Is Alonso Going To Go Ferrari

[dark rider 13 0]

whatya thinka???? would he, or is it already done??

http://totalf1.com/fullstory/view/252890/M...i_deal_is_done/

[HandyNZL 1]

It is one of the most credible rumours going around...much more credible than Max playing with five hookers.....say what?...that's for real....huh....

[Eric 0]

Alright, it all works like this, kids:

BMW-Sauber gets Fernando and Nick

Ferrari gets Kimi and Robert

Renault gets Massa and Grosjean

Red Bull gets Webber and Vettel

Everything else you can figure out for yourself.

[F1 FANatic 1]

I doubt it and if he does he will leave the next year just like he did with Meclaren. I don't see Alonso fitting in to Ferrari at all. The thing is that the second a Ferrari driver criticizes Ferrari he is dropped like a hot stone. Alonso will not like the atmosphere at Ferrari. I also don't think Ferrari would hire him. I think they see that even though he can race well and is a driver who knows a bit about the mechanical side, his personal side just makes him unappealing to teams. Ferrari don't need his skills they are technically astute enough that they do not need to rely on a driver as much. Teams like Red Bull and Toyota and Renault and Williams though need that kind of driver. and Ferrari have Kimi for now and will probably snatch one of the young guns for later.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

Well judging by Dieter's comments, he ain't going to Red Bull.

Can't see him going to Ferrari unless Kimi leaves (which won't happen in 2009). He'll get p**sed off with Renault by middle of this year.

I think BMW are the strongest favourites for Alonso - esp with current performance. Desirable for them (possibly?) and for him.

[Grabthaw the Hammerslayer 4]

On the other hand:

The rows of last year may have disenfranchised both teams and sponsors - do they want all that trouble? (it may not recur, but many organisations are risk averse and just would not want to risk any trouble, esp. if there are young guns like Kubi and Vettel coming through the ranks).

If Renault fail to deliver a decent car (looking likely) his stock will drop (through no fault of his own) - a little like Jacques Villeneueve and Damon Hill. Fernando could find himself staying on in Renault or taking an offer from the likes of Honda/Toyota - big money but no chance to fight at the front regularly. The future then?.....

This year is critical for Alonso, even though he is proven WDC material, the progress of Renault and decisions he makes will have far-reaching consequences.

[dribbler 6]

I doubt it and if he does he will leave the next year just like he did with Meclaren. I don't see Alonso fitting in to Ferrari at all. The thing is that the second a Ferrari driver criticizes Ferrari he is dropped like a hot stone. Alonso will not like the atmosphere at Ferrari. I also don't think Ferrari would hire him. I think they see that even though he can race well and is a driver who knows a bit about the mechanical side, his personal side just makes him unappealing to teams. Ferrari don't need his skills they are technically astute enough that they do not need to rely on a driver as much. Teams like Red Bull and Toyota and Renault and Williams though need that kind of driver. and Ferrari have Kimi for now and will probably snatch one of the young guns for later.

I would tend to agree.

If Kimi and Felipe were consistent like a metronome, we wouldn't even be asking the question. But ask the question we do because let's be honest, drivers like Fernando are few and far between. It seems that these days, team owners have to accept flashes of brilliance mixed with peaky form. Fernando is brilliant pretty much always. It's just that if i were Domenicali, the potential for toy throwing would scare me to death.

So, no thanks.

[AleHop 0]

It is too early to say.

If Ferrari win both WDC and WCC then we'll see Massa and Raikkonen together one more year for sure. If either Massa or Kimi do not reach Ferrari's expectations we'll be talking about that during the whole season.

If McLaren and Lewis won both titles it would be Alonso's passport to Ferrari.

[angie 0]

i really don't know....it would be nice to see fernando in a fast car (again) but on the other hand i don't think the ferrari move is feasible if kimi is still there.it wouldn't work,as simple as that.

anyway,if fernando wants to go to ferrari(btw he wants! we have all understood that!)and they want him,i'd be very happy to be a ferrari fan!(i thought i would never say that in my life )

[maure 1]

It is pointless nonsense to go on about Alonso's beauty habits. Sure, there are people that are "one with the agenda" (just look at the poll on whether Alonso cause the accident by brake testing, hilarous).

The bottom line for Ferrari is that Alonso and Kimi together implies two things. One, near guarantee of WCs for years to come. Two, getting on your side a dangerous rival.

