- Dec 2, 2024
- Aug 26, 2022
World Champion Formula One racer Fernando Alonso is in major trouble as he has been accused of using a frequency scanner. The allegation has been made by former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestly. According to him, the secret to Alonso’s near-perfect race starts during his time with McLaren was because of the frequency scanner. Notably, Priestly has worked with Alonso during his time at McLaren.
The 42-year-old overtaking cars comfortably had surprised many F1 experts at the time. The former mechanic of McLaren explained the banned technology in the sport and how Alonso took advantage of it. Marc said that the technology helped Alonso between the race director pressing the button and the lights going out. Even though Marc is confident that Alonso used this technology, the use of the technology is yet to be proven.
The mechanic has also claimed that Fernando used to bring his team towards the side of his garage. Marc also spoke about the period in 2007 when Lewis Hamilton and Alonso were teammates. Marc went on to claim that Alonso’s manager offered cash to all those mechanics who wasn’t working on Lewis’s car. According to the mechanic, it was tactic to slow down Hamilton so that he doesn’t qualify for the Hungarian Grand Prix.
“One of Fernando’s tactics is to try and bring the whole team over to his side of the garage,” the 45-year-old said on the PitStop podcast on YouTube. “He tries to wrestle control.
“There was a moment during 2007 when we had them both where Fernando turned up at a race and I arrived and Fernando’s manager or his trainer is handing out little brown envelopes stuffed with cash to everybody who wasn’t on Lewis’ car.
“So his team, the support team, I was running the t-car team, we all got these little brown envelopes and I remember opening up the envelope and there was like €1,500 or something.