Alonso is key to silly season:

You sure got exceptional ears if those reports come right to your place...perhaps Ron and Fernando are talking/arguing so loud that you can hear them from where you are?

That would be surprising, but again: a lot of surprising things do happen in Formula One.
Weren't we hearing rumors about Kimi and Ferrari last year at the same time, and weren't some of us saying: "with Luca still on place? that will never, ever, happen"....

Rgds

 

So you read the Daily Telegraph too !!

Jenson Button sweats on McLaren future as team wait on decision from Fernando Alonso on his next move - Telegraph

 

Indeed! I didn't believe the Kimi deal up until Ferrari announced it myself. Nothing is certain in F1, and crazier things than this have happened .

 

I don't actually .

I've got a friend in F1 who has given me some pretty accurate stuff before. Mind you, there's nothing signed as far as he knows, only that there are negotiations going on between the two parties.

 

Scuderia Ferrari has been reduced to a mere moving chicane and billboard to advertise for Ferrari caps, tshirts, amusement park rides and a hotel.

Alonso is better of in a Force India or Sauber than he is at Ferrari.

I doubt they can pull off a single vistory in the next three or four years.

 

More than pilots, Ferrari is in great need of some outstanding engineers.
And F1 should get rid of this hybrid bs.
The cars are uglier than ever, and they are slower than in 2004. Their handling, acceleration and top speed suck, but their fuel consumption is brilliant, wtf?
Alonso is probably gonna stay one more year at Ferrari, get some bucks, and concentrate on his bicycle team he is starting. Fuel consumption = 0 !!!!! Everybody happy!

 

Retirement beckons for Button | Planet F1 | Formula One | News, Standings, Results, Features, Video

 

As we all know in F1 most of these stories are a feint so if its not Vettel/Alonso/Hamilton then who has already been signed to lead McLaren in 2015 ?

Grosjean ? Who else might be available ? Buy Bottas perhaps but I can't see Williams letting him go

Mattiaci says we'll know at Monza who's driving for Ferrari but if Alonso is leaving then there will also have to be an announcement from his destination

Is this perhaps why Boullier has said he plans to announce before the fly-away races ?

 

Not shocked, he's the best on the grid IMHO. That said, McLaren is worse than Ferrari, seeing as McL is powered by the best PU on the grid. Honda PU can be a game changer.

 

In Autosport today, they negotiating with both Vettel and Alonso. Alonso's ties with Santander, and that most of his salary is paid by Santander, makes a deal with McLaren more difficult. Much depends on Santander's willingness to return to McLaren.

 

Lewis Hamilton is staying where he is (well, at least that's what they are saying now) until the end of its ongoing contract, that is 2015 included.
For the follow-on period, discussions are put "on hold" until the end of this season...

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes F1 team agree contract talks pact - F1 news - AUTOSPORT.com

Rgds

 

And if Fernando goes to McLaren, then it would be 2007 all over again: Kimi at Ferrari, Fernando at McLaren where Ron is back....

Shades of "Back to the future"! hope no-one will enter the pit lane at 88 mph, otherwise...

Rgds

 

Imagine if LH also returned to McLaren........

 

This thread has explained to me fully why they call this the silly season.

 

add more silly

Report: McLaren trying for Vettel or Alonso | MotorSportsTalk

 

sure, next week at Monza Ferrari will announce losing Alonso and signing.....?????

That would be some great timing!

 

hulkenburg

 

+1

They need someone to carry the team till at least 2020. Hulkenberg is not that, he's another Frentzen/Heidfelt...can be quick but not quite all that IMO.

I'd much rather see them sign Vettel or Bottas. I rate Kvyat highly but I'm not quite sure if he can carry a team just yet. Maybe he can join Vettel or Bottas when Kimi leaves.

 

If Alonso were to leave, a big if for sure, as Ferrari I would take Bianci for next year and Bottas in 2016 when Kimi retires.

 

I forgot about Bianchi. Yes...deserving of an upgrade as well!

 

I can't understand why you're always so down on Hulkenberg. He's one of the top prospects in the series, IMO.

 

FWIW, I'm with Bas.

It's not that I'm "down" on him, but I think he's another journeyman. He's OK, but hasn't dominated his 'mate. He trundles round. Generally keeps his nose clean. But he's not the next big thing. No longer a "top prospect" either. Certainly not Ferrari's savior IMO.

Cheers,
Ian

 

Hulkenberg is probably like Nico - just hasn't had the car for several years to be at the front.

As for Alonso at Red Bull, should Seb and RBR part ways, RBR is from past actions, is likely to move up a Torro Rosso driver into that spot. Seb came from Toro, and Rici as well.

Should Ferrari and Alonso part ways, Ferrari would do well to pick up one of those Torro Rosso drivers, they are already using Ferrari power plants.

Ferrari, whether it is their intent or not, continues to sacrifice to the god of Alonso. Maybe its just chance, but their pit strategy for their #2 car is inane for the #2 car, and its often to block or make openings for Alonso, whether through intentional stratagem, or blatant incompetence of the #2 race car's engineers.

If its for Alonso - Alonso needs to go by by so Ferrari can actually flourish again, if its inane stupidity of whoever directs the car Alonso isn't in - that guy needs to go by by. Since I'm not in on their meetings, I don't know if the problem is Alonso polarizing the team around him, or just stupidity of the B car's crew. Alonso's past crash gate incident leaves me suspect to where Ferrari's woes lie.

Until Alonso is out of that seat, its hard to tell whether the problem with the team is Alonso, or the problem is one half of the garage goes dumb on race day ever since Ferrari hired Alonso.

I would really like to see a young gun with little F1 experience get Alonso's seat as a new data point.

 

Alonso is not keeping Ferrari from flourishing. Build him a car and he will win championships. Period.

 

+1

That he can pedal the current (& previous!) POS around as well as he does is damn impressive.

But I also don't think he's going anywhere for at least next season.

His contract (FWIW in F1 ) is through 2016 IIRC (?)

As you've noticed, Tervuren is about as big of a fan of Fred as Toil is of Nico!

Cheers,
Ian