Alonso Signs Five Year Deal With Ferrari

[Quiet One 15]

Links? We ain't got no links! We don't need no links! I don't have to show you any stinkin' links!

Anyways, Ferrari announced a five-year deal with Alonso. Unusual for its length and unusual because they usually wait until much later during season to announce driver deals.

In any case, this will have a huge impact in the driver's market for this and upcoming years.

What do you think?

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Links? We ain't got no links! We don't need no links! I don't have to show you any stinkin' links!

Anyways, Ferrari announced a five-year deal with Alonso. Unusual for its length and unusual because they usually wait until much later during season to announce driver deals.

In any case, this will have a huge impact in the driver's market for this and upcoming years.

a

What do you think?

ohmigod now we have three threads, about the poephol and his 5 year contract extension....

I think Alonso wants to emulate Schumacher but he'll get nowhere near it cause he does'nt have a circle of fear

[AleHop 0]

No Andrés, you told me nobody wanted to hire Alonso when he was at McLaren... Oh, it wasn't you. Who said that?

[Caesar 0]

i am just happy for him cause he found permanent employment. i was worried about him those two years after Mclaren, when he was driving that yellow cab.

[Rainmaster 7]

I won't believe it is true until we get another 3 threads about it (and really everyone should be in Mika's thread since he arrived first, but anyway..).

From a continuity and team harmony perspective the move makes sense, and it was always expected that Alonso would end his career there, so really very little has actually changed other than to make it "official".

As for the impact on the driver market, that was already made when Alonso first got the Ferrari seat, which we all knew he would be in for a long time. Again, all today did was confirm that. Vettel and Lewis already said today that they'd still go to Ferrari with Alonso there, and I think from their point of view it probably doesn't make any difference (they are both confident enough in their own skills to take on Alonso).

I think what's more important, and what was always going to be more important once Alonso got the Ferrari seat, is who does Alonso want as his team mate? How much influence on this does he have? If Alonso has no direct influence in that regard, would Ferrari actually hire another number one pilot anyway (i.e. what kind of team are they running)? The evidence during Alonso’s tenure so far shows that they are reverting to the “Schumacher model” of having a designated number one and number two driver. In that sense it would be surprising if they hired a Vettel, Lewis or another top class driver that emerges in the future (and most likely counter productive), so I do think the Ferrari seat is largely "out of bounds" in terms of another established, genuine title contender getting a seat there. Of course, the only threat this leaves to Alonso, and the potential harmony of the team, is if a not so well established/highly rated driver lands the Massa seat and actually turns out to be better than expected and challenges Alonso, e.g., Perez (Disclaimer: Not to be misinterpreted as me saying Perez is good enough to challenge Alonso, but pointing out a rookie/driver of little experience, or an underrated driver, could always surprise).

What would be most disappointing and show a complete lack of ambition is if Ferrari just kept Massa for the next 3 or 4 years.

[mikathegreat2 2]

Andres you thief, get your own ideas!!!!!!

[dribbler 6]

I think Alonso wants to emulate Schumacher but he'll get nowhere near it cause he does'nt have a circle of fear

No one is getting near my circle of fear. Never again. I'm still limping.