As the title says. I know its too early to say but I have a feeling he will leave and possibly retire.
Leave Macca...YES. Question is if it is before end of this season. Retire...NO, unless it is a ruse to avoid some sort of gardening period. I think he is hell-bent on getting a third WDC and that he thinks driving for Merc is the only way that is going to happen. With big changes rumored for 2017, he must find a way into Merc for 2016. Shock, epilepsy, Jedi mind games, retirement...doesn't matter...whatever it takes.
could be me but I think he's past it. the accident - coupled with no other place to go could mean that he leaves F-1 and goes to Sports cars... or perish the thought Indy.... make ok money and less stress.
How is he past it? He just destroyed KR last season? Not his fault the mclaren car is ****e and electrocutes him.
Alonso has an exit clause on which he insisted, probably based on performances. The farther Hamilton is from renewing at Merc, the more I suspect Alonso is boycotting McLaren, again. I love it!
I dont really think he got electrocuited... but maybe... If you look at history all drivers that emerge from Ferrari have been damaged goods. the political stress take it out of you. only Lauda, and Prost have gone on to win championships after Ferrari... and both of them took time out before making a comeback. everyone else that left and went to another team just did not do well - even Schumacher. I also think Alonso has crossed the age barrier where he is starting to think do I need all this crap? and for what? maybe he could race for Audi - has just as much fun, almost as much money and 1/4th the stress... Perhaps the accident makes him think more about living vs. driving? Of recent drivers at Ferrari who left - none of them have gone on to do much, and only Kimi & Barichello won a race (s). He'll most likely finish out the season. if a Mercedes seat opens up - maybe he'll go there for a last gasp effort, but doubt it. The sad fact is there are more younger kids coming in that cost less, and are more hungry....
Don't forget Mansell........won with Williams after Ferrari. And he did not take time off. I don't think ex-Ferrari drivers are damaged goods. ****, back in the day, Williams and even McLaren were similar driver pressure cookers. Ferrari is/was not special in that regard.
+2......i also believe he has an exit clause on the whole Mac deal.....and why wouldn't mac accept...they have magnussen so not much to loose if Alonso goes away.....Alonso was the only top driver they could sign anyway, all the others where taken!!
What continues to be funny/sad is that Alonso believes he can dictate where he goes. He should have noticed that Red Bull sent him a message last year.
Toto Wolff said he was the top target for Mercedes should things not work out for Hamilton, and Honda had been approaching him for a year trying to get him to move to McLaren. As far as this thread goes, he'll hop back behind the wheel of the McLaren once he is cleared to do so.
"The Spanish sports daily Marca reports that, given his all-clear by doctors, Alonso will have no more medical tests except the mandatory ones administered by the FIA ahead of his return to the cockpit in Malaysia. "Created by FIA medical delegate Jean-Charles Piette, Alonso will have to undergo reflective, cognitive and memory tests that match his previous 'control' scores to a value of 95 per cent. "In the meantime, his doctors have barred him from his favourite sport - road cycling - but he is allowed to run on a treadmill, swim, or work out in the gym." http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-new...n?artid=175240
Not a championship... just races... and then the disaster with McLaren... Ferrari are way more political than the other teams. Schumacher, Todt, Braw, Byrne were the only ones other than Lauda / Montezemolo who kept a lid on it all.
What does alonso always do when things don't go his way. He cuts and runs for greener pastures. Frankly the only reason he stayed with Ferrari as long as he did was because of their brand recognition. Hopefully lewis and nico dominate again so mercedes doesn't try to fill one seat.
I think if mcHonda don;t get competitive over the season, he will look at his options. Having said so, he's not stupid. I would say by 2016 mid, he will make a decision.
Ron does NOT want Fred. Honda does. Fred will be gone one way or the other half way through the season.
Both Mansell and Prost won championships after Ferrari. I don´t think that, at least for drivers, there is more pressure at Ferrari than at other teams. In modern Formula 1 I remember more infighting at McLaren than at Ferrari; probably not a Ron Dennis problem, just that they sometimes had the good or bad fortune of having two sttubborn drivers and a winning car at the same time.
