Rumours from the time. When something fishy like that happens around you, you cannot pretend it doesn't exist. Like Gordon C said, Alonso was called for a pit stop completely out of the blue, and he didn't object to that. That raises suspicion, no? Any driver worth his salt would have gone mental at the idea of being told to pit when it doesn't seem necessary. Next thing his team mate crashes, the safety car comes out, and Alonso find himself in the lead. He must have thought that maybe Christmas comes early in Singapore !! Coincidence? I don't think so. He must have realised something was afoot, but pretended he knew nothing about the cause of his good fortune. So, he won and kept quiet after that. But when the Piquet started to spill the beans, Alonso was also investigated alongside Symmonds and Briatore, the architects of the plot with young Nelson. Very suspicious to say the least ...
Alonso may be a good driver, but, over the past 10 years, he has demonstrated a knack for making every team he drives for, worse. That's largely due to his aggressive undermining of his teammates (and occasionally his team), and his need for a chassis that suits his understeering driving style, a style that is rare in F1. Any team should think twice before they invest in a divisive 36/37-year-old driver when he is available in 2018.
He has no driving style, that's what makes him so good. He drives the car how it wants to be driven. The understeery driving style was specific to the Renault/tires from back in those years and with a different car he drove completely differently. Look at him in car now or at Ferrari and it looks nothing like back then. He's not a Raikkonen that needs everything to be absolutely perfect to get the most from the car, he just drives it. This arguably makes it more difficult to develop a car around him as there's not a set direction he needs to take it, but no matter what car you give him he makes the most out of it. He won races in the Ferrari that he had no business winning in. The problem at Mclaren isn't the chassis or aero, at least not on the face of it. It's the engine and nothing the driver can do can fix that.
Alonso as always been overrated....he's crap at building a team and developing cars....he was a star at renault because Briatore sbotaged Trulli when he showed he was as wuick if not quick then his golden boy....Fisichela was screwd wnever he was faster..making him stupid pit stops...he was very lucky when Santander bought him a place at Ferrari because Felipe had had his accident and lost some speed, if not for that he wouldn't look so good....and even so, the car was made for him, but by the end of the season, when Massa finaly got used to the car, he was many times the fasteest iof the 2..a good example is 2012, when in the last 3 of the year, massa was usualy the better of the 2...Alonso was only able to fight fo the title because Massa helped him...they even penalized felipe in purpose on etime in order to move Alonso up the grid!! Alonso and teh spanish garbage press love to claim Ferrari lost him the title due to poor strategy but they forget how Alonso creashed In Monaco, or against Kimi in japan, or how he spined all alone at the beggining of the Australian g.p, or how he managed to get passed twice by the Mclarens in canada after the team made him gain position in the pits.....He like to say he can go werever he wants..lolo what a load of crap, even Porsche said this week they are not interessed in him.
By the way, this relates very well with the perspective we have here in France from the news agencies, etc...Renault does not want to spent profusely, so no way would they accept to pay a very high salary for instance. Seen from here, Alonso's return to Renault seems very far from a done deal. Of course, you never should say never, but... Rgds
There are other ways to have the salary paid. Sponsor's etc. If Renault desire this to be option then he will be there. I dont think they are yet too serious but it is F1. The reference to timeframe is key and FA initially does not fit a longer timeline.
Personally I think If Renault paid him 5m + Alonso finds a 15m sponsor (easy for him I'd say...?), he'd be more than happy as long as he has a reasonably competitive car. I also expect Honda to have solved their issues and Mclaren to be ahead of Renault, though .
He won't... I rate him extremely high as a driver, wasn't much of a fan of him for a very long time (Obviously him in the Renault beating Schumacher didn't make me a fan back then, and then the extremely clouded/one sided view of itv of the Hungary incident with Elton [whom I also didn't like], made me dislike him more for ''having done that''). Now knowing a lot more about that situation I've adjusted my views, still not a big fan of him (as for the things you posted earlier), but my vision is clear: he IS a great driver. Just flawed.
I also think that unless Honda makes giant steps this year, Alonso will ump ship..and if Renault keep improving he might try and make the deal..although i think it's a lousy deal for Renault..Alonso is no good at developing a car, he would simply destroy all of Nico's work instead....they should focus on Nico and get another good driver. for me they have 3 good names: Grosjean (they know him, and like him, and is very fast), Perez(shoed he is every bit as good as the Hulk, and they both get along), or Ocon (looks like a future star and is also french)
Does anybody know what his means? Cyril Abiteboul said, "Nico is at a point in his career where he is capable of projecting himself to a certain point of time."
Nico is young enough to be in a second tier car for a few seasons while focussing on the goal of improving each season until on top. Implied meaning: Alonso is too impatient to not win right away.
FA has the goal to win and his timeline to do so is compressed. Nico has time and patience for the team and car to develop. Its clear Renault are attracted to FA but his timeline and Renaults are opposed in length. Hulk and Renault are on a 'long game' vs FA to me. This is the tenor of the Renault article posted by Nerofer to me.
He's made somewhere around 300 million I believe during his tenure in F1. He will always be remembered for dethroning Schumacher and ferrari regardless of circumstance. If he wasnt so damn stubborn, he would grab a sponsor and drive for free to collect his elusive 3rd title.
