ALONSO 2009: Honda? Toro Rosso?

This is an article from Auosport, curious what some of you think will occur in 2009, not 2010. The only opening at Ferrari in 2009 would be if Kimi decides to retire. Now that Coultard is retiring, and it appears that Honda is going to retire Rubins, there are a few seats open for 2009 that have a possiblity of performing better then the Renault. Pick one in the poll.


(from autosport)

Former world champion Fernando Alonso says he is unlikely to decide on his Formula One future until after the Italian Grand Prix in September - a move that could potentially put a logjam in the drivers' market.

Alonso is understood to be a free agent from Renault next season if the team do not finish in third place or higher in the constructors' championship.

And with a man as talented as Alonso likely therefore to be on the market, ambitious teams are unlikely to want to commit to finalising their line-ups until the Spaniard has made a final decision about where he wants to race.

As Autosport revealed last month, Honda Racing have made Alonso their number one target to race alongside Jenson Button next year, while Red Bull Racing could also be in the hunt as they seek a replacement for David Coulthard.

But despite the interest, and continued speculation about links to Ferrari, Alonso has said he is happy to sit back and wait before making a decision about his plans for 2009.

"I think (I will decide) after the summer when all this period of races, then the break and then Belgium and Monza are over," said Alonso.

"They are very important races for us to try to get this fourth position in the constructors' championship. And after that will be time to think about what the possibilities are for next year."

Honda Racing team principal Ross Brawn fuelled talk about a tie-up with Alonso after admitting at Silverstone his team were interested in the Spaniard for 2009 – if he could not secure a deal with Ferrari.

"I'm not completely clear on the Ferrari situation. Felipe (Massa) has a contract until the end of 2010 and he's doing a very good job so I'd see no reason to change that," he explained.

"If Kimi (Raikkonen) doesn't wake one morning and decide to stop, then it doesn't look like it's a situation that is going to change in the short term.

"If he doesn't get in to Ferrari, he's got to pick a horse and back it for the next few years. I guess he's got some thinking to do about what he wants to do, but we've not made an approach."

Alonso himself, when asked about if he was in talks with Honda, said: "No. I am not talking to anyone at the moment."

With Renault currently seventh in the constructors' world championship, Alonso admitted that improving the team's form this year would also likely be a factor in his decision – because it would affect the team's budget for 2009.

"We need to work as soon as possible on next year's car, but this year's position at the end of the championship is very important for the team," he said. "It's not the same if you finish seventh or you finish fourth, which is the area that Renault is moving towards now.

"We are seventh in the constructors', but we know that our target is to finish fourth and we can do it. So that will make a big change in the budget and everything for next year, so we need to push in two parallel projects, the R28 and the R29, as hard as we can I think."

 

Your poll is missing one option:

He will take Massa's seat, who will go to Toro Rosso.

Short of having that option I voted for replacing Kimi.

 

I voted Honda but in reality unless Kimi retires the only real options for Alonso next year are BMW and Red Bull.

IMO he should have STFU last year and stayed at McLaren until the Ferrari seat opened up.

 

I voted to stay at renault, due to the regulation changes for next year that will throw the whole paddock into a new pecking order... Too many unknowns for him to jump ship yet... And don't forget, Renault is good at the unknown and they have a way longer relationship and are already working on next years car and forgoing the updates for this year to spend smartly... Just my 2 cents

 

Nah, wasn´t an option with more than 5% chance so I did not include.

If Massa leaves, it will be on his own. Right now Ferrari realizes the only stable driver they have is Massa. Kimi could walk in today and say he has decided to quit, immediately, or he could walk in and ask for a contract extention. He is unpredictable, that is not good for any team.

Ferrari will be forced to force Kimi to make a decision in the same way the forced Michael to decide his future sooner rather than later.

I still see Massa taking a WDC and then going to Toyota. And I see Alonso staying at Renault one more year because of his relationship with Briatore.

 

Yes, I like your thinking. Would be smart for him to stay at Renault for 2009, which is what I voted.

 

Unlike Kimi , Alonso actually wants to win forever. His one redeeming feature.
Alonso still is a contender for Ferrari.
Speed reports Ferrari is "putting together a war chest" for ...... Vettle !?!?!
Riiiiight !
I still say he is the best Overall driver on the grid. Too bad I cant stand the snake.

