Alonso’s role in Ferrari strategy revealed in pit messages

[vcs316]

The discussions on the Ferrari pit wall that led to crucial decision that cost Fernando Alonso the world championship have been revealed.

The exchange of messages between Alonso and his race engineer Andrea Stella, which was not broadcast during the race, shows the team’s preoccupation with Alonso’s position compared to Webber.

It also shows how Alonso urged the team to use Felipe Massa to hold Webber up.

The radio transcript, published by Corriere della Sera, shows how Ferrari made the mistake of reacting to Webber’s pit stop instead of keeping Alonso out.

Lap 9

Alonso is 1.7 seconds behind Jenson Button and 1.4s ahead of Webber, who is 0.8s ahead of Massa.

Andrea Stella: “You gained three tenths on Webber. Felipe is closing in too.”

Lap 12

Webber pits.

AS: “Webber has stopped and Vettel is also losing ground on Hamilton.”
Fernando Alonso: “If you see that Felipe can overtake him in a lap call him in.”
AS: “We are thinking about it, concentrate on Button.”

Lap 14

Massa pits.

FA: “How did it work with Felipe?”
AS: “He came out behind Webber”

Lap 15

Ferrari tell Alonso to pit on lap 16.

AS: “OK, come in [to the pits] now.”
FA: “OK”
AS: “You will come out close to Webber. You are in front”.

Lap 17

Alonso is 1.1s ahead of Webber and 1.5s behind Vitaly Petrov.

FA: “What’s the situation?”
AS: “We have to overtake the Renault in front, he won’t stop any more. After that it’s Rosberg.”

Lap 22

Alonso is 0.5s behind Petrov. None of the cars that were in front of him before he pitted have come in yet.

AS: “I know you are giving everything but it’s critical to overtake Petrov.”

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2010/11/1...-pit-messages/

[impactX]

Pretty much tunnel vision on Webber.

[DanielM]

Unbelievable lack of vision.

[sav_pap]

Let's turn the page and go on with the next championship. Returning always to 2010 hurts so much.

[GregoryJenkins]

So if you think about it, it was a red bull 'screw up' that caused Alonso to lose the championship. If Webber hadn't made the same mistake that we ultimately did (pitting early) then we would have been fine.

Webber pitting early makes it seem as if Red Bull (deciding that Webber had lost his chance to win being far back) created a trap for Alonso making him cover off Webber...clearing Vettel for the win.

[theforce]

Can write a book on what should've and could've been done, but am sure Ferrari will sort this out in future. Still feel very down though

[Fiondella]

Unbelievable lack of vision.

Valium yum

[siberianlady]

Well AMuS is telling a totally different story- that Alonso did in fact warn the pitwall it would be suicide to pit and surely it was better to stay with the front runners- he was overruled which probably explains why he was so cross at the end of the race...........

[dfunk257]

Mark was struggling with his soft tyres, nearly hit the wall, so he was coming in early anyway. I will always believe that the decision by Ferrari to come in was not just based on staying in front of Mark, but because up until the race, the soft tyres proved not to last, even the commentators were saying that they wouldnt last. BUT then, 2 things happened that changed everything, 1: The soft tyre performance shocked everyone and DID last, Button proved that by running them for over 30 laps. And 2: Nobody expected it to be so hard to overtake. Poor Alonso could only watch the rear of Petrov and pray he made a mistake. This time unfortunately for us, he didnt. Ferrari's decision at the time was 50/50 in my view, it couldve worked out or it couldve. Nobody knew what was going to happen after that moment.
If were up to me though, i wouldve kept Alonso out, the idea of keeping him away from traffic wouldve been better. It didnt really matter whether or not Mark would have gotten ahead of him 1 or 2 places, because they were eventually going to score low points anyway, and the difference would not have mattered in the championship.
So really Ferrari's mistake is that they shouldve focused on Seb, not Mark. But like i said, it was a very hard call and i dont blame them for it. its just the way Formula 1 is sometimes.
But its all over now, lets look ahead, not behind.
Bring on 2011, cant wait!

