Where to for Alonso?

Where to for Alonso?

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Discussion

custardtart

Original Poster:

1,725 posts

252 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Looking likely he'll leave Macca. With no obvious opening, where will he go?

Vocal Minority

8,582 posts

151 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Is it looking likely? Outside of Andrew Benson's guessing.

If there was a free seat at a top team it would be worth a speculate. But there isn't. Unless you mean at the end of the year?

Despite the results not coming, his stock is pretty high at the moment - especially post Australia. He won't trade all that in on taking his ball and going home mid season

swisstoni

16,849 posts

278 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Maybe someone will get a touch of the Kvyats somewhere down the grid.

BoRED S2upid

19,641 posts

239 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.

sandman77

2,366 posts

137 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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BoRED S2upid said:
My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.
I really don't think that Ferrari would have him back.

BoRED S2upid

19,641 posts

239 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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sandman77 said:
BoRED S2upid said:
My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.
I really don't think that Ferrari would have him back.
It's just a gut feeling they have had so many personnel changes there recently and if they want to try and dominate again like Merc have done it's no good having vetel fighting with Hamilton with Kimi 4th or 5th they need 1,2 at every race which takes a great car and 2 great drivers.

benny 61

467 posts

183 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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BoRED S2upid said:
My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.

Did Alonso leave on bad terms, I can't remember.

williamp

19,213 posts

272 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Porsche in WEC?? I know he's rated by some, but his WDC were 11 and 12 years ago now. The last time he won was 4 years ago. Same age as Massa...

thegreenhell

15,110 posts

218 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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There are potential drives available at Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault for 2018. None of the private teams, other than Red Bull, could offer him the level of competitiveness or salary he would be looking for, and Red Bull don't need him with the pool of young drivers they already have.

HTP99

22,443 posts

139 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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I don't think any of the top teams will have or need him next year.

Vettel will stick with Ferrari if this year goes well, having both Vettel and Alonso together is just pointless and Alonso isn't needed and there will only be conflict between the two drivers, there is just no need.

Same for Mercedes, Hamilton will likely stay, if so then again like Ferrari, there is no need for Alonso as long as there is a solid second driver, again there would be needeless conflict if Alonso partnered Hamilton.

Red Bull seem more than happy with their driver line up and I don't really see what Alonso could bring to the team that they don't already have, unless of course one of them leaves (I'm not sure of the contract circumstances with the Red Bull drivers)

The only team that actually needs him is Mclaren, if he leaves them I think he'll retire.

If you partner Alonso with another top tier driver such as as Hamilton or Vettel it would just cause a major headache and as long as those both teams have a solid second driver then there is absolutely no need for it.

Back to Renault perhaps?

Vocal Minority

8,582 posts

151 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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williamp said:
Porsche in WEC?? I know he's rated by some, but his WDC were 11 and 12 years ago now. The last time he won was 4 years ago. Same age as Massa...
Porsche are well sorted for this year. But the organisers would find a berth for him if he wanted to go - the series would really love him

lee_fr200

5,475 posts

189 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Mark Webber who's good friends with him said if things don't improve he will walk away!

But he might as well stay and get a nice pay packet for now I'd drive it around for 30 mil a year not exactly a bad thing!

Christmassss

650 posts

88 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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williams next season

London424

12,826 posts

174 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Christmassss said:
williams next season
Doubt they could afford him, unless he's happy to take a big pay cut.

As good as he was/is as others have said I'm not sure which team would run the risk of having him in the team unless you get one of the other no1 names out the door first.

Do Merc want another repeat of their issues?
Redbull prefer to promote from within
Ferrari have a no1 and no2 so unless Seb leaves it's not happening.

HustleRussell

24,602 posts

159 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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sandman77 said:
BoRED S2upid said:
My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.
I really don't think that Ferrari would have him back.
I really didn't think McLaren would have him back...

tommunster10

1,128 posts

90 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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benny 61 said:
BoRED S2upid said:
My money (and I'm quite good at loosing money betting) is to replace Kimi next season.

Did Alonso leave on bad terms, I can't remember.
He left on better terms than Kimi did!

As long as he can be in situations like Oz where people can say he's taking a dog of a car and putting it where it doesn't belong I think you could deal with that added to the money you are getting. But it's when people start questioning his legacy is when it must hurt. But Oz actually did Alonso no harm reputation wise.
As people know I favor the 'car is the star' mantra over the driver, but wow did Alonso and Stroll conspire to prove me wrong in that race...

The Surveyor

7,576 posts

236 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Alonso won't walk mid-season if things stay as they are, the only exception being a significant change with the McLaren and it's engine partner which makes them even less competitive.

At the end of the season it will be a different matter. I see Hamilton leaving Mercedes and replacing Kimi at Ferrari (either with his 4th WDC, or in search of it), and Alonso getting the Mercedes drive alongside Bottas. Vettel and Hamilton will be a stella driver line-up for Ferrari on 2018.....

bobbo89

5,151 posts

144 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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The Surveyor said:
Alonso won't walk mid-season if things stay as they are, the only exception being a significant change with the McLaren and it's engine partner which makes them even less competitive.

At the end of the season it will be a different matter. I see Hamilton leaving Mercedes and replacing Kimi at Ferrari (either with his 4th WDC, or in search of it), and Alonso getting the Mercedes drive alongside Bottas. Vettel and Hamilton will be a stella driver line-up for Ferrari on 2018.....
I like that idea and if the option became available to Hamilton I think he'd take it, especially if Ferrari continue to be competitive.

In your scenario though, who gets Alonso's seat at McLaren?

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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Christmassss said:
williams next season
Not a bad call. Mercedes engine, possibility of Bottas staying on at Mercedes and FW likes a racer. Plus Alonso would cut his rate card...

rubystone

11,252 posts

258 months

Tuesday 28th March 2017
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bobbo89 said:
I like that idea and if the option became available to Hamilton I think he'd take it, especially if Ferrari continue to be competitive.

In your scenario though, who gets Alonso's seat at McLaren?
We need to look at where Sainz will go. it seems likely he'll leave STR at the end of this year. He's a very good driver and won't cost a fortune to hire. I gather his father has spoken to Ferrari already and I think that if Vettel has a good year he'll have significantly more influence in the team to be able to persuade them not to take Alonso back. I do think this is Kimi's last year though unless he pulls it out of the bag.