Wednesday 26th March 2008

Alonso Fuels Ferrari Rumours

Spaniard could be looking to split from Renault in 2009

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Alonso: F1 equivalent of musical chairs?

Fernando Alonso has fuelled rumours he plans to leave Renault for Ferrari at the end of the season.

The former world champion only joined Renault this season after a rocky time at McLaren, where he was locked in a bitter battle with team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

‘I'm at Renault because I wanted to get back to winning, like in 2005 and 2006, if not this year then next year,’ Alonso told Spanish newspaper As.

‘But I have an option to leave so I can be in the best possible car, and it is clear Ferrari is one of the best.’

Some commentators expected Alonso to stay for just one season and it appears their predictions may be correct.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo is said to be a fan of Alonso and the Spaniard's latest comments suggest he has a clause in his contract where he could leave after just one year.

However no sooner had he sparked rumours of a move, Alonso sought to cool them.

‘It's early to talk about moves and rumours, but Massa has had two bad races with mistakes and that has kicked off speculation,’ Alonso said.

‘It's logical, but it's too early.’

Alonso has had a disappointing start to the 2008 season and is currently 7^th in the driver’s standings.

[hirsty27]

Who cares!.........

Petulant Pk!

[Baffled Spoon]

Personally, I wouldn't think having two young aggressively driving world champions as teammates would be a good idea. It will be like raikkonen and montoya all over again.

Would be intresting to watch though for the ensuing carnage.

Edited by Baffled Spoon on Wednesday 26th March 11:24

[patmahe]

We'll all start caring if he ends up in a Ferrari next year. Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Kovalinen. All great drivers and all would be serious contenders for the World Championship. I for one would love to see these guys go head to head in rival teams

[sniff petrol]

I think Renault won't mind letting him go as they have plenty of other young drivers coming through and need a seat for Kovalienen when he comes back from Mclaren next year.

[g4ry13]

It's hardly a disappointing start to the season considering the car he's in and how it performed last year.

[hirsty27]

patmahe said:

We'll all start caring if he ends up in a Ferrari next year. Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Kovalinen. All great drivers and all would be serious contenders for the World Championship. I for one would love to see these guys go head to head in rival teams

Talking of Ferrari, can anybody tell me why Felipe Massa ever ended up at Ferrari..x5, what the hell did he do to be held in such regard to end up in a Ferrari race seat!!!x10,......I just don't get it?

I wonder who will make way for Alonso next season, if he goes there?, and Raikkonen stays in F1...

[dinkel]

http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=AbqR-KmLJ_w

Look at him driving a Megane down the 'Ring!

[VladD]

patmahe said:

We'll all start caring if he ends up in a Ferrari next year. Hamilton, Alonso, Raikkonen, Kovalinen. All great drivers and all would be serious contenders for the World Championship. I for one would love to see these guys go head to head in rival teams

I agree. I think it would be great for F1. When was the last time that Ferrari had 2 great drivers that could race each other?

[VladD]

sniff petrol said:

I think Renault won't mind letting him go as they have plenty of other young drivers coming through and need a seat for Kovalienen when he comes back from Mclaren next year.

Why do you think that will happen?

[flemke]

sniff petrol said:

I think Renault ... need a seat for Kovalienen when he comes back from Mclaren next year.

[wab172uk]

Baffled Spoon said:

Personally, I wouldn't think having two young aggressively driving world champions as teammates would be a good idea. It will be like raikkonen and montoya all over again.

Would be intresting to watch though for the ensuing carnage.

Edited by Baffled Spoon on Wednesday 26th March 11:24

From what I gather, Kimi only signed a 2 year deal with Ferrari, saying he doesn't want to race after that. This was on the back of years of disapointment at McLaren. Alonso was rumoured to have signed a pre-contract agreement to replace Kimi in 2009.
After winning the 2007 Championship and possibly winning the 2008 Championship, Kimi might elect to stay on at Ferrari. Whether or not he'd allow Alonso to race along side him? Depends on how much ferrari want Kimi to stay/be happy.

[rude-boy]

I doubt Kimi give a stuff who he races against so long as he gets the same car.

I would love to see Alonso humbled still further. I thought I was really warming to him before he went to Maclaren but his inability to handle having a team mate who appears to be as good (if not better but without the experience)as him has removed all that along with his childish outbursts.

[GarrettMacD]

hirsty27 said:

Talking of Ferrari, can anybody tell me why Felipe Massa ever ended up at Ferrari..x5, what the hell did he do to be held in such regard to end up in a Ferrari race seat!!!x10,......I just don't get it?

His manager is Nicolas Todt, son of Jean Todt.

When it was announced late last year that Todt was leaving his role at Ferrari one of his last acts when in charge was to renew Massa's contract for two years, with an option for the third. If Ferrari ditch him (which they should) they will have to pay up his contract, a certain % of which will go to... Nicolas Todt.

Either way, Nicolas gets paid.

[CoffeeJunkie]

I am amazed Alonso thinks he can go to Ferrari after he was mentioned in the Ferrari spying incident last year. I guess if he has signed a 2009 contract then not a problem...

[Tsiakosmantis]

I doubt Kimi would be too concerned about having Alonso as his new team mate next year.
The guy's got more talent, he's more professional and his media skills are legendary!

Alsonso is a whining bushy eye-browed baby!

[sniff petrol]

flemke said:

sniff petrol said:

I think Renault ... need a seat for Kovalienen when he comes back from Mclaren next year.

Thought he was just on a loan, must be wrong. Sorry.

[turbobungle]

[/quote] Talking of Ferrari, can anybody tell me why Felipe Massa ever ended up at Ferrari..x5, what the hell did he do to be held in such regard to end up in a Ferrari race seat!!!x10,......I just don't get it?

I wonder who will make way for Alonso next season, if he goes there?, and Raikkonen stays in F1...
[/quote]

If Massa didn't have all the reliability and bad luck issues last year he would have been a serious contender for the title, don't know what he's playing at this year though!

[_Batty_]

turbobungle said:

If Massa didn't have all the reliability and bad luck issues last year he would have been a serious contender for the title, don't know what he's playing at this year though!

erm 2 spins in 2 races so far. doesn't seem too unlucky tbh....

[GarrettMacD]

_Batty_ said:

turbobungle said:

If Massa didn't have all the reliability and bad luck issues last year he would have been a serious contender for the title, don't know what he's playing at this year though!

erm 2 spins in 2 races so far. doesn't seem too unlucky tbh....

Massa has always been a lairy driver. When he came to F1 at Sauber he was always binning the car, at least that's how it seemed.

Then he moved to Ferrari and *appeared* to have cooled it down, but actually it was just that Ferrari had better electronics that could cope with Massa's driving style. This year, with less driver aids, he has binned it twice.

He often has the highest corner APEX speeds, but that rarely translates into higher corner EXIT speeds, which is the one that really counts. It was him rushing to get on the gas too quickly last weekend that ended him up in the gravel.

He's both unlucky and lucky.

Lucky because he happens to be in one of the best four cars on the grid.

Unlucky because he is now showing himself up on live TV every weekend so far in 2008...

[Cherub77]

I really don't know how anyone can sg off alonso. He's a double world champion, the youngest ever! Both him and Lewis are extra competitive people because there winners, only natural that they had a couple of tiffs as alonso didn't get what he was promised. I hope he does go to ferrari as i honestly believe it would make such an exciting season seeing him and lewis go head to head!