Alonso to leave McLaren and return to Ferrari to race at LeMans In a shocking development for McLaren Honda, Fernando Alonso has announced that he will leave the McLaren Formula 1 team and begin preparations for the 24 hours of LeMans with his former employer Ferrari. After suffering through disastrous preseason testing with the Woking outfit and having a crash that left him concussed and missing the Australian Grand Prix, Alonso made his announcement to the team and the press late last night. There is just not enough potential in the car to justify staying and trying to develop the MP4-15. There is no point in driving the car around in circles to try to take 19th position. Ron has stated that the car was not to blame and he and I have agreed to disagree about the event in testing in Spain .I cannot say more. His return to Ferrari marked a double surprise, as it finally confirmed that Ferrari has been developing an endurance car and is returning to endurance racing at the highest levels. Alonso stated, It is fantastic to return to the Ferrari team they are like family and it was a mistake to leave their F1 team, but this new challenge with the their return to endurance racing energizes me and I look forward to that new challenge. Asked if this was a one off race or a return for the entire FIA WEC season, Alonso would only say we will go one step at a time. There is much development still to do on the new Ferrari; this is a new area for them but they will be taking on the best manufacturers in the World. He noted that he began exploring this possibility at the 2014 edition of the LeMans 24 hour event last summer when he drive the 1970 Ferrari 512M. The car had the number 15 on it an oblique reference apparently to Alonso keeping his options open despite signing a contract with McLaren. It is believed that the contract had performance clauses that would allow Alonso to exit the team should McLaren not produce a top 10 car. Check back to our website on this breaking story . Image Unavailable, Please Login
This could actually be even dangerous: imagine Pedro ("Furoni") reading this and believing it even for a few seconds, this could end in a heart attack... Rgds
I just did and was wondering WTF!!!!!! Alonso wish he would be so lucky!!! that 512 would Kick his xerox machine on wheels ass!!!
1) yes. 2) not so sure. I don't think he's earning drastically or life changing amounts of money more at McHonda then at Ferrari... If he stayed at Ferrari he'd be challenging wins and certainly have a very good chance at podiums every race.
I feel the Ferrari improved because Alonso wasn't as valued on giving feedback on the 2015 car. This is also possibly part of why he left, personality wasn't being treated like a god anymore. Once he signed with Mclaren, I'm sure he was kept out of the loop on 2015's car from that point on. The 2015 Ferrari is radically different in tire and handling characteristics and very opposed to the development path pursued since a year after Alonso joined Ferrari. Coincidence? Maybe not. I am not blaming Macca's woes this season. on Alonso, they had a bad car last year, and serious teething problems this year. Next year will be interesting for them for sure. I believe Ferrari started the season with the most tokens available.
Around the time Alonso was heavily looking into leaving it sure seemed like there was more talk from the team than ever about how bad the 2015 car was going to be. Given where we are at right now, you have to think that wasn't a coincidence.
Very good job writing a fake story. Referring to his dalliances with Le Mans last year gave the story a touch of credibility. Referring to the struggles with the MP 4/15 was also well done. Good effort, imo, but still was obviously an April Fool's joke...
Italian politics, get the driver to want to use his own exit clause to get rid of him, and then hire Vettel.
No. The engine engineers have made the power delivery more friendly as Allison has said. Alonso did miracles with the 2014 car and it is just bad timing he is not there when they improved the car. Pete
It's difficult reading posts perpetuated after the initial April Fools joke is over, but I'll keep it going since no one will take the time to read previous posts - like this one by me.
That may be true, but friendly power delivery didn't suddenly make this car much faster. It's a much improved chassis, courtesy of Allison working with Kimi.
Well Allison says that friendly power delivery is a big part of their 2015 improvements. Makes sense to me as the car would be much easier to drive and control. Here you go, read it yourself. The other improvements are aero:http://formula1.ferrari.com/en/james-allison-improvements-on-both-sides/ ... so sorry Kimi has done nothing (bit harsh as I am sure he has) ... Also So the 2015 car still has the same front as the 2014, the front so many blamed Alonso for. I've criticised the pull rod suspension too but that was the engineers fault not the drivers. I know many of you hate Alonso, but give it a rest or take a pill and relax a bit on it ... Pete
This is the legend that is allways told, no matter what result he achieved some say it is at least 10 places better than the car deserved....I haven´t seen miracles from him last year but a solid performance. I doubt that the comparisation with Raikkonen says more than the 2014 car did not suit Raikkonens driving style at all. Certainly the victory last weekend is not the achievement of Vettel but the whole team but it seems that the team does work better since a lot of people (including Alonso) are gone.
Alonso is a great race car driver but not a good test driver. McLaren will not benefit from him unless they give him a good car to begin with that he can race competitively.
2nd in hungary was a damn miracle, also due to tire management. Do you remember the way that car was sliding all over the place at the last turn to keep Hamilton behind him. I understand people that hate him as a person, but you can't deny his ability to hop in a car and wring 11/10th's out of it.
I don´t deny his ability to get 10/10th out of the car more constantly than most others do but that is it, the rest is glorification...
Thanks! I tried....the rest of you are just pissed that when you clicked on it, you felt that it was a real possibility and then realized it wasn't.
