Little did anybody know one year ago that Lewis Hamilton disregarding a team order at the Hungarian Grand Prix would have such far reaching consequences. Hamilton disobeyed the instruction to let Fernando Alonso go out first in final qualifying, and the next day an irate Alonso revealed to McLaren boss Ron Dennis that he had confidential Ferrari data on his computer.
That eventually evolved into the Ferrari/McLaren spy scandal that cost McLaren a $100 million fine as well as being stripped of all its constructors’ points. And it led to Alonso leaving McLaren after only one of the three years in his contract.
One year later, the atmosphere in McLaren is far more harmonious with teammates Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen.
“We are just having a much smoother year and it is a lot more relaxed,” Hamilton said. “There is a nice environment here, and things are how they should be.
“We are here to race and we are focusing on that. We have got no distractions, so it is a much better position to be in. It is one every team wants to be in. We are here to race, and that is important. We don’t have any excess baggage on our team, and no stress like that.
“We have the excitement of working hard to improve the car and to score points. That is where everyone wants to be.”
Alonso, too, said he was much more content now that he is back with Renault, even though it is not a winning team this year.
“I’m much happier this year,” he said. “Last year, I had the possibility to fight for the championship. It’s OK, but I knew that this year it was not possible anymore. If I was racing for McLaren now, in this moment, maybe I am in the same position as I am now, without the possibility to win.”
There is still resentment against McLaren and Dennis.
“It was not a problem at all with anything between Lewis and me,” Alonso said. “We do what the team tells us and nothing more. If we don’t do that, the team is not normally very happy with us, but that time [in Hungary] they seemed quite happy.”
Asked if he has made up with Dennis, Alonso replied: “Nothing. Again, I think everyone makes his choices, and he was very clear on his philosophy and his way to run [the team] and to compete like that. As a professional, I’m not like that and we chose different ways. It’s all OK with everybody. You just need to make choices. He made that choice, and I made that choice.”
Dennis denied that Alonso would not have had equal treatment at McLaren this year.
“You could go back through the entire history of McLaren, you could talk to any driver that has driven for McLaren and you will not find anyone — save for one — who will not verify that this team always runs on the basis of equality and always will,” Dennis said.
Here in Hungary, McLaren confirmed the obvious and that was that Kovalainen will remain with the team in 2009. He justified their loyalty by winning the race.
“As far as I am concerned, I have never been worried about my contractual situation,” he said. “Since the beginning of my McLaren career, it has been the target to extend this relationship for many, many years. I think it is just to clarify the situation for everybody of where we are at the moment.”
Lewis Hamilton has a confirmed contract through 2012.