All of you Alonso-haters will love this...........

http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story/?ID=225445&hubname=auto_racing


Alonso admits no Ferrari contact
Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso

TSN.ca Staff

12/18/2007 8:13:23 AM

Fernando Alonso says every team, except Ferrari, made a pitch for his services once he left McLaren.

The two time world champion had been linked to a move to Ferrari even though the Maranello team already had both Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa under contract for next season. He elected to re-sign with Renault, the team he left last season in order to join McLaren, but admits it wasn't an easy decision.

"There was a possibility to continue at McLaren," he tells Spanish radio station Cadena Ser, adding that his grandmother was among the most vocal for him to leave the Woking-based team.

"When I left McLaren all teams approached me, but not Ferrari (and) I never visited a team's factory."

"We opted for Renault as an optimistic decision."

Alonso added that his time at McLaren wasn't as bad as the press reports portrayed it to be.

"I suffered only a tenth of everything that had been written," he says. "In the end, 20 laps from the end of the season, I had a realistic chance of winning the title for the third consecutive time. I left with a good taste in my mouth."

As for next season, the Spaniard says its crazy to think he will win the championship with Renault.

"We need to take an enormous step forward to be able to fight for the world championship next year," he says, adding that he's not afraid of new teammate Nelson Piquet Jr.

"I'm not afraid that Piquet is going to be a new Hamilton," he said. "In the end it's up to me, I must be quicker than my teammate. I have total confidence in Renault and Flavio and I know that he will manage the team well."

 

Does that translate as "I know Flavio will not allow Piquet to finish in front of me"?

 

well, i surely don't want to see him in a Scarlet car.

 

AMEN TO THAT BROTHER !

+ 100000000000000000000000000000000000

 

He never ever will be in a scarlet car.

 

That's actually the nicest that I've heard him sound.

 

He knew early on Hamilton was faster and just wanted to get in another car to avoid a direct comparison.

 

LOL

 

...Im SO glad we wont be buying eyebrow trimers anytime soon...say next 3 years?

 

Somebody forgot to tell Piquet senior that his son is the No.2 driver. Maybe Alonso is too young to remember what happens when you piss Sr. off.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3SXbGDcMeo8

 

This was not a surprise by any means. a) Jean Todt categorically stated that he does not want Alonso in the team and b) They signed up both drivers for the next couple seasons - JT making sure his boy's boy was included in the mix. Of course now JT is out of the team - perhaps Luca wanted Alonso and things came to a boil.

I think Alonso is best placed at Renault. He is a wonderful racer but a destructive element as well. I would not like to see him at the Scuderia. Ferrari has a good team today - Kimi has found his footing and Massa is a good #2. They seem to work well together - will help push the team forward in one direction.

 

Cool clip Nick good find , I miss Murray Walker commentary's..

 

More Murray stuff for you Steve.

http://www.motorsport-stats.com/f1/quotes/index.html

'Mansell is slowing it down, taking it easy. Oh no he isn't! It's a lap record.'
'Jean Alesi is 4th and 5th'
'And now the boot is on the other Schumacher'
'and this is the third placed car about to lap the second placed car'
'Do my eyes deceive me, or is Senna's Lotus sounding rough?'
'With half the race gone, there is half the race still to go'
'Senna asked for the pole position to be changed from the left to the left'
'...and he's lost both right front tyres'
'..and Damon Hill is following Damon Hill'
'A sad and literally messy ending to the Canadian Grand Prix albeit, thank heavens, a happy one.'
'Unless I'm very much mistaken....I AM very much mistaken'

 

Brillant brillant can't get enough:'Nigel Mansell - the man of the race - the man of the day - the man from the Isle of Man' - Murray Walker

'Unless I'm very much mistaken....I AM very much mistaken!' - Murray Walker

That just sums him up for me.......

 

For those of you who don't understand F1-speak, what this translates to is:

"There was no need for Ferrari to approach me when my departure from McLaren was announced, I already signed for Ferrari for 2009 long before I left McLaren. I did not need to visit the factory, we signed the deal in Rome."

In case any of you still do not understand, please review Kimi's statements in 2005.

 

Ted, get over yourself. Alonso is not going to Ferrari. Thankfully. You need to not read anything between the lines. Alonso was being honest, for once. His personality, as charming as it may be, does not fit in with Ferrari, especially as long as Schumacher, and Todt, have anything to say about this subject. Keep in mind now, for some mystical unknown reason, I am beginning to like Alonso, but not at Ferrari.

He will do well at Renault. And Kimi will stay at Ferrari through at least 2010, maybe 2011, because he will win two more championships and that orgasm works for any F1 driver.

 

I like both you and Ted,

BUT!!!!


ONE of you is going to get flayed in about a year when we learn if Alonso is going to Ferrari or not!

Being a non-fan of his, I am going to *hope* that Ron is right but Ted makes good points too. We shall see - the crow will be kept warm for whomever ends up eating it.

 

+1. LDM isn't running around kissing his @ss for nothing with some of the comments he's made.

 

I'm surprised Andreas didn't comment. I wanted to see his reaction to this. My reaction is this:

Woo hoo!

 

he's probably in Maranello now, negotiating or something

 

I'm just waiting to hear the interview after the first time Alonso gets lapped in a "developing" Renault.

But then, getting his doors handed to him may be just what he needs to get over himself and get back to being a race driver.

I suspect this will either improve Alonso --- or he'll melt down completely. (It might depend on how well another rookie teammate does.)

 

Alonso!!

Someone should let him know that there is no "I" in Team and then he might learn something??

 

Ferrari have no reason to hire Alonso. There is no evidence he is quicker than Raikonnen. And if Raikonnen wins WDC again this year, it would be stupid of Ferrari not to have him continue. By the time Massa's contract expires, Alonso would definitely be a "has been". The more likely move is of Hamilton to Ferrari sometime in 2009 - assuming Ron Dennis is kicked out of McLaren sometime on 2008 or before. You heard it here first!

 

Alonshole will be washed up after the next 2 seasons with Renault. There will be other drivers moving up and he will be looking at the clutch box of many cars untill he retires. In many businesses as well as racing, idiots like him are brushed aside to make room for real people that respect the team and business not just themselves.

 

You folks are all deluding yourselves.

A selfish driver?!? In Formula 1?!? How unprecedented!!!

Alonso is going to around for a long time and he will be a threat to win the WDC every year. The rest is merely wishful thinking on all your parts.