Flavio: Don't rule out Alonso at Ferrari again

Flavio (his manager) is testing the waters...

If they dumped Vettel I could see it. At this minute I think Kimi has a better chance to stay at Ferrari next year than Vettel. If the FIA bans Vettel for one race Ferrari is going to be even more livid.


'Don't exclude a Ferrari return for Alonso' | PlanetF1 : PlanetF1

Fernando Alonso could yet return to Ferrari next season; that’s according to his manager Flavio Briatore.

Alonso left Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season, frustrated that his five years with the team had yielded just three runner-up results.

But with his move to McLaren failing to offer up even that, the Spaniard is looking elsewhere for 2018.

And Briatore reckons Ferrari are still on option as the Spaniard’s only issue was with former team boss Marco Mattiacci.

“He always got along with everyone and only had problems with Mattiacci,” the manager told Italian radio Rai.

“In this life you cannot exclude anything.

“Fernando is a bit like Senna, who had no problem with any team – he only needs a car capable of winning.”

Ferrari, though, isn’t Alonso’s only option with Briatore admitting that “Red Bull and Force India can have good races, as we saw in Baku.”

 

Oh this should be a fun thread.

 

Nothing extraordinary. Briatore just trying to fix the wreck he helped to make 3 years ago.

 

Bernie Ecclestone has suggested the exact same thing:

Former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says Ferrari should re-sign Fernando Alonso for 2018 if Kimi Riakkonen is not kept on by the Scuderia, Spanish newspaper ABC claim.

Alonso's future is the subject of much speculation with his contract at McLaren-Honda expiring at the end of the season and the Spaniard saying he will only remain with the team if they can show by September they will be race winners next year.

Asked who Ferrari should sign if they have a vacant seat, Ecclestone was quoted as saying: "Alonso, for sure.

"He's one of the best drivers I ever met in Formula 1."

(Full story [in Spanish] : Fórmula 1: Ecclestone aconseja a Ferrari cambiar a Raikkonen por Alonso )

 

And that is the difference - Senna, like Schumacher, can develop a car.

Alonzo.... not so sure.

And of course they will say there are other interests, even when there are none.

I think Alonzo needs to simply walk away from F1, like so many others,
he was great - at one time.

 

There isn't a snowball's chance in hell that Ferrari fires Vettel this year. NONE!!

 

You put that so nicely ...

It's true that Flavio being his manager, he should bear most of the criticism against Alonso when it comes to making career decisions.

 

But what about Raikkonen though ...

 

Kimi is the target, I would believe. It won't make Seb happy to have Fernando there. Fernando can wring the neck of an inferior car and get everything out of it...I'd imagine he's chomping at the bit to get behind the wheel of a capable car.

 

for a manager to come out and make statements like this, makes me think he is trying to up the ante for Alonso from other teams. I doubt Mercedes or Ferrari are willing to discuss contracts while in the middle of a championship run, Red Bull is probably not interested, Renault and Williams are the only teams that are probably reaching out at the moment, and my money would be on Renault.

 

He would have to publicly criticise the car to get fired.

Heck Ferrari didn't even fire MS after he took out Villeneuve, so Vettel is not going to be fired.
Pete

 

I think he'll go to Renault, but all this racket is just Flavio doing his job as a manager. He's drumming up business to get attention of everyone for what is a soon-to-be-available driver so he can get both the highest dollar and best seat for his guy. If he was passive and waited for an offer, his driver would probably miss out.

 

If Alonso goes to Renault (a very sensible decision that would be), he probably can say good bye to his "Triple Crown" ambition for a while, I suspect.

I guess Renault wouldn't be interested in releasing him from a GP to race at Indy.
Unless ... it's part of his contract, maybe?

But that would be a massive boost to F1 if Alonso managed to turn Renault around and bring it in the winners circle.
That would be worth watching !

 

Why not? Just stick a label on a Dallara and call it a Nissan -- with Honda engine!

McLaren did it.

 

Yes, but only a desperate Zak Brown would agree to that.

Renault is in F1, not in Indycar.

 

Yup, the stupidity to suggest otherwise is complete BS.

 

I think Vettel is right now on "probation" at Ferrari. If he screws up that badly again they will start shopping elsewhere for next year. It will look like they are shopping to replace Kimi but it might be him. They will delay his contract negotiations for "technical reasons".


And, he did screw up badly in Baku.

 

It was a JOKE!

 

Not happening IMO, not even close. He's arguably the best driver out there, maybe #2, he can likely do whatever he wants with almost no chance of getting axed. He's "passionate/emotional" I would think the freaking Italians are ok with his outbursts.

 

You forget one thing.

Being the best driver and winning championships are often two different things. If it looks like he continues to screw up or can't handle the pressure, he's gone.

How many "passionate" Italian drivers are there in F1 now -- or ever? You have to go back to the 60's!

 

Renault is at that point where a quality driver could probably turn things around for them and make them a podium contender.

 

I agree. Alonso dragged his Ferrari around and now is doing the same thing a McLaren. At Renault he could, with a good enough car, win some races.

 

Disagree. Hulkenberg can race with the best of them, no one will out perform him in that car. A really great teammate like Alonso will challenge him and up the ante, Palmer unfortunately is not that teammate.

 

The problem I see is that when Webber left Red Bull, the car was crap the following year. I wondered if perhaps Vettel was not so adept at helping to develop a car. With Vettel going to Ferrari, my sense is that Raikkonen is heavily relied upon for car development and Vettel turns up on raceday to run as best he can with the car.

Alonso is widely regarded as one of the best racers on the grid, but again I wonder how adept he is at developing a car... otherwise, Jenson Button would not have been so valuable to McLaren.

If Alonso was to go to Ferrari, I have a feeling that he would have to displace Vettel, not Raikkonen. Ferrari really need Raikkonen or someone else who can really give clear technical feedback to the engineers. I don't think you'd see a Vettel-Alonso pairing precisely because you'd then have two very good racers who aren't the best developers of cars - and Ferrari needs someone who can develop well.

I think Raikkonen's contract will be extended for another year. Alonso, if he gets into another competitive car, might want to go to Mercedes (if Bottas or Hamilton leave) or Renault (if they fire Palmer and get their act together). I think a return to Renault is the most likely, in the hope that they solve their engine woes quicker than McLaren/Honda.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Interesting, well reasoned commentary. I've never thought of Kimi as a development driver, just an incredible talent--like Ronnie Peterson he is so fast he can out drive the issues. I think that Alonso does have skills as a development driver. Seb certainly goes through the motions though he may not have the chops.