Dennis blames his drivers

[Zytek_Fan]

McLaren boss Ron Dennis has justified his decision to sign Fernando Alonso by blaming his current drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Montoya, for the team's failure to win either World Championship in 2005.

Dennis stunned the world of F1 earlier this month by announcing that Alonso, the reigning World Champ, has agreed to move to McLaren from the 2007 season onwards. Not quite as surprising, but still eyebrow-raising, is Dennis' subsequent claim that his drivers' 'psychological overreaction' and inability to cope with 'pressure' had resulted in Alonso and Renault's success.

Reading over some of the reports detailing Alonso's shock transfer as we sought an excuse from eating yet more Turkey, P-F1 noticed the following remark from Dennis in The Guardian:

"Fernando and the Renault team did a great job in 2005. They brought a good package which was reliable for the first race and did the job while our drivers psychologically overreacted to problems at the first round of the world championships and definitely didn't respond to the pressure."

At Melbourne, the first round of the 2005 season, Kimi claimed his weekend had been "destroyed" following his mistake in qualifying. He then stalled on the grid and lost bodywork during the race as he strove to recover.

Montoya, meanwhile, slid off the track during the grand prix, a mistake which a fuming Dennis claimed had cost the teamsecond place.

Yet to claim that his drivers were solely to blame for McLaren's demise is somewhat disingenuous; Kimi, in particular, may cite half-a-dozen mechanical failures, compared to the bullet-proof reliability of Alonso's Renault, as being the critical factor in the World Championship battle.

He wouldn't be alone in doing so.

[kingofthering]

kimi got told....

[Rockefella]

kimi got told....
If they gave Kimi a reliable car he would have been told nothing. If anything, JPM got 'told', for not keeping his McL on track.

[blackcat77]

Ron Dennis is a p---k. At least Demontezemelo (sp?) and Briatore (also sp?) appreciate their talent instead of trying to play them off against one another and trying to bait them into driving over their heads.

[henk4]

Does he have to use the same drivers in 2006? They will be very happy about that....

[Coventrysucks]

You will notice that Dennis is only referring to the driver's reactions at Australia, the first round of the season, and not the season as a whole.

Taking a comment like that and skewing it deliberately to make Dennis seem as if he is saying that his drivers were like this for the whole season is called "Shit-Stirring" and is to be expected from poor-quality journalists.

I'm sure that even Kimi and Juan would agree that they failed to perform during this race, which put McLaren in the position of playing catch-up for the rest of the season.

If Dennis' comments were regarding the rest of the season, why would he not mention such blatant forced errors such as:
Montoya running a red light at Canada and being dq'd
Montoya crashing into people during practice at Monaco, and recieving the FIA's wrath for it
Montoya spinning out of a P1/2 qualifying lap in Germany
Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Turkey
Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Spa
Montoya crashing heavily in practice, then spinning during the race in Spain
Raikkonen locking up heavily overtaking a back-marker at the Nurburgring

Or such performances as Raikkonen's at Suzuka, which reduced Dennis to tears IIRC, or that race that Montoya actually won, or those races where Raikkonen / Montoya started from the back of the grid because of engine failures, then went on to finish in the top three...

[henk4]

If Dennis' comments were regarding the rest of the season, why would he not mention such blatant forced errors such as:
Montoya running a red light at Canada and being dq'd
Montoya crashing into people during practice at Monaco, and recieving the FIA's wrath for it
Montoya spinning out of a P1/2 qualifying lap in Germany
Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Turkey
Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Spa
Montoya crashing heavily in practice, then spinning during the race in Spain
Raikkonen locking up heavily overtaking a back-marker at the Nurburgring


I am sure he will save his comments on those events for other interviews.....:D

[Street_Dreamer]

If they gave Kimi a reliable car he would have been told nothing. If anything, JPM got 'told', for not keeping his McL on track.
i hear that.... it's the teams fault, nothing about pressure... i'm a McLaren Merc supporter, but the only reason Kimi didn't win is because of his car! it was fast as hell, but not reliable

[Jack_Bauer]

Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Turkey
Montoya allowing a back-marker to crash into him at Spa

I think it's a bit harsh to blame someone for having a backmarker crash into them. Regardless of what Montoya was doing the fact is it is the responsibility of the backmarker to keep out of the way. They did not do that in either case and were totally responsible for both of the incidents. Montoya and McLaren were unfortunately the victims in both cases IMO. :(

[henk4]

I think it's a bit harsh to blame someone for having a backmarker crash into them. Regardless of what Montoya was doing the fact is it is the responsibility of the backmarker to keep out of the way. They did not do that in either case and were totally responsible for both of the incidents. Montoya and McLaren were unfortunately the victims in both cases IMO. :(

If JPM wanted to drive as a tourist his should have stayed away from the ideal line....

[Jack_Bauer]

If JPM wanted to drive as a tourist his should have stayed away from the ideal line....

Not really. As a faster driver overlapping a far slower car it is common practice that the slower car should give way, especially when coming to a braking zone at the end of a very long straight. In the Turkey incident Monteiro should just have stepped aside halfway down the straight and let Montoya cruise past. Instead he refused to give way, forcing Montoya to dodge round the 'moving chicane' Jordan in the middle of the braking zone.

The Spa incident was even moreso the fault of the other driver. Pizzonia was trying to unlap himself whilst driving on dry tyres in the damp. He was catching Montoya easily whilst using the dry line but then chose to make a ridiculous late braking manoeuvre by coming up the inside on the WET line. The marshalls reported that Pizza boy had all four wheels totally locked as he slammed into the back of the McLaren, and he was rightfully punished by the FIA. Montoya can shoulder no blame for that one.

[henk4]

nah, it is just my prejudice, whenever there is an accident involving Montoya I automatically assume that he is to blame......

[dimlight]

nah, it is just my prejudice, whenever there is an accident involving Montoya I automatically assume that he is to blame......






Thats like saying: Only God knows why..

[henk4]

Thats like saying: Only God knows why..

and me:D