Alonso leaving McLaren

[Marki]

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Marki said:

garyhun said:

"Jenson, Jenson.. over here my son"!!

Ahh god no not Button ,, Rosberg

Do you dislike button becasue he is english?

No i dislike him because he has proved to be an underachiever

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Marki said:

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Marki said:

garyhun said:

"Jenson, Jenson.. over here my son"!!

Ahh god no not Button ,, Rosberg

Do you dislike button becasue he is english?

No i dislike him because he has proved to be an underachiever

Fair enough - i don't rate button much either

[woof]

Roseberg would be great but Keke is unlikely to match him against Hamilton
I can't who said this but basically Roseberg has avoided competing directly in any formula with Hamilton (of course until F1) so it's unlikely he'd want to be in the same team as him - plus Mclaren will have to buy him out of his existing contract

[Big_Kahuna]

jesusbuiltmycar said:

Fair enough - i don't rate button much either

I suppose his beard tickles your thighs?

Edited by Big_Kahuna on Friday 2nd November 13:20

[johnnywb]

What about DC?

With Alonso gone, surely they'll want an experienced head in the team. Lewis is good, but i suspect he could do with learning from someone who's been around a while.

[gopher]

I'd like to see Heidfeld in there, would work well for Mercedes as well, should have gone there in 2002 instead of KR. (IMO)

[FourWheelDrift]

johnnywb said:

What about DC?

After what he's written in his autobiography about not really being on equal terms with Hakinnen and playing second fiddle to him? Which is what will happen if he went back to McLaren.

[baSkey]

a shame. i quite like red bull and now i may be forced to hate them and wish Newey bad luck..!

surely unless that manufacturer team block is correct he has to just be doing a switch with kovaleinen..? edited to say 'as others have said'.

with Fisichella being quite literally 'shoite' it's a shame he just can't be binned and kovaleinen try and show alonso up as well..!

Edited by baSkey on Friday 2nd November 13:31

[BT52]

Consider McLaren's record in 2003, 2005, 2007.

Now look at how they did in 2004 and 2006.

Consider Renault in 2005 and 2006 and that they gave up on this year's car about half way into the season.

If I was Kovalienen I'd be praying that I was staying put for 2008.

[jellison]

garyhun said:

"Jenson, Jenson.. over here my son"!!

Yep - two pretty boy brits in the cars.

[baSkey]

BT52 said:

Consider McLaren's record in 2003, 2005, 2007.

Now look at how they did in 2004 and 2006.

Consider Renault in 2005 and 2006 and that they gave up on this year's car about half way into the season.

If I was Kovalienen I'd be praying that I was staying put for 2008.

yeah but mclaren have designed a decent car, the merc doesn't grenade its;ef anymore..it's just the strategy they have to sort out. IMO

[stormin]

Who cares where Alonso goes, it's his 'I'm the man' attitude that's caused the problems. Hopefully no-one will take him on and leave him without a ride for the next year.

[rubystone]

flemke said:

megy said:

Interesting that he does not have to pay a penalty for breaking his contract...

That is possible, but anywhere does it say that?
He could already have another team lined up, with a payoff agreed from that team.
Or, Alonso could have agreed to pay McLaren for his release with his own funds.
Alternatively, McLaren could have a swap lined up with another team, and this could be the first act of that.

It may be a straight parting of the ways, with no compensation. In any case, I am confident that McLaren would not have let him go outright without something in hand for '08.

So...that's part one done...expect an announcement on part 2 pretty soon. He'll drive for another team with effect from 1st January 2008 - the date is significant only insofar as it appears to have been part of the letter of intent that apparently he signed some weeks ago (according to hearsay in the Dog and Duck......)

As it happens, I don't think that any payment has passed over from either side; each has claimed the other is at fault and as a consequence they have agreed to part conmpany.

I really don't have any idea about who McLaren will have signed though. I don't get the feeling that there's a driver swap involved, but there will be a problem regarding the driver line-up in the team he's agreed to drive for next year...

[rubystone]

LanCat said:

Marki said:

Leithen said:

Perhaps more pertinent to McLaren, what's the scoop on the Spanish Sponsors...?

The way i read it , it sounded like they are staying with Mc

I'd expect Mutua Madrileña might well move on because they are tigter to Alonsdo but Santander have larger aspirations, major investment in Germany in Auto Loans for example, and will like the McLaren partnership program. From a UK (Abbey) perspective they also will like Lewis and might fund some of the sponsorship from there.

Santander's CEO had pledged his support to McLaren weeks ago. They were never going to leave, having built their promotion of the Abbey brand around Hamilton...but IIRC they currently contribute something like US$13m per annum to McLaren's coffers (but I may have got that figure wrong)

[rubystone]

I like the Hakkinen idea - one season perhaps and then they pick up Rosberg or even wait for Massa?

[Piglet]

rubystone said:

but there will be a problem regarding the driver line-up in the team he's agreed to drive for next year...

You can't say that and then stop.....c'mon man spill the beans....at least a little clue?!

[Curator]

Ecurie Ecosse said:

I'd love to see Jense in the McLaren (and I'm Scottish - and don't like Hamilton ; )

Ecurie Etosse more like

[rubystone]

Piglet said:

rubystone said:

but there will be a problem regarding the driver line-up in the team he's agreed to drive for next year...

You can't say that and then stop.....c'mon man spill the beans....at least a little clue?!

Well..it's more to do with what may be written into a third party's contract (not Alonso) than either of the two drivers the team already has

What do you think of the possibility that Ron may have been on the phone to Ralf? McLaren offers him perhaps his best chance at a tilt for the title, a chance to emerge from his brother's shadow and could re-spark the latent desire to succeed. He's not lacking in pace when he's motivated, that's for sure.....

[SeeFive]

rubystone said:

Piglet said:

rubystone said:

but there will be a problem regarding the driver line-up in the team he's agreed to drive for next year...

You can't say that and then stop.....c'mon man spill the beans....at least a little clue?!

Well..it's more to do with what may be written into a third party's contract (not Alonso) than either of the two drivers the team already has

What do you think of the possibility that Ron may have been on the phone to Ralf? McLaren offers him perhaps his best chance at a tilt for the title, a chance to emerge from his brother's shadow and could re-spark the latent desire to succeed. He's not lacking in pace when he's motivated, that's for sure.....

So Ralf can emerge from his brother's shadow to stand in Hamilton's.....?? I guess that if Ron truly wants a number two that he does not have to write as such into a contract, someone like Ralf would be ideal. Seems feasible

Edited by SeeFive on Friday 2nd November 14:26

[nelson.tfr]

Ralf Schumacher..... ha, ha, ha!