Fernando Alonso, McLaren, Hungaroring, 2018

Alonso “annoyed” by FOM playing his “private” radio messages on TV

2018 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Fernando Alonso complained that Formula 1 Management is broadcasting his “private conversations” with the team after qualifying.

The McLaren driver was heard debating with his team whether they should attempt a run on full wet weather tyres during Q2:

Alonso, who was also heard disputing his team’s choice of tyres during the previous round, complained that a similar radio message of his had been broadcast on the world television feed.

“It was again another radio [call] that FOM is broadcasting. That is their favourite hobby so good luck to them. I don’t really understand the meaning.

“What is strange when you are on track and the last sector is super wet, you cannot improve any more probably in the last sector. So you know you have a normal conversation, private conversation with the team if it’s worth doing another lap with extreme or not.

“At the end we attempted to do another lap with extreme. They seemed to have fun on that but it’s annoying sometimes.”

Despite missing the cut for Q3, Alonso said the team qualified higher than it would have done had the track been dry.

“In the first attempt we were P11 which I consider quite lucky already because in dry we were fighting for Q1.

“Already in Q1 we saw the track was getting better and better and some fast cars like [Charles] Leclerc and other guys were out in Q1. We got lucky there, lucky also in Q2.

“P11 is close to the points, here qualifying in the position at the start of the race is quite important and I think we are further up than we hoped.”

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16 comments on “Alonso “annoyed” by FOM playing his “private” radio messages on TV”

  1. They’re broadcasting your messages because you are a master at hilarious messages. Take it as a compliment.

    1. This. Their job is to entertain. Alonsos entertaining message did not go unnoticed.

  2. Well, thats because they’re the funniest of the entire field.

  3. And more prozaic, it provided insight into the condition at the track too, as shown by no one else being able to get into q3 after that either.

  4. Itza a yoke! A yoke!

  5. He’s really in a great place. Complaining about everything. No wonder he was so adamant that he won’t be around after 2020.

    Shame how it came to this.

    1. .Looking at your previous comments you dont think i’ts a shame at all. You’re just looking for attention.

  6. I don’t blame him.
    Everyone and their brother knows the guy is frustrated, be it his fault or not, and his fuse is short which is totally understandable.
    Leave him alone, it’s not like he’s fighting for a WDC.

  7. YellowSubmarine
    28th July 2018, 21:55

    Petulant. As always, Alonso is always complaining. About the car, about other drivers, about the team, about the race, about FOM, etc.

  8. Well new bosses can liberty media whatever they want. But I always thought Alonso wants to be broadcasted, I mean the way he complains about everything. For example “GP2 engine, GP2” at Honda’s home race in Japan.

  9. I celebrated when Alonso left Ferrari. How immature from me after last week’s farce from a 4x champ. As Pink Floyd have said “wish you were here”.

  10. Well, I might be the #1 Alonso supporter around here, but his last message has shocked me.
    Was he watching the giant screens on the circuit, controlling others’ times while driving? Sounds crazy to me.

  11. Alonso’s seems happier in the two car, one team LMP1 championship.

    If he had his time again he’d probably get off the line better in Abu Dhabi 2010, probably find a way to force a move on Petrov rather than passively sit back complaining on the radio.

    No guts no glory as they say. Bottled it in 2007, 2010 and 2012.

  12. So how exactly is a team radio message private? If he really wanted a private conversation, it should have been outside the car! FOM has the right to choose what they feel the viewers would want to hear, something entertaining, and Alonso’s frustration is kind of entertaining. A radio message isn’t private. That’s why they use “Plan-A” or “Plan-B” instead. Surely a driver with Alonso’s experience should know that radio messages are not private and at the very least one shouldn’t be ranting on it. He should have known that atleast after the “GP2 engine” thing.

  13. Hi Fernando

    A private conversation happens in the garage

    Any conversation over the radio may be broadcast, this is not a new thing.

    Hope that clears things up.

  14. The FIA and FOM listening to/broadcasting the radio conversations between drivers and their teams has been going on since forever, and has been a fixture since ~2010(?). So not sure why there are still people within F1 who are surprised.

    Apart from the sarcasm of Alonso’s message, never saw anything wrong with it. Come to think of it, it actually made for very good informative/insightful viewing. It was pretty cool to see the team recommend one thing, and then the driver provide feedback based on what he was experiencing on-track.

Comments are closed.

To Alonso:Fernando do you think we should do a new set of inters or wets?
Alonso:I think we should go to the garage. See the conditions. Withthe wets we can go out but if we are 25 seconds it’s just running for nothing. We need to improve the P11.
To Alonso:OK Fernando if we did that we would only have time for one timed lap at the end.
Alonso:I don’t know mate. Oput whatever tyre you want. The last sector is impossible. Even if you put a rocketship we will be 1th.
To Alonso:OK, we’ll stop.
To Alonso:We’ve seen someone do a 28.7 in the last sector so there is possibility.
Alonso:Yes and nine seconds worse in the second sector. I saw the TV as well.