Bizarre Times at McLaren

The gloves have apparently come off between Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Ron Dennis, the venerable chief.

Not previously reported on this page is a massive package of sanctions levied on the McLaren Formula One team for alleged spying. For utilizing, and at the very least perusing data provided to them by an outside source about rival racing teams' operations. Part of the penalties include a 100 million dollar fine and being stripped of all constructor points they've earned so far and any they might earn from here on out this year. Driver's points are still intact and the on-track antics witnessed by me during the start of the Belgian Grand Prix this past weekend tell me the two drivers are playing for keeps.

While Ferarri drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa qualified on the front row, McLaren teammates Alonso and Hamilton started just behind them. No sooner had the red lights gone out and the field lurched from the grid positions did Fernando Alonso begin his cheap shots towards his rival for the points championship and teammate Hamilton. While Hamilton was outside on row 2, giving Alonso access to the apex of turn one and the advantage to getting ahead from the start, it wasn't enough: Alonso immediately jerked the wheel over and forced Lewis over clearly aggresively pointing out that he meant to lead away from the line. When Hamilton refused to yeild and stayed alongside going into the first turn, Le Source, Alonso did the unthinkable and banged his wheel into Hamilton's sidepod exiting the turn, punting him off of the track completely.

I am aghast at the nerve of this Spaniard, who willfully challenged the age old decorum driver's hold for each other in this bigger than life sport of the priveledged. Since I couldn't have possibly overheard any acrimonious conversations they might have held prior to this start, it must have ended with racial epithets and slanderous assertions. It could be the only thing I might forgive him his on track actions at the start.

But I think Hamilton has more class in his braking foot than Alonso has in total and wouldn't sink to that level.

GO LEWIS!!