Alonso's fate gets complicated

I still say Alanso ran the numbers and realized he was second fiddle to Hamilton. The only way of beating him was in a faster car from another company. He created a smokescreen with all the complaining. Now we all talk about where he's gonna go and don't talk about how Hamilton is a faster driver.

Without the smokescreen he'd have just sat there and lost to Hamilton next year too at which point he'd have no chance in a Ferrari.

At least with the controversey he doesn't have to be at Mclaren and compared apples to apples to LH.
It's his only chance and he knows it. The complaining and controversey is strategy..a calculated risk.

 

I hate to break the news to you but most race drivers are arseholes, not just Alonso. The personality attributes necessary to rise to the top level of the sport, most sports for that matter, are not the same attributes that you tend to find in pleasant, agreeable individuals.

This may be a team sport to a certain degree, but you can be the nicest guy in the world and still get fired if you are not fast enough. Spped is what is important, not table manners. This is a big boy sport. Fisichella may well be the most gentlemanly driver in F1 today but he is probably done this year. A better team player you are unlikely to find, yet no one is lining up to sign him. Alonso on the other hand has his pick of teams and is almost certainly headed to Ferrari in 2009.

 

Past performance:
- He did wonders in the Minardi.
- He developed the mid field Renault into a winning car.
- He won two championships with Renault while beating the mighty MS.
- He would have won the first championship for McLaren in 9 years if Ron had used team orders on his #2 driver.

Ferrari is in the business of winning championships.

Q.E.D.

Kimi got tons of off track personality. His interviews are a LOT more interesting than any with MS ever were. Kimi is genuine.

 

Lets see...
McLaren doesn't want him.
Ferrari doesn't want him this year enough to fire their own drivers (which, as you pointed out, they have a long history of doing).
Renault doesn't want him enough to commit to a one year contract.
Toyoto has publicly stated they don't want him.
Toro Rosso said they don't want him.

That's not exactly what I call his pick of teams. I want him to go to Honda and see what he can accomplish with Brawn and watch him bring Honda to the front.

Peter

PS If Ferrari wants him so badly, why not just hire him now?

 

Jean Todt's son is Massa's manager.

 

Who says they haven't already?

Back in 05 nobody believed the rumors that Kimi had signed a contract with Ferrari for 07, yet they were true. Same two years in advance span.

 

I meant why isn't he driving a Ferrari in 2008?

No, I don't think Massa's agent is a good enough reason. Certainly LdM did not have too much hesitation removing Todt from racing operations. If he didn't mind that, I don't think he would really mind removing Massa from the lineup seeing as little Todt is not even a Ferrari employee. After all, Ferrari is in the business of winning championships, no?

Peter

 

1) McLaren wanted to keep him, Alonso wanted to leave
2) Ask me that again in 2009
3) I keep hearing how Alonso is such an arsehole yet his old team wants him back and the sticking point is that they want him for more than one year?!? Not bad for someone who is not a team player...
4) LOL!!!!!!!!!
5) LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You believe everything you read? Check out the year-end issue of Autosport. there is an article on page 9 that reads "Fry Dismisses Brawn Rumours". Read it and then come back to me about the teams' public statements regarding Alonso.

 

1) McLaren certainly DIDN'T want him back. Alonso said he was shocked that they fired him. Send me ONE link to an article indicating that it was FA's decision to leave. And make sure it was written after he was fired please.
2) Why doesn't Ferrari want him for 2008 if he is the future? What is stopping them from hiring him for 2008?
3) Of course Renault wants him back, but they only want him if he is committed for more than one year. If he won't agree, then they DON'T want him.
Please, don't laugh at the backmarkers. FA may very well end up there next year.

I didn't even bring up Williams. Or RBR. How do his prospects in those cars look?

edit: None of my arguments in this thread have been based in any way on the statements coming from Ferrari. They are not even remotely related to my thoughts on this thread. This thread is about Alonso, not what Ferrari said about Alonso.

 

Peter



The initial request to part company was by FA, btw I reckon he's a good driver, you don't beat MS to 2 WC's without having talent!, some of his behaviour this Year left a lot to be desired and I could understand why any Employer would sack somebody who behaved that way but it was not the case.

 

I agree with all of your posts. Mr Senna has met his match and some

 

I like that one.....Your fav driver is the bigges arsehole there ever was in F1 so to make him look better everyone else is an arsehole....seen that one before....3 stooges maybe cant remember.
Alonshole may not be that much of a developer. Last season he was developing Ferrari setups...hmm any driver would have done better with that info. Now it looks like he was developing McCheater technology while driving his way to his 2nd WDC in a Renault. The year before he had no competition as Ferrari were handicaped by the new tire rule handing him his 1st WDC. Maybe Alonshole cant get a drive this late in the game because the paddock dosnt think he is so good and I didnt even mention the TEAM SELF DESTRUCT button he has in his mouth. I dont recall Mike or the other greats stumbling around the paddocks looking for a ride so late but then you should see this because your know exactly what is going on in the paddocks
Got some inside news for ya.....The only Ferrari Alonshole will be driving in the future is the one he buys from a dealership.

