McLaren boss holding onto hope
McLaren boss Ron Dennis refuses to give up hope of winning both world championships this season but admits he needs a major calamity to strike Fernando Alonso.
Dennis’ team have produced the fastest car this year by far but bad luck and mechanical problems have left them chasing Alonso and Renault in both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships.
Raikkonen trails Alonso by 25 points with three races remaining this season, while McLaren are faring better in the constructors’ standings, with Renault topping the standings by just six points.
Dennis is adamant McLaren will fight to the bitter end for both titles but concedes Raikkonen’s plight is becoming desperate.
After seeing Raikkonen win in yesterday’s Belgian Grand Prix secure a paltry net gain over Alonso of just two points, he said: “I wouldn’t wish anything on anyone but Alonso could slip over the bath couldn’t he?
“It’s not over, it’s just more difficult.”
Dennis has two causes of frustration going into the last three grands prix of 2005, in Brazil, Japan and China.
Juan Pablo Montoya was punted out of second place at Spa-Francorchamps yesterday, ruining Dennis’ hopes of a first one-two for five years – a result which would have put McLaren on top of the constructors’ standings.
He is also facing a scenario which could see McLaren dominate the season in terms of wins but end the campaign without either title.
He added: “To leave here leading the constructors’ championship and being a little bit closer on the drivers’ would have been great for us and also great for Formula One.
“Eight races out of 11 we have won. That is normally a season which has seen both team and driver dominate both championships.”
Dennis is now looking for solace in the last races of the season, when he hopes McLaren’s victory tally can reach double figures.
“Our target is to win the remaining races and we can come out of the season with a few more race wins we will feel quite good about ourselves,” he said.
“I don’t feel frustration with the past. We did everything we thought was right in the early races but Alonso got a points advantage which has allowed him to cruise a little bit. It’s not over.”
Raikkonen shares his bosses’ frustration at his inability to turn McLaren’s superiority into a world title.
Despite three wins in four races, he has barely made a dent in Alonso’s advantage and he said: “I think the last four or five races has not changed much, either I win two points from him, or he gets two points back.
“It doesn’t go anywhere, we stay on 22 or 24 or something like that. It doesn’t help me too much.”
