Fernando Alonso Says Words - Corrected

Unrepentant Alonso Still Claims F1 is "a Show"

Written by: Adam Cooper, RACER Magazine Shanghai, China – 9/28/2006

Alonso stood by his Italian GP claims that modern F1 is more of a show than a pure sport. (LAT Photo)

Fernando Alonso stands by his earlier claims that F1 is not a sport, and says that it instead a show in which drivers play their parts.

Alonso made his original statement in the light of a succession of penalties that have struck both the Spaniard personally and the Renault team in recent weeks, during which time his championship lead has tumbled dramatically.

“I think the same,” said Alonso in Shanghai on Thursday. “If I say it or when I say something it’s because I think that, it’s not because I’m angry or whatever. It’s because I feel that, many people feel that, but nobody says. I feel that.

“It’s my job, it’s my life, F1, and I enjoy it so much when I’m in the car. But when I came here I still feel the same. In other categories there is sport, and here there is a little bit of everything. That’s nothing new for everybody.

“It’s a big show, I think, no? For everybody. A lot of TV coverage, a lot of money involved in F1, TV rights, sponsors, everything. And the driver is part of the show.”

Although he was clearly upset before the race in Monza, Alonso says that such concerns do not bother him when he’s in the car.

“I’ll put it out of my head for this race and the championship, but I will not put it out of my head in my career or in my life. Never, not this year. For my career I have some memories and some things and some feelings that happened in go-karts, in many races I did in 20 years.

“And what happened in Monza will be always there. Not for sure for the fight now in the championship, you forget, and you beat the others in the track if you can. If not, you do the maximum.”

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-from speedtv.com

The only thing worse than being a loser? Being a whining loser. And then driving tin-roofs.
It's Columbian driver Juan Pablo Montoya who's leaving F1 for NASCAR .

Could anyone possibly say NASCAR is a step up from Formula 1 ... and do it with a straight face?