Alonso back to Renault?

Providing "the" car would be a big ask within the timeframe of Alonso's remaining F1 years. I know engine development is supposed to be freed up for 2017, but even so... Mercedes and Ferrari have an absolutely huge advantage over Renault and there's a mountain of development needed just to catch up let alone get ahead.

As good as he is, I don't think Alonso will get another title. He's in the wrong team and unless he displaces Rosberg, I don't see him getting into a championship-capable car again. I doubt Mercedes would upset their present prolific champion. Alonso might win more races here and there, but not titles.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

+1

If this is another **** engine, I can see him telling Mclaren to **** off and actually vacate the seat. Will renault want him for 2017? It wouldn't surprise me the least. But I seriously doubt renaults ability to be a contender for 2017. He'd probably want contract which allows him to walk away at any point he wants.

 

Contracts are mere suggestions where Alonso is concerned. At least so long as he is viewed as a great driver with someone willing to make things "right" in his wake.

 

Minardi -> Renault -> McLaren -> Renault -> Ferrari -> McLaren...this guy is unreal. I honestly have no idea why he keeps moving around and teams are okay with it. Maybe they want someone willing to get out if it's not working out? Seems so odd given how much money he makes...I guess it's like the NBA or NFL where a team is okay paying a lot of money for a short period for talent if they believe they have the right group to make it work (i.e. Denver Broncos with Peyton).

 

I can see Alonso finishing his career with Renault.

 

Somebody is suggesting something and now Alonso is the bad guy, seriously?

 

Alonso's already nearly 35. Renault themselves have said they won't be able to compete for the podium till at least 2018. And they'll still have to topple Mercedes and Ferrari once they get there, not saying anything of Red Bull continuing to have the same power unit as them. I think he better hope Honda gets it together if there's going to be another championship for him.

 

I'm not saying he's a bad guy. I just don't get why he moves around so much. Does he get more pleasure from working with new group and developing a new car rather than stay with the same team for a lot of his career? I don't see highly talented players in major sports moving around so often. Once they establish their dominance they usually stay up until retirement. A few like Shaquille O'Neal will bounce around near the end of their career to team with a young group of guys in the hopes of winning. I would expect an F1 driver with less talent to make as many team changes as he has.

Why would Alonso move around so much?

 

Alonso's timeline:

• Minardi: 2001
• Renault: 2002 (test driver), 2003-2006 (2xWDC)
• McLaren: 2007 - was signed for 3 years, but relations in the team were untenable.
• Renault: 2008-2009 - stop gap years, they were uncompetitive.
• Ferrari: 2010-2014
• McLaren: 2015-2016 (option for 2017)

Without the 2007 McLaren experiment, his CV would read:

• Début with Minardi for 1 year
• 7 years at Renault
• 5 years at Ferrari
• 1 year so far, 2-3 years planned, at McLaren

Which seems more reasonable. And, honestly, I think even Jenson Button is struggling with loyalty to McLaren right now. The way they messed him around over his contract, fired Magnussen via email on his birthday, and generally struggle at the back of the grid with little visible sign of improvement wouldn't endear me to driving with them either. If I had an exit clause and somewhere else to go, I'd get out of there too. It really doesn't sound like a happy team or one that's going to significantly improve any time soon - and I say all that as someone that regards McLaren as my second favorite F1 team and roadcar manufacturer.

Some drivers have a knack (or luck?) for landing themselves in the right car at the right time, whereas others seem to make all of the wrong career decisions. Alonso is a fantastic driver during a race weekend but, as I've said before, he might not be the best developer of a car. It could be bad luck that he loses patience and leaves right before they improve or it could be that he simply doesn't offer the same development feedback that some other drivers can. I don't think we'll ever really know.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Exactly

 

Alonso is an opportunist, pure and simple. He is only at McLaren because there was nowhere else to go. He was betting on a Mercedes seat and lost. The money from Honda is pretty good, though...

He jumps around when he thinks he can hop into a top car. Problem is, he jumps at the wrong time. He won multiple championships at Renault. They took a step back, so he jumped into the McLaren. This, in hindsight, was the right move. But, he tried his mind games with Hamilton and lost (lost to Dennis). Crawled back to Renault thanks to Flavio. Watched his McLaren win a Championship in 08. S**t. Can't get that McLaren action, but Ferrari has been looking pretty racy. Kimi's a hack and Massa is a b***h. Perfect. In like Flynn. Oh, damn. Blown diffusers rock, but I don't have one. I'll just blame this red car for a few years, or until the Maranello magic kicks-in. Magic's not kicking in. No worries. I'll get me some of that blown diffuser love. Nope. Cans ain't having it. Besides, that PU kinda sucks. I'll practice my German over the winter. Nein? Shizer. Pip pip, cheerieo. Fancy a cup o tea, Ron? We go way back, ya know. Did you know my first kart was painted Senna colors?

 

Yep, that's our boy Nando. Bobby Fisher and Gary Kasparov have nothing to fear here.

 

I LOL'd!

Don't quite agree with all of it, but very nicely stated.

Cheers,
Ian

 

The only mistake Alonso made was not signing for Redbull in 08 and wasting his prime years at Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso turned down Red Bull drive in 2008 - reports | GiveMeSport

 

+1

****ing funny

 

See vettel. A future 6x wdc IMO because of his choices and luck.

 

Vettel is a very smart lad. Alonso is a very emotional lad.

 

I think you may have nailed it right there.

Appear to be the archetypal stereotypes;

- German; Cool & calculating.
- Spanish; Emotionial.



Cheers,
Ian

 

+2

Funniest **** I've read in a while. Thanks!

Cheers,
Ian

 

Who is Alonso???

 

Exactly. Quote from First Blood movie "It's over Johnny, it's OVER!"

 

One of Alonso's many miscalculations was leaving McLaren after only one year. He lost the opportunity for a championship in 2008 and to assert himself in the team. He simply turned evidence against his team, gave up and walked away. When Stoffel Vandoorne joins McLaren in 2017 and he is quicker than Alonso, the curtain will close on Alonso's career.

 

A lot of speculation on Vandoorne before he's even driven a F-1 car and although Alonso is probably past his prime, Schumacher proved that you can still be fast later in your career. That being said, I wouldn't be so quick to bury Alonso who is very motivated with a decent car, without one, maybe not so much.

 

Alonso is one of the drivers that disappoint me the most; I had him winning in 2007 AND 2008 at McLaren. He robbed himself of 2 winnable WDCs, IMO.

He let himself been ruffled by his rookie team mate in 2007 and lost the title because of that.

Hadn't he left McLaren for Renault in 2008, the title would have been his as well.

Both years, the McLaren was a winning car. These opportunities don't come twice.

I think some days Alonso must mull over that.

I cannot see him being happy with the way is career is developing now, in spite of the PR.

Now, it's damage limitation, more than anything else.