 

I agree with you about that. But when you already have a driver of at least equal speed (I meant Kimi, not Massa ) wouldn't Alonso's disruptive personality then come into play? Why risk making waves in the team when you already have the tools needed to win championships? And on top of that, the team would save at least 15 to 20 million dollars in salary cost per year by keeping Massa as #2.

 

Guy is a great talent. Someone will have him driving for them next year, bad behavior or not. Watch this unfold, someone is going to need him and I suspect it will be a contending team.

Art

 

1. My favorite driver is Hamilton
2. If you think Alonso is the biggest arsehole in F1 history, then you need to learn more about F1 history.

you are the only one that thinks that. Alonso is widely regarded as the best development driver currently in f1 by most insiders.

Then I guess Ferrari's championships the previous years must be attributable to the Bridgestones. that argument cuts both ways.

Curious. I keep hearing about how Alonso destroys teams and yet Renault seems very keen on re-signing him. What do they know that you don't?

We should archive this statement. Wouldn't be the first time you were proved wrong.

 

Geez, we already know from rumor that the man has a contract with Ferrari for 2009... The spanish press is saying that is a definate while others are calling it rumors. We also know that he hasn't signed because he only wants a one year contract, which adds more proof to the Ferrari rumor. When you take those facts and add in the comments from Luca about how awesome Fernando is, well then you have him in a red car come 2009 and we all need to remember, Luca get's what Luca wants and I can see Massa either test driving or moving on come 2009..... Also remember that Alonso and Kimi get along like brothers...... That might also help you understand the dynamics of what may be transpiring....


Remember this?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alonso is a real champion, in every sense, an extraordinary driver. I've really appreciated his sportsmanship," di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He lost the championship by a point and I don't think it was his fault, rather it was a consequence of his team's bad internal management.

"By congratulating Raikkonen already during the press conference, Alonso demonstrated to be a champion off the track too. It was a gesture we greatly appreciated."

Alonso offered further praise for Raikkonen in an interview with Italian radio station RAI yesterday.

"He is an extraordinary guy - a very, very nice personality even though you don't see it," the Spaniard said.

"The moments I have with him behind the podium and in the press conference, he always laughs and plays pranks, things you don't see when you then watch him on TV.

"So I think he is a really good person, very focused in the races. He loves F1, he is a really great driver. He fought in 2003 and 2005, now he's managed to win the title, I'm very happy."
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

finally someone with some common sense........... most people on here swear that they know everything there is to know about Alonso, when i reality the don't know jack sh*t, except what they read on the web!!!!


Alonso @ Ferrari in 2009 FTW!!!!

 

+1

Spot on.

Not true: As mentioned before, Alonso actually brings money to a team. He brings big sponsorship with him that pay more money to the team than he asks for as his salary. Disengaging his sponsors from McLaren is also one of the reasons why contract negotiations are prolonged at this time.

 

Who wanted Alonso at McL?

Lewis said he was glad to see him leave.
No one on the team would talk to him except his personal engineer and De La Rosa.
He tried to blackmail Ron and Ron turned him and his info into F1 authorities...I don't think Ron wanted him back either.

Flavio wants him back because:

Birds if a feather flock together.
Fred has won two championships for Flavio's team.
He brings lots of money with him.
Fred is the best proven available driver he can get and Flavio doesn't care about having two number #1 drivers.

 

+1

Yes there are alot of factor's involved for sure..

Like this thread twisting and turning, negotiations will be prolonged..

 

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/071125165238.shtml

as well as others but not Santander, even though rumor has it they are considering getting out of their sponsorship with Maca's.... Vodaphone is also doing some thinking at the moment according to rumors.... BTW, Alonso makes a killer kart.. http://www.fakart.com/

 

trying to kill off Tobacco sponsorship, Marlboro, Alonso's personal sponsors could fill the whole in the funding for the team.... Put that together with his friendship with Kimi and his ability to drive and win.... Well I think you all can see what Luca sees..... So what does Massa bring to the table other than being a very nice guy and a very decent driver???

 

Luca knows but apparently is not compelled to share this in public for whatever reason.

 

Nor did he in 2005 after signing Kimi.

 

It sounds like FA has a contract for 2009 with someone and maybe it's not with Ferrari... It could be with BMW (they're improving big time) / Honda (Ross Brawn)...etc.
If it's with Ferrari, then I see Kimi retiring. Maybe his plans are clear for 2009 and that's why Ferrari have signed Alonso.