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McLaren frustrated by media speculation

NEWS STORY
27/02/2015

As sections of the media continue to speculate over the cause of Fernando Alonso's accident, Pitpass asked McLaren to explain why further details haven't been forthcoming.

In spite of the team's press releases, a Barcelona press briefing given by team boss Ron Dennis, and even the assurances of Alonso himself, sections of the media continue to criticise the team for not supplying more information.

Contacted by Pitpass, a McLaren spokesman gave the following explanation.

"The day after the accident, we issued a press release, the chief purpose of which was urgently to correct a series of erroneous media reports to the effect that Fernando's accident had been caused by a variety of car-related issues." he said.

"As regards answering ongoing questions as to Fernando's medical situation, McLaren will not and indeed should not take the lead, since his medical care is being handled by the people best equipped for that task, namely his doctors.

"So all we can say is that he is making good progress, and that we hope and expect he will soon be back to his brilliant best. We understand the media's thirst for further information, but as I say the remaining unanswered questions will be answered by doctors, not by Formula 1 engineers."

Meanwhile, the Spaniard took to YouTube to thank his fans for their support and assure them that he is fine and eager to get back to work.

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READERS COMMENTS

 

1. Posted by Podge, 27/02/2015 18:43

"McLaren would never lie about anything, and Fernando would definitely never play his part in a cover up. It's a shame there is going to be some cancelled races this season, because who in their right mind would run a race on a windy day. Silverstone, for one, is on a wide open airfield. It just wouldn't be responsible to have double world champions losing control of a car in a gust of wind."

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2. Posted by Spindoctor, 27/02/2015 16:50

"Is this Formula One or EastEnders?

The speculation about all this has gone to fever-pitch, then up a couple of notches. For my money Dot Cotton biffed him around the ear shortly before offing her miscreant son "Nasty Nick", and that's why he can't drive.


"

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3. Posted by CL, 27/02/2015 16:01

"Ok, I'll bite. What was the obfuscation? They said that when they tweeted he was conscious and when he saw the doctors he was concious. Later, probably after consulting with Alonso and with the doctors to make sure they were being accurate, they gave more details. Nobody has any right to any of this information other than Alonso, his doctors and the safety people at the FIA. Nobody. So I really don't know why everyone is bleating on about obfuscation, dissembling, lying, half-truths. If there has been any bull from Dennis or anyone else, the FIA will find it (at Rons request) and I'm sure they will delight in fining Mclaren back into the stone ages for it.

Baaaaahhhhhh!"

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4. Posted by emcomments, 27/02/2015 15:00

"Mclaren (and especially Ron Dennis) have been their own worst enemy over this incident.

Their first tweet, about 30 minutes after the crash, said "Fernando is conscious and is speaking."

They repeated this line in their first statement, about 3 hours afterwards, saying:
"Fernando was driven to the circuit's Medical Centre where the circuit's doctors gave him first aid.
He was conscious and spoke with the doctors. However, as per usual procedure in such circumstances, he was then airlifted to hospital where he is undergoing precautionary checks."

So basically their line was - there was a crash, Fernando is OK and this is just standard procedure.

Then, on 26 Feb 2015, Ron Dennis said "He was unconscious for a relatively short period of time. We could hear him breathing but no other sounds.”

So they knew he was unconscious from a 150kph lateral impact and they had spent 4 days obfuscating and dissembling.

Ron Dennis being his usual anal-retentive self and infecting the whole organisation."

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5. Posted by CL, 27/02/2015 14:54

"Oh, McLaren, how could you do this to me? I have a right - you hear me, a right - to make up all sorts of salacious rubbish and to ignore your reassurance that nothing more out of the ordinary that a windy day happened. How could you bring reason into this? Why won't you break the trust of your employee and tell us all the gory (if non-existent) medical details? How dare you? It's obvious that you are lying to me, because I want that to be the case so it must be true. Must, I tell you!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <--enough punctuation to display my rage at this heinous behaviour by you.

As for Alonso, that's obviously a robot in that video, no way he could be fit to talk never mind drive after being electrocuted while already unconscious from the disappointment of how bad the car is (because like most of the media and Internet commenters he was really expecting to be winning races in it by now!!) and lamenting that there will be no way any progress can happen this year so he's never going to win ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, rationality restored I shall now retire from this topic...it's starting to make me feel sad."

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6. Posted by kiwi2wheels, 27/02/2015 14:38

"McLaren make it SO easy to hate them !"

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