[Ferrari2183]

Well AMuS is telling a totally different story- that Alonso did in fact warn the pitwall it would be suicide to pit and surely it was better to stay with the front runners- he was overruled which probably explains why he was so cross at the end of the race...........

Link please.

[Greig]

Well AMuS is telling a totally different story- that Alonso did in fact warn the pitwall it would be suicide to pit and surely it was better to stay with the front runners- he was overruled which probably explains why he was so cross at the end of the race...........

He must have done it by hand signals then

[Ferrari2183]

He must have done it by hand signals then

I just read the report now and AMuS mentions a radio transmission in which Alonso questions the strategy: "What is this? We making a mistake," he warns.

I don't know if there is any truth to it but AMuS isn't known for publishing rubbish.

[siberianlady]

Here's the link- its German though:
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/f...l-3178324.html

[Anni]

I don't know if there is any truth to it but AMuS isn't known for publishing rubbish.

That´s true!

[Hornet]

Well AMuS is telling a totally different story- that Alonso did in fact warn the pitwall it would be suicide to pit and surely it was better to stay with the front runners- he was overruled which probably explains why he was so cross at the end of the race...........

Wow, if this is true, we seriously have to reevaluate our pitwall operations IMO.
Shouldn't a driver be allow to have a say in whatever strategy the team plans? If a driver thinks otherwise, it should be their call too.

[Grillo]

Wow, if this is true, we seriously have to reevaluate our pitwall operations IMO.
Shouldn't a driver be allow to have a say in whatever strategy the team plans? If a driver thinks otherwise, it should be their call too.

I think they have a better picture of the race at the pit-wall and they have a lot more info than a driver in his -pit.

[Agron]

I think they have a better picture of the race at the pit-wall and they have a lot more info than a driver in his -pit.

Indeed, the amount of information they have is far greater, apart from the fact they aren't racing a car at 300km/h+, which helps a bit to focus. The driver input is important, in particular when more info regarding tyre wear and the condition of the track is needed to take a decision, but the guys in the pit-wall should always have the last say.
If that is true though, I can only think more highly of Alonso, if that's possible
I agree with the tunnel vision of the strategists, but maybe they expected drivers that weren't fighting for the title to not defend that desperately, thus Webber would pass them easily and Alonso too, in that case their strategy was correct.

[Ste]

Doesn't really look like he had much input then, apart from telling them to use Felipe if they could. The rest was really a call from the pit-wall. Both calls didn't really work.

Can't really see how the transmission matters, we made the calls and should just move on now.

[F2007]

So you guys think that Alonso ordered Massa to pit but didnt make his own strategy. Come on.

[Agron]

So you guys think that Alonso ordered Massa to pit but didnt make his own strategy. Come on.

I think this was a pre-arranged scenario, and Alonso was talking about it, as in knowing what they were going to do with Felipe, not giving orders for his teammate to pit. McLaren have 6 or 8 guys in a room deciding strategy during the race apart from those on the pit-wall, and I guess it's the same for all the big teams so I very much doubt in Ferrari they leave the responsibility shared between 13+ guys to Alonso -while he is driving a F1 on the limit-.

[Grillo]

So you guys think that Alonso ordered Massa to pit but didnt make his own strategy. Come on.

I don't think he ordered Massa to pit.

Fernando Alonso: “If you see that Felipe can overtake him in a lap call him in.”

He said something they were already considering at the pit-wall.

Andrea Stella: “We are thinking about it, concentrate on Button.”

Like it or not the main responsibility falls on the pit-wall and they accepted it immediately after the race. If you want to blame Alonso about something you'll have to look somewhere else.

[Alonsomaniac]

Yeah well, it happened and nothing is going to change it.
They will work it out internally in order to prevent mistakes like this happening again and that's it.
Look forward and start over again.