Alonso to Renault again?

That would be a surprise for the bookies, but you never know.

A Williams-Mercedes would be immediately more reliable and powerful than the McLaren-Honda lame duck, that's for sure.

Much is talked about Alonso's development skills, but I haven't seen that during his years at Ferrari. His skill is more to drive around a problem than to solve it, IMO.

 

+1..he's good driving around problems..not fixing them...

 

If you had unlimited testing like back n the day Fred would show his worth...

 

+1 LOL

 

AUGUST 29, 2017

Alonso issues McLaren-Honda ultimatum?



Fernando Alonso has issued a 'Honda or me' ultimatum to McLaren, according to Germany's authoritative Auto Motor und Sport.

It appears that the fiery Spaniard's three years of patience are finally up, amid rumours he faked a Honda engine failure to retire from last Sunday's race at Spa.

"He had a funny feeling with the car," said team boss Eric Boullier, defending Alonso.

But Honda's Yusuke Hasegawa said: "We could not find anything wrong in the data."

It is a complex situation.

Auto Motor und Sport explained that if McLaren dumps Honda, it would be a simple breach of contract but with no consequences.

But if McLaren nudges Honda into quitting the deal, that would involve millions in compensation for the British team.

"In what world do they live?" Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko wondered. "If you get rid of someone, you don't also get money."

So at the moment it appears to be a situation of stalemate, with McLaren waiting for Honda to make a decision -- and vice versa.

Alonso is now making clear what he thinks should happen, particularly as his best alternative for 2018 appears to be a move to Williams-Mercedes.

Boullier said: "With a Mercedes engine, we would be two seconds faster than Williams."

Alonso said of the McLaren situation: "There has to be a change.

"I think there are answers out there but we have to find them -- and they won't come from looking at the sky," he is quoted by Spain's El Mundo Deportivo.

"We have to sit down and work and hope to find the best solution for next year."

 

Vasseur: Renault is not ready to sign Alonso for 2018.

Basically, Vasseur says that Renault and Alonso are not on the same Schedule, that Alonso needs a car to be at the front right in 2018, and that Renault cannot provide him with such a car.

It could also be a polite way to say: "thanks, but no thanks". Seems that door is closed for now.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/131509/renault-not-ready-to-sign-alonso-for-2018

Rgds

 

That's what you get for complaining publicly so much about your team. I hope he's aware why exactly no one wants to hire him despite his talent.

 

Wonder if Alonso has instead already signed for Renault and now he's trying to get Mclaren to buy their PUs

Renault PUs vs Honda PoS?

 

So... If Honda pulls the plug on F1 and leaves at the end of the 2017 season, what engine options do McLaren actually have? Or are they out of F1 for 2018?

 

Per the rules, one of the other three would be forced to supply them. Dunno how that's decided though since they all have the same number of customers.

 

draw of the hat....whoever gets picked has to supply them.

 

McLaren is a laughing stock and deserves every criticism

 

Agreed. There's a point where you have you have to at least stop lying to yourself.

 

I certainly wouldn't like to be seen saying "I told you so from the start", but the noises here in France, right from the beginning of the rumor about him going back to Renault, never left much doubt about the fact that they were not interested; the words from Renault saying "we are looking for the winners of the future, with whom we would be able to write a new chapter of our history, not in those of the past", etc...and I still believe that they do not have the budget to hire him, BTW...

Pity that such talent is left with almost no option, but clearly some teams are lukewarn to fork that amount of money for hiring him today.

Rgds

 

And because of his own words against them he's stuck with them.

I like Alonso for his talent, but he has no self control. They shoukd tell him his salary will be $1, take it or leave it. Button is there on the bench.

 

That's very interesting. So basically, it's in Alonso and McLaren's interests for him to rubbish Honda relentlessly to try and force them to pull the plug at the end of 2017 in order for Honda to save face and avoid future embarrassment? As a result McLaren are guaranteed an engine supply from a better source. Very cunning!

 

Radio comments have nothing to do with Alonso not getting a top car. It's just how the situation has unfolded. Hamilton won't accept a fast teammate after Rosberg gave him all he could handle, culminating in getting beaten last year (and FA ain't Rosberg), Seb doesn't want anyone in place of Kimi because he knows he beats him easily, Red Bull has two top guys that came up through their program so no point in replacing them, etc. Also, Button is obviously through with F1. He would turn down any drive.

You think Seb or Hamilton would be all sunshine and rainbows on the radio in FA's situation? Hell Max complains all the time about his car crapping out and Alonso would kill to be in a Red Bull

 

The teams already know what Alonso is like in a team...impatient and political. Even a midfield Renault don't want him. There's also no incentive to have two fast drivers. It's a recipe for a blowup. Enough examples in history. Hamilton doesn't have any clauses or say in who his teammate will be. Vettel may not want someone like Ricciardo in the other car, but it's his bosses who don't want Alonso.. like much of the rest of the paddock. Rare for such a talented sportsman to be as shunned as he is.

 

Yep, Alonso can now contemplate early retirement, or move to another series.

But here again, I can't see no team fighting to get him on board.

 

Don't you like him either?

I don't think he fits at McLaren.

 

He was hired by RD to be on the commercial side because of his sponsorship deal-making abilities. Since RD's departure his role has expanded and it's hard to tell who does what over there now. The three guys running the show are Brown, Boullier and Neale.