JohnsonsEvilTwin wrote:myurr wrote:
Be in no doubt that Alonso was central to the spying scandal at McLaren. Mike Coughlan is the person who received the data and it was then used by de la Rosa and Alonso - the only reason that the FIA were able to prove that others in McLaren knew about the data was because of emails and text messages between the two. My understanding is that he lied during the initial internal investigations denying any knowledge, something that McLaren then reported back to the FIA, and then threatened to tell the FIA the truth in his famous row with Ron. Before that it was known that Coughlan had the data but it was claimed, after that internal investigation, that he acted alone and no one else knew about the data. So Alonso was responsible for the initial lie to the FIA and the subsequent outing of it, and it was that lie that cost McLaren $100m.
In this case Alonso is being vilified because yet again he benefits from a dodgy situation yet denies all knowledge. We all know that he whinges and whines to his team over the radio, that he thinks it's ridiculous that his team mate is allowed to beat him on track, that after botching his overtake he waved his hand at Massa as if it was his fault and he should have just jumped out the way, that he will have been expecting the team to give him number one status and applying pressure to make it happen. He does these things, we all know it, and most of us really don't like it. Contrary to that a lot of people do like Massa, myself included (for the most part), and were happy for him to finally be back and performing like he used to before his crash. That was taken away from Massa and the fans in a very callous way, and as we all hit out at Red Bull disadvantaging Webber to benefit Vettel, we're all hitting out at Ferrari for their disadvantaging of one driver to the benefit of the other.
The fans have never liked it, and I doubt they ever will.
Myurr, the exact circumstances and the actual mechanics of the situation are very murky.
What we do know is the 2 main protaganists were Stepney and Coughlin. Secondly, Stepney was disillusioned at Ferrari being overlooked for promotion.
Coughlin was only too happy to receive Ferrari data.
Thirdly He shared it with the teams test driver, and its lead driver Alonso. Hamilton was far too inexperienced to be dictating set up to the team at this stage, hence why his name is absent.
Fourth, Do you seriously think Lewis knew nothing of this at all? Coughlin, Ryan, Alonso, Dennis and De La Rosa but not Hamilton?
Fifth, Do you think Dennis had no part in asking Alonso to lie that he had no part of this? Mclaren drivers are perhaps the most briefed drivers in the sport and to suggest that a driver is acting unilaterlally is pretty far fetched if you dont mind me saying.
Alonso is not innocent, but neither is he the Devil everyone seems to want to paint him. Schumacher did this sort of thing for years, Hakkinen too! Both greats, both accomplished personalities.
Finally, why is it that Alonso got slammed for "lieing" but De La Rosa got off with pretty much zero publiciity. Many reasons for that, but if you thimnk the British media didnt conduct a witch hunt on Alonso, then you are mistaken I'm afraid.
And the issue wasnt contained to just britain. Sadly for Alonso, FOX News (rupert Murdoch owned)stateside reported the exact trash.
Once again, I would like to say he is not innocent. But he bore the brunt of it unfairly.