 

I was puzzled by that statement: Do you really believe it takes a war chest to get that kid? I don't know his contract, but to me it sounds like: You give us your driver and you get a year's supply of Ferrari engines. Done. And I'm not even that sold on Vettel. I'd like to see him in a Ferrari, but I don't think he's the next Senna/Schumi/etc.

So why would they need a war chest? If the answer is Alonso, then yes, I can see the rationale.

 

And as far as throwing money at Alonso by Toyota, Honda, etc.
Alonso will not bite unless he feels that the team is WDC material. He's not doing this for the coin.

I'm convinced he'd drive for free at Ferrari, they just dont know it.

 

It seems based on watching practice this morning that Vettel is the "preferred candidate" for Ferrari. I'm wondering how long Alonso will remain in F1 - couldn't wait to get away from McLaren after he wanted to be there and now with Renault not showing up for conferences per statement on practice coverage this morning .. .

Carol

 

i doubt you'll see him anywhere besides renault, ferrari, bmw, or renault. the toyotas are showing promise and they could throw a ton of money at him to drive for 1 year, so anything's possible.

 

Alonso Renault, Kubica to Ferrari. Kubica is the hottest driver who is FREE at the end of this season. Vettel way to early to Ferrari unless he goes as a test driver to partner with Kubica later on.

 

That would be nice but I don't think that's going to happen. It's always the same teams at the top and the top teams always seem to adapt the best to changes. I don't see Honda suddenly lepafrogging into the top three just because of rules changes.

 

Hello! I chose Toyota of the options available, but I think he is more likely to replace Heidfeld at BMW. Alas, there was no button for that.

 

It won't happen at honda unless they get rid of Button. He just has too much ego to become a #2 driver.

 

2X world champion, still in his late 20's, being considered for what are effectively backmarker teams? I know with F1 politics there's always more than meets the eye, but what a fall from grace for ol' Fred.

 

In a just world thats where he'd be.
But this is F1.
He'll be WDC again. Mark my words.

 

Keep in mind the major rules changes for 2009. It is going change everything, some of the reasons Ferraris and McLarens are dominent will go away. You might see a Red Bull or Toro Rosso podium more than once next year. And if Ross Brawn is really as good as some people think, the new rules work to his advantage. He could make the Honda quite competitive.

I would not use current chassis domination as a reason to land Alonso. If he gets even one or two podiums before season end, he will stay at Renault because the new rules are good for his driving style. Another point, Briatore is not stupid. He is as smart, maybe smarter, than of any of his F1 pit wall equals. He and Alonso get along quite well, that is worth something on race day.

 

Enlighten me please about the rule changes. All I remember are slicks, no chassis selling to B-teams and KERS (not sure on that). How does that benefit Alonso or change the pecking order? What other rule changes are there that I'm missing?

 

Well, it´s hard to say what can happen next year, but the new aerodinamic restrictions mean that everybody starts almost from zero. And when you are in the back of the grid like Renault, that´s good

Theoretically, of course.

 

Standardised aerodynamics. All the bitsa wings are coming off and the car's are looking cleaner, the front and rear wing's are getting smaller and raised. There is something else as well to open up some innovation but i forget it at the moment. There might be something to do with the rear diffuser also.

 

If Fred can't go to Ferrari, I doubt he'll leave Renault.

Fred would only leave Renault for a better team. And McLaren is a bridge seriously charred.

BMW is finally doing well on some tracks with the combination of Heidfeld for development and Kubica for pushing the envelope. But consider: Alonso for Heidfeld? Alonso may be doing car development at Renault, but how long for him to learn the BMW well enough to make improvements? Meanwhile, he'd be competing against Kubica? Remember how well that worked at McLaren? Alonso for Kubica? Where would Kubica go? Again, why would Robert jump ship for a worse team?

And Renault has shown that they can run a winning season, if they can get the car competitive.

Remember: the big difference between Renault the champs and Renault the chumps were the tires. And everybody gets new tires next year.

Besides: I have hopes that Alonso will grow up into a real F1 driver, once he gets over his wonderbrat history. I think Alonso has the chance to help build Renault into a front runner again -- and that would be yet another way for Fred to compete with Schumi (who was credited with rebuilding Ferrari).

 

+1

 

Think Vettel has the Red Bull seat.
He'd be mad to go to Honda, imho. Their habit of switching their design boy geniuses back 'n' forth to the motoGP effort undermines their F1 chances.

 

Alonso to Ferrari will NEVER happen.