Alonso could take a break in 2016 (surprise surprise)

Fernando Alonso: McLaren driver could take 2016 break from F1 - BBC Sport

May just be a grabbing headline but funny nonetheless

 

Alonso has already denied it FWIW

 

Hope it doesn't happen, need Alonso in the mix.

 

He denied it but if the car is **** in pre season he will be out

 

Alonso even said he wasn't sure what R.Dennis's meant and why he made such a statement. And forwarded the question to R.Dennis himself.

I think R.Dennis is fed up being confronted with an uncompetitive Honda while at the same time receiving less sponsorship and having to pay tens of millions of $ to a fed up driver who doesn't shy away from telling and showing the world how fed up he really is.

An early Alonso leave/sabatical is probably a good way for him to save some $ and get rid of some negativity at the same time.

 

The fact that this comes from Ron Dennis himself is interesting. I wonder if Ron is thinking he (well Honda actually as they pay Alonso's salary) can forgo paying 30 million to Alonso in a year that will finish at the bottom of the grid each race.

It's like hitting a thumbtack with a sledgehammer.

I think that Honda is still super upset with Alonso about what happened in Japan and some of the other antics that they consider are mocking the team. Given they forced Ron to take Alonso, maybe they are trying to move him off to the side as well.

The bit with Button on the podium was funny but it was also saying "our cars suck so bad this is funny!"

Or, maybe its a warning to Honda to get the stuff together or they will lose their best driver.

When history writes the story of Alonso, it will certainly be one of the most bizarre racing careers in history. It started out so great -- and then fell apart. It would be a pity if one of the best talented drivers on the grid ended up his career in one of the worst cars on the grid.

 

Good thread for this humor again.
https://www.carthrottle.com/post/the-best-pics-from-placesalonsowouldratherbe/
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Nah. Actually more like poetic justice given some of the crap he has been involved with during his career.

 

Not gonna happen. As usual, just the media trying to spice what will probably be a snorefest race later..

 

Aren't Honda paying Alonsos salary

 

Let's be honest here:

Alonso has made a lot of denials about things that have eventually turned out to be true in the past, so why should this story be any different?

It's no coincidence that earlier on in the season Alonso had started talking about the possibility of trying other forms of motor racing away from F1!

If the 2016 McLaren is as big a dog of a car as the 2015 car has been then he'll be gone! - Unlike Ron Dennis though, I don't think he'll be coming back!

(Of course, if Ferrari get their act together in 2016 and are a proper challenge to Mercedes, don't be too surprised if Alonso turns up in Maranello again in 2017! )

 

bloody hell!! well, I guess if Ferrari took Kimi back, it's hard to say they'd never take Alonso back.

 

That'd be interesting.... Vettel-Alonso 2017?

I could imagine Ferrari winning the WCC and imploding on the WDC.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Who do you think Ron Dennis would call to replace Alonso during his "sabatical" year?

Kevin Magnussen perhaps?

 

Undoubtedly. Unless Verstappen suddenly comes down with a bout of insanity and decides the McLaren-Honda is the machine for him.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Yes. And I am sure Alonso's contract has a performance clause allowing him to leave and still get paid. Probably not full salary, but probably retains 50% if he walks.

 

Verstappen would be the fly in Alonso's ointment if he were to consider going back to Ferrari as Verstappen could be integrated into the team alongside Vettel a lot easier than Alonso (and for a lot less money), and Alonso is fast becoming the past, Verstappen is the future!

It would all depend on contract negotiations.

Added to that, Alonso would only go back to Ferrari if they were almost guaranteed to win the WDC, Verstappen would go there so long as they were just competitive enough to be in with a chance of winning the WDC.

 

Alonso will never return to Maranello. Kimi was retained primarily due to his relationship with Seb, and the internal morale benefits that come with that relationship. Obviously, high team morale is high on Ferrari's list of priorities. Surely that high level of team morale would nose-dive if Alonso were to return. This is, after all, Seb's team now. Alonso will be kept far from the Ferrari paddock.

 

People said the same thing about Alonso and McLaren! - When it comes to F1, never say never!

According to Eddie Jordan, the version he's heard is that Kimi has been signed up for 2016 because:

1) Vettel gets on well with him (and is having no problem being the more dominant driver in the team).

2) Other drivers were not prepared to have just a one year contract with Ferrari (Which was apparently all Ferrari would commit to because they're aiming to get Max Verstappen in their second car from 2017 onwards)

At the end of the day, if Alonso was available again and Ferrari were convinced he was what they needed to win the WDC and WCC then they'd take him on again.

However, as I say, it seems Mad Max is the driver that they really want!

 

Alonso and RD both made the deal out of desperation, and I suspect Honda made the final deal with Alonso much to RD's chagrin.

I often see an air of truth in what crazy 'ol Eddie has to say. That said, I truly hope he is right in regards to Ferrari's ultimate acquisition of Max. Keeping Kimi for 2016 and snatching Max for 2017 is exactly what I proposed earlier this season when Kimi's seat was in question for 2016. Problem is, it's Ferrari's MO to hire "mature" drivers instead of grooming youth. This is, however, a newer and bolder Scuderia Ferrari than those teams of the past. We shall see.....

 

He does seem quite sure of what he's saying (that's still no guarantee mind! ).

I'm hoping it is true about Mad Max and Ferrari because, as I've posted in other threads, I see quite a lot of Gilles Villeneuve in his driving and I think he genuinely has the potential to become a Ferrari legend!

I also think that Max could learn a great deal from working alongside Seb!

I for one have got My fingers crossed!

 

has to be Stoffel Van Doorne. Product of Mclaren Young drivers programme

 

That's what we all think...but the fact is, there's no truth to it..

 

Most probably this is just another invention to sell magazines, but it makes a lot of sense: Alonso is too old to go through this s*** again and for McLaren paying a top driver to seat on a deck chair while a bunch of perplexed Japanese try to fix his car is a waste of money. It would be better for both parties to split before the season starts if they find in testing that the car still needs work.

 

Alonso is old news. Just retire and go away already