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http://www.theage.com.au/news/motor...t-alonso-claims/2006/09/10/1157826814621.html#
WORLD champion Fernando Alonso declared formula one no longer a sport after Italian grand prix stewards demoted him five places on the starting grid in a major blow to his title hopes yesterday.
The Renault driver, 12 points clear of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher with four races to go, was relegated from fifth to 10th for impeding the German's teammate Felipe Massa in Saturday qualifying.
Seven-times champion Schumacher was to start Ferrari's home grand prix, run overnight (Melbourne time), on the front row alongside McLaren's pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen.
Renault showed reporters the video evidence and the film suggested Massa was never closer than 100 metres to the blue Renault ahead of him.
"If this is blocking anyone intentionally, we will have a lot of problems from now on in qualifying," Alonso said. "If this is blocking also I don't understand how we will race today if this is the minimum distance. I am a sportsman, I love the sport … I love the fans coming here, a lot of them from Spain. And I don't consider any more formula one like a sport."
And Renault team boss Flavio Briatore explained Alonso had taken a big risk going out on the track after a tyre blowout in the final phase of qualifying had damaged the car.
"Fernando never intentionally wanted to stop Massa," said the Italian, who has accused the governing body once before this season of trying to help Ferrari and Schumacher win the championship.
"It was quite dangerous as well to send Fernando out again. But we are fighting for the championship."
Renault is two points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings.
"He made the chequered flag for his final quick lap by one second. We told him by radio that he done like a qualifying lap on his out-lap," Briatore added.
"He did the perfect job and had no intention of slowing Massa. We don't want to argue about the decision, only to tell you what is our position."
Renault's engineering head Pat Symonds said, if anything, Massa had been given a tow by Alonso and had gained from the incident. "It's a funny thing at Monza, you spend half your lap trying to get a tow and half trying to avoid traffic," he said. "I think here Massa has got a good tow … he got some advantage from it. We seem to have forgotten that prior to 2003, this is what qualifying was all about. All we want really is just to be involved in a sport and nothing else," Symonds said.
Schumacher was expected to announce his retirement after the race but Ferrari's president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said: "Michael is still the fastest driver in the world."
Australian Mark Webber lacked speed in his Williams and qualified only 19th.
AGENCIES
WORLD champion Fernando Alonso declared formula one no longer a sport after Italian grand prix stewards demoted him five places on the starting grid in a major blow to his title hopes yesterday.
The Renault driver, 12 points clear of Ferrari's Michael Schumacher with four races to go, was relegated from fifth to 10th for impeding the German's teammate Felipe Massa in Saturday qualifying.
Seven-times champion Schumacher was to start Ferrari's home grand prix, run overnight (Melbourne time), on the front row alongside McLaren's pole sitter Kimi Raikkonen.
Renault showed reporters the video evidence and the film suggested Massa was never closer than 100 metres to the blue Renault ahead of him.
"If this is blocking anyone intentionally, we will have a lot of problems from now on in qualifying," Alonso said. "If this is blocking also I don't understand how we will race today if this is the minimum distance. I am a sportsman, I love the sport … I love the fans coming here, a lot of them from Spain. And I don't consider any more formula one like a sport."
And Renault team boss Flavio Briatore explained Alonso had taken a big risk going out on the track after a tyre blowout in the final phase of qualifying had damaged the car.
"Fernando never intentionally wanted to stop Massa," said the Italian, who has accused the governing body once before this season of trying to help Ferrari and Schumacher win the championship.
"It was quite dangerous as well to send Fernando out again. But we are fighting for the championship."
Renault is two points clear of Ferrari in the constructors' standings.
"He made the chequered flag for his final quick lap by one second. We told him by radio that he done like a qualifying lap on his out-lap," Briatore added.
"He did the perfect job and had no intention of slowing Massa. We don't want to argue about the decision, only to tell you what is our position."
Renault's engineering head Pat Symonds said, if anything, Massa had been given a tow by Alonso and had gained from the incident. "It's a funny thing at Monza, you spend half your lap trying to get a tow and half trying to avoid traffic," he said. "I think here Massa has got a good tow … he got some advantage from it. We seem to have forgotten that prior to 2003, this is what qualifying was all about. All we want really is just to be involved in a sport and nothing else," Symonds said.
Schumacher was expected to announce his retirement after the race but Ferrari's president, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said: "Michael is still the fastest driver in the world."
Australian Mark Webber lacked speed in his Williams and qualified only 19th.
AGENCIES