LONDON, England (AP) Formula One's so-called silly season is in full swing, with drivers linked to new teams for next year. Double F1 world champion Fernando Alonso has held talks about a move from Renault to Honda for 2009. While Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen are confirmed at McLaren, the picture is less clear over at rivals Ferrari. World champion Kimi Raikkonen has had his commitment questioned this season, with some commentators suggesting he will retire at the end of the year. Raikkonen, who is contracted with Ferrari until the end of 2009, has repeatedly denied it, while team-mate Felipe Massa only last season signed a deal taking him to the end of 2010. However, paddock rumors suggest that should Raikkonen decide to hang up his helmet, double world champion Fernando Alonso will gladly jump ship from middling Renault. If that move does not materialize, other talk places Alonso at Honda. "I think the team is definitely talking to Fernando," confirmed current Honda pilot Rubens Barrichello, who would make way for the Spaniard. The veteran Brazilian added: "The conversations are there and I am talking to the team, I am talking to all the teams. I want to be racing. "But, honestly, the day that I feel that I am slower than my first race is the day I will call it off and stop." Alonso, who only has a one-year deal with Renault, has spent this season away from the title race after his acrimonious departure from McLaren over the winter. Should he leave the Anglo-French outfit, the 27-year-old will be the hottest property on the market during the close season. And with 2009 bringing such a huge change in the technical regulations, picking the right team will be crucial. But Alonso was not shedding any light over his future, only confirming that staying with the team with whom he won the world championship in 2005 and 2006 was an option. "I am reviewing whether to stay with Renault for another year, and why not?" he said to the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper ahead of his second home race of the season, the European Grand Prix at Valencia. "I have been saying for the last three months that I will concentrate in the next three or four races on our crucial fight with Toyota. "We will throw everything into the track to try to beat them. September, October, will be time to think about 2009."
Actually to me it looks more like Kimi is the key to the shuffle: Alonso stated openly in an interview, that he has to wait and see whether Kimi retires after this season or not. If he does, Alonso would join Ferrari. If Kimi stays, Alonso either goes to Honda or stays with Renault. Somehow this reminds me a lot of Schumacher's last season.
Looks to me like Phil is the key. If he doesn't win the WDC or finish 2nd behind Kimi this year, I expect Alonso to take his seat.
Phil, I think Andreas is on the mark, it all depends on Kimi. Despite what many think, the odds you will see Alonso at Ferrari are very good, but the odds you will Alonso at Ferrari with Raikkonen are not that good. I don't think Massa is going anywhere, unless he wins the WDC, and then he could end up eating sushi. An Alonso/Massa combination is more likely.
Massa is not going anywhere next year or the year after. He is getting better and better every race. Even if Kimi leaves at the end of this season, we will all quickly see how Alonso is not coming to Ferrari as they will take someone else and Massa will be the #1. Ferrari dont need to throw a fly in the ointment by bringing in Alonso.
Agreed. And here's my question: Under what scenario is Kimi more likely to retire? A) Kimi wins Championship #2 and goes out on top B) Kimi fails to win Championship #2, and not being the "unfinished business" type decides he gave it his all in a losing effort and doesn't have the gusto to do it all over again.
Kimi starts to look more and more like Hakkinen: Without Michael's broken leg (or with a 4th tire on Irvine's car), he would have never got 2 championships and was completely burnt out after the 2nd title. I'm starting to think with Kimi's lack luster performances recently, he is getting tired of F1 and throws in the towel one way or the other. Hungaroring spoke volumes: He showed in the final laps, that he could beat them all, but just wasn't motivated enough to do so. If he sticks around for 2009, I wouldn't be surprised if he packed it all in halfway through the season, just like Mika did.
Not good friends, just respectful advisaries. And, they both speak a form of Spanish. Let's be honest, Alonso is excellent, just missing in people skills. Massa is becoming excellent. And an excellent teammate. So it could be a workable situation. Unless Massa wins the 2008 WDC, then even Luca is not this stupid to think two WDC's can be on the same team in this day and age.
I hope you're not referring to Massa's Portuguese language as "a form of Spanish" because it is not. It is an entirely different language. Or are you saying he also speaks Spanish?
I think Alonso and Massa can both speak Italian. I remember after the race at the Nurburgring Massa and Alonso had an argument in Italian.
+1 they were speaking Italian, and if you speak Portuegese it is pretty easy to learn Italian or Spanish.
Massa speaks his native Portuguese, and also Spanish and Italian. And pretty good English. What I meant was that the typical Brazilian tries to speak Spanish but uses some Portuguese vocabulary, making it a form of Spanish, actully Spanaguese.
So if both driver stay to finish their respective contracts with Ferrari and Felipinho becomes WDC 2008, What will Luca do?
