| Nick Koan |
2005-12-21 11:41 AM |
According to reports, Flavio wasn't a part of the deal with McLaren. It was purely Alonso.
Two interesting articles (don't have source for, pulling from nasioc)
Quote:
Ecclestone criticises Dennis on Alonso deal
By Michele Lostia December 21st 2005, 10:34 GMT
Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone has hit out at McLaren's handling of the Fernando Alonso affair.
The sport's commercial rights boss believes that the Woking team went out of their way to embarrass Renault boss Flavio Briatore by unilaterally announcing they had captured the world champion for 2007. And he thinks it would have been better for the sport if the teams had acted together in announcing the deal.
"I'm reminded of when I was the owner of Brabham and, in the summer of 1977, I contacted Lauda at the Italian Grand Prix and offered him a drive for the following season," he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He accepted immediately, but I told him: 'Look Niki, I don't want to have any issues with Enzo Ferrari. You explain to him how things have gone, and then we'll announce it.' He did that.
"In this case it was Alonso dealing with Dennis, bypassing Briatore. I know how things have gone, but I can't reveal the details. Flavio has been left, how can you say it, deceived. On top of that, with Dennis being Briatore's worst enemy, he spited him by exposing things publicly in order to make it difficult for him.
"It wasn't nice, even though stealing drivers among teams is normal. Dennis and Briatore could have written a joint press release and they would have both looked much better. Dennis's move hasn't been intelligent."
Ecclestone has said, however, that he is not surprised that Alonso has decided to switch from Renault to McLaren.
"I suppose his name was on the list of all the top teams," he added. "Besides McLaren, knowing that Raikkonen will go to Ferrari, did the right thing in hiring the best there was on the market - which is Alonso.
"Yes, I think Raikkonen will go to Ferrari. It's in the interests of both parties. But it's not certain it'll end up this way, because if Schumacher will carry on beyond 2006, always with Ferrari, Raikkonen will have to find another place. At that point he might end up at Renault!
"[Schumacher] is always a winner and he will be the favourite in the next championship. I don't see him tired enough to think about retiring. He races because he enjoys it and has gone beyond the money barrier. With Ferrari and their men he's built a strong, loving relationship. He will never race with another team."
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Quote:
F1 better without managers, says Ecclestone
By Michele Lostia December 21st 2005, 10:59 GMT
Formula One driver contracts should be done without the involvement of managers, claims the sport's commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone.
On the back of Fernando Alonso opting to do his deal with McLaren face-to-face with the team rather than via his manager Flavio Briatore, Ecclestone is adamant that it would be a better way for the sport as a whole to operate.
"I'd prefer a Formula One where the drivers do their deals directly, as it used to happen with Lauda, Senna, Prost and Berger," he said in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Nowadays they can't live without their managers behind their shoulders. They are useless obsessions. If I had a team, I would never accept to deal with a manager.
"I am used to looking in the face of who I am hiring; observing him in the talks, discovering him. Who was good at doing deals usually was fast too.
"But F1 has changed and nowadays it happens that whoever has a team also looks after the interests of one of his drivers. There isn't just Briatore..."
Ecclestone has also said he believes that Alonso did the deal without any involvement from Briatore, despite the Renault boss being his manager.
"I could never ever believe [Briatore] would give one of his drivers, any driver, to Dennis," added Ecclestone. "In this case, a rare one, he found himself out of the games, unable to intervene, because Alonso didn't want to stay at Renault anymore.
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And it also looks like Super Happy Fun Aguri Racing will be on the grid in 2006, as they now have all the teams support for their late entry (they still need to do the actual paperwork though :p) |
