Alonso's "greatest win"

[Coventrysucks]

Winning from pole? Forget it. Fernando Alonso would rather snatch 'lucky' victory on the last lap. "All the other wins I had this year," said the title leading Spaniard, referring to Malaysia, Bahrain and Imola, "I led from start to finish."

23-year-old Alonso, although hunting an ailing Kimi Raikkonen down, led only when it mattered -- on the last lap, after the McLaren crashed. He grinned: "For me, this is a much better feeling."

Asked how he felt after driving through Kimi's debris, Fernando added: "I was obviously happy for myself. I think my car was quicker than the McLaren today."

His boss, Flavio Briatore, denied that both he and Alonso failed to show sufficient 'sympathy' for Kimi. The Italian glared: "Did anyone show any for us in Monaco? We did our job and Fernando was first place at the end."

Pathetic?

How can he seriously rate a stolen victory as being better than a dominant race win of his own making?

Also:

WilliamsF1 technical director Sam Michael is backing McLaren's decision not to pit Kimi Raikkonen for a new front-right tyre and instead go for glory at the end of the European Grand Prix. The decision not to pit cost McLaren the race and saw Alonso's lead over Raikkonen swell by a further ten points.

"If that happened on a Williams we would have crashed as well," Michael told reporters after ther ace. "To give up your position when you're about to possibly win is difficult and you'd do everything possible to hold that off. I can understand completely what happened with McLaren."

"It's easy to try to be critical but if I look at it we would have done exactly the same thing," he added.

Raikkonen's tyre failed on the approach to the first corner on the final lap of the Grand Prix.

[jorismo]

I can understand Alonso too. I mean, wenn youre biggest competetor crashes in the final lap and scores no points and you take 10 points, I would be happy too. It also may be more satisfacting then leading from the first till the final lap.

[henk4]

Alonso would have caught Kimi anyway in the final lap. (of course this can never be proven)

[R34GTR]

Kimi diserves to be champion this year not Alonso, as soon as he won up came the four fingers , sorry but Mclaren have the better car and he stole the victory just wait Mclaren will be back and from now on all the races will be a Kimi/Juan 1,2 (I'm not pointing fingers to anyone here this is just the way I feel)

[dimlight]

It´s Renault´s time to take the title once again. Don´t hate the french because their dominating the world of motorsports (WRC,F1) ..

[Cotterik]

I agree with you Coventry, Its bullshit to claim that winning by benifiting from another drivers misfortune in the last lap is a better win than to earn it over the whole race weekend. Isnt it strange how lately in F1, whoever is leading the championship seems to be overcome with arrogance..

[Matra et Alpine]

I think it's harsh to say they're ONLY claiming it because he went out.
Alonso was ahving to fight hard to put in fast lap times in the last 5-6 laps and was reeling in Kimi.

THAT is the point I think they were referring to when sayign what was more "enjoyable".

AND if Kimi wasn't being pushed by Alonso then maybe his tyres would have lasted , so AGAIN there is the aspect that Renault "won" the race

When a car is dominant and leads the race from start to finish a driver always has a little niglling doubt that just MAYBE it's the car and not them. To win from coming from behind IS a better feeling for a driver. As long as there is no SOS sign you always inwardly cheer when passing a stricekn rally car

[Rockefella]

I think it's harsh to say they're ONLY claiming it because he went out.
Alonso was ahving to fight hard to put in fast lap times in the last 5-6 laps and was reeling in Kimi.

THAT is the point I think they were referring to when sayign what was more "enjoyable".

AND if Kimi wasn't being pushed by Alonso then maybe his tyres would have lasted , so AGAIN there is the aspect that Renault "won" the race

When a car is dominant and leads the race from start to finish a driver always has a little niglling doubt that just MAYBE it's the car and not them. To win from coming from behind IS a better feeling for a driver. As long as there is no SOS sign you always inwardly cheer when passing a stricekn rally car

That's definately true, but going with C_S, being so happy over winning from Raikkonen's crash is over-the-top. He COULD have passed him on the final lap but who knows.

[dorricc]

I think it's harsh to say they're ONLY claiming it because he went out.
Alonso was ahving to fight hard to put in fast lap times in the last 5-6 laps and was reeling in Kimi.

THAT is the point I think they were referring to when sayign what was more "enjoyable".

AND if Kimi wasn't being pushed by Alonso then maybe his tyres would have lasted , so AGAIN there is the aspect that Renault "won" the race

When a car is dominant and leads the race from start to finish a driver always has a little niglling doubt that just MAYBE it's the car and not them. To win from coming from behind IS a better feeling for a driver. As long as there is no SOS sign you always inwardly cheer when passing a stricekn rally car

Well said Matra.
Sadly this kind of stuff is pretty typical of how the press takes a driver's quote out of context.
Alonso deserved the win for hunting down Kimi, using a different race strategy, with his own tyres struggling too, and pressurising Kimi into the mistake which ultimately cost him the race.
And I had the pleasure of being there (had to get that in).

[jorismo]

Alonso would have caught Kimi anyway in the final lap. (of course this can never be proven)

Why need prove if you're sure about it anyway?

[Suka]

I'm not sure about how much help it would have been for Kimi to have pitted and taken on new tyres. The suspension failed under heavy breaking. Since the damage to the suspension had already been done, from driving a fair few laps with the damaged tyre, all it need was for some heavy braking to load up the suspension again.

[SlickHolden]

I cant understand Alonso since he was doing some dirty ish tactics wiht Webber at Monarco.
Kimi was Robbed man wake up FA!

[Homem de Gelo]

Alonso should be more humble.

[r1ckst4]

it's funny how a few victories has turned Alonso into another arrogant rich boy...

[henk4]

it's funny how a few victories has turned Alonso into another arrogant rich boy...

while in reality he is really not coming from a wealthy family at all.