I know people love to hate Flavio but he did grant McLaren their wish to get Alosno in the car early.

Last week, as McLaren sought agreement from Renault that it would release Fernando Alonso from his contract early in order that he could make his McLaren debut at Jerez this week, the Woking team's CEO, Martin Whitmarsh, suggested that he might attempt to ply Flavio Briatore with booze in an attempt to persuade the Italian.

Ahead of the FIA Awards in Monaco, Whitmarsh said: "If, after two bottles of champagne, Flavio agrees on Friday night then we'll rush around to get him in the car next week."

Earlier this week, Briatore appeared to dash McLaren's hopes, the Italian clearly unhappy with the way Whitmarsh had handled things.

"McLaren sent their request to the wrong address," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport. "If they want Alonso to join them early they should talk to Renault and not to reporters."

As for Alonso, Briatore took the opportunity to send the Spaniard an early Christmas message: "I wish Fernando a merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday," he added, "because when the new season starts we will beat him."

Well, with Fernando Alonso currently lapping Jerez in a silver, black and red MP421, albeit devoid of decals, it looks as though those bottles of bubbly did the job.

I know this is WRC but you have to watch the video. If only we could all make an entrance like this one.

Autosport Gronholm entrance.

(editors note: more off-season drivel)

Let's see... Kimi is under contract to McLaren and therefore will not test in a Ferrari until he's released says Dennis. Then you have them pleading after they poached Alonso from Renault with this...:

McLaren have asked Renault to release double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso from his contract early so that he can test for them in Spain next week.

McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh told reporters at the team's Woking headquarters on Wednesday that he was still hoping the 25-year-old Spaniard could make his McLaren debut this year.

"Being frank about it, we'd like him in the car as quickly as we can," he said.

"After this week there's one more test and we'd like Renault to recognise everything that he's done for them and release him to come and test for us next week.

And since McLaren wrote the letter to the FIA to ban the mass damper system Renault had been using since the end of the 2005 season... good luck.

Clever but strangely feels spot on.

This is not the makings of a future World Champion. How could Great Britain pin their hopes on this schmuck. All those years reading about Coolterd making his run at the championship... what a laugh.