though it may be.) I actually agree with what was said by the ESPN Star commentators in the past few "live" coverage of F1 Race Day - at this point in time, it is definitely the case of the driver flattering the car.

Perhaps, it is a case of knowing that you can't win with the media. If they are keen to twist your words and portray you as a bad person, they will do so.

If that is the case - what would a person do? Well, in my opinion... nothing else for it - get in the car, race your heart out, have fun, get to the centre of your universe and re-discover what it was about racing that you love. After all, that is the one thing that the media cannot criticise - outright talent and skill - Fernando has both oozing out of his ears!

I was gonna lay off.. but then...

Had lunch - my usual F Combo - Fruit and Fillet of Fish - dunno why I am writing this down - not important, but just felt like sharing.

Came back to this from the following link:
http://www.planetf1.com/story/0,18954,3265_3393813,00.html

Fernando Alonso, Renault, 10th
Renault are striving hard to show that Alonso did nothing wrong in Bahrain but there's something odd going on. If they were the innocent party why aren't they a bit more angry at Lewis Hamilton for modifying their car's rear wing with his front tyres?

Now, should Renault neglect to share the telemetry result, or go on an offensive against Hamilton, there will of course be yells from all corners saying that Alonso is a primadonna and why aren't they sharing the telemetry if they are so blameless, etc etc. Oh, oh.. don't forget the fact that Alonso has it "in" against Hamilton hence the cries for investigation, and if it had been Kubica, or Rosberg that had run against him, things would have been forgotten - (if you are not following my train of thoughts here - the word IF above shows that this paragraph is hypothetical.)

In this case, Hamilton has already said it was his fault (though he also claims that Alonso was at fault as the latter had moved to the right, when he himself showed movement to the right.. whatever - the child's trying to get someone to kiss his little boo-boo!) Renault has chosen to be the "bigger" guys and walk away - incidents happen, accidents happen, no harm no foul. But then again, it just shows the level of bias in comments against Alonso and his team.

Let's go on to the next item brought up in the same link:

In the race today he decided to indulge in some more by waving his gloves at Timo Glock for daring to drive his Toyota on the racing line.

Or maybe Pat Symmonds will explain that Fernando had an insect in his glove that he was trying to shake out.

urrr.. honestly? All I saw was a guy putting up his hands in his car seat, but it seems to be more out of frustration given the pace of his car. It is to be expected for a person as driven and passionate about performance - to be overtaken by a Toyota must be extremely frustrating. The writer must have done the same at some point in his/her life - putting his/her hands up in the face of insurmountable obstacles, it is a normal thing to do if you are human. In my case, I would probably have banged my head against the steering wheel... but then again, that's why I am not an F1 driver.

Alonso was waving a hand and I don't see it being directed to Timo Glock, NOT the way Hammy was obviously showing his finger at Fisi. Who is the brat here? Are we seeing the same coverage?? But then again, it must have been a REAL slow news day, for the writer to comment on hand-waving in the face of all the other REAL racing stuff.

And the ending of this "enlightened" paragraph was:

Alonso is the Naomi Campbell of F1, the man most in need of anger management therapy. Perhaps it's the lack of progress at Renault that's getting to him.

hmmm... so the guy's passionate. He has YET to throw a mobile phone at any unfair commentators or writers. If he finally does it.. I will applaud him all the way!

Apologise, I say.. APOLOGISE!!!

I have spent the past hour (shhhh don't tell my boss!!) - reading up on the threads in PlanetF1. What a load of bullc***! It just shows how people can be so biased and unfair when they become fan-boys - but none as bad as Hammy fan-boys!

My bloodpressure was reaching boiling point, when the news about the telemetry reading broke out. HA! So there!

I still harbour some ahmmm, dare I say the word "anger" towards the commentators for the unfair remarks that they made yesterday. But hey, life is short - people get their judgments clouded for some reason or other. I still think that they should apologise for making such crappy, unfair and judgmental remarks.

Let's put it this way. They, who are soooo into what they term as "sense of fair play," "sportsmanship", "honesty" - must admit that they were wrong to pass such skewed and biased judgments sooo publicly and openly. In all honesty, don't you think that it is only fair for them to also RECANT publicly what was said???

But you know what? They are going to say - hey, we are right to think and make comments the way we did because Alonso has in the past brake tested other drivers. So, when such incidents happen, we can't help but assume that.. ooops he did it again.

The fact is - guys.. YOU WERE WRONG! Admit it.. and next time, in the name of fairness, sportsmanship and all that is held so dear by GENTLEMEN in this world - do be a bit more open-minded when covering events. You are PAID to do your job in the best way possible.

Shooting your mouths and misleading people into thinking the worst of other drivers is hardly the trait of someone who is professional.

Hmmm funny how you guys did not make such a big deal about the Mark Webber-David Coulthard incident. Come on!