Imagine if last year McLaren had been behind Alonso or if this year Alonso were to be driving for McLaren or BMW... things would be very very different in and for Ferrari.

Anyway, it is unclear that he will move to Ferrari next year... it is a good move, I reckon, but it is nonetheless unclear. Who says that Kimi might not object... and since he is going to take this years DWC, his opinion will have even more weight....

[LabradoRacer 2]

Ferrari fanbois like me will be p**sed off, if Assonso comes over.

[hookedon-f1 0]

Would ferrari really take a chance and have two really strong drivers in kimi and fernando. we have all seen what he can react like if he does not get his way. I am not too convinced that ferrari would then put him in the car because fernando will demand no 1 status.Kimi as a wdc would not sit back and accept no 2......

[Kati 0]

Fernando gave recently an interview to el Mundo about his future and I kinda translated. I'll copy here :

http://elmundo.es/elmundodeporte/2008/04/0...1207261560.html

About Renault

Someone competitive like you will get bored at Renault?

- No, pbecause I'll have new goals: Races when I'll be at 120%, to race with other cars around me, trying to catch any point... I wasn't used to that. I used to start and after 20 laps have a big advantage to the others, and I'd just have to keep it. Now it's the opposite. Even on last lap I'm fighting to take off the gap.

P: Renault disappointed you?

R: The problem is that on the winter someone people sold my coming to Renault in a wrong way. They said it was a winner car, and that on Toyota I'd get lots of money, or maybe just one year at Red Bull, and I'd want it... It was a long rumour, with no rights.

P: All these teams now seem better than Renault.

R: Renault, Toyota and Red Bull were all difficult choices, because they were down and I'd have a difficult year in any of them, fighting for the points and away from the top.

P: Why you returned?

R: I tried to choose the best option for these years. There were some teams to choose, some spoke to me, some didn't. And among them, Renault was the only with experience in winning and making a winner car. Others were only hope, but Renault was safer.

About McLaren

P: It was impossible to stay longer at McLaren?

R: It was logical to leave McLaren, a personal need. Also, I don't think the team also had interest in keeping me there. I knew they had a great car, a winner car, but I knew also that I never won anything there and if it was about not winning, I'd rather be somewhere else.

P: The feeling for the audience is that it had to do with Hamilton.

R: That's not it. I didn't leave cus of him, and I never had problems with Hamilton. All the rivalty wasn't true but was so spoken of. I didn't leave cus of Hamilton but because of the team itself. The things people say don't stop me dreaming, because in 25 years, when I'm home watching my tv anything of this will be making any sense. Unfortunatelky some people say thing that aren't true, but I don't care.

P: You two ever argued?

R:Never, cus we're so different from eachother. I never had, I don't have, and I won't have any problem with him. We drivers don't have such a relationship that can make us argue. But if someone of the team or another driver prejudices another, and nothing happens, he knows it will never happen at all.

About the future

P: You have an one year contract. Do you see yourself in a winner team soon?

R: Yeah, I see myself at a winner team. It's what I want. I don't want to always be at ninth or tenth. I willt ry to win races, go back to podiums and win the championship. At first I wanna try it at Renault, because I've done it here more than once. But we didn't get to the levl to it yet, and we wanna try it at the middle of the year, and maybe at the end of it, we'll be closer to the podium.

P: Would you like to go to Ferrari?

R: I wanna be at a winner car, at Ferrari or anywhere else. Many cars can be winners. Some looks like it and they aren't, like McLaren that doesn't win a title for 8 years. Taht's why I'd rather be at Renault, that has 2 WDCs than at McLaren, that has none.

P: The only ones winningraces are McLaren and Ferrari.

R: It may open a lot. We have Williams, Toyota and BMW, for example, that are growing in such speed that soon they can rock a championship. Also is clear that Ferrari is the one that grows more contantly, and one year after the other, with new rules and changes, they're always going for it. The others are always changing. I wouldn't mind being in one of these or in a Ferrari, or anywhere else, as long as I get the winner car.

P: In 2009 you'll be at Renault?

R: In 2009 I'll be somewhere I can win. If I could bet now, it'd be at Renault cus I'm convinced they'll finish the year in high level, and then there'll be just a small touch to get to the top.

About F1

P: You have the F1 glamour, parties...?

R: Yeah, I'd rather watch it all from home and eat pizza.

P: What do you think when you are in the car?

R: Everything. Sometimes tests, and sometimes I wonder if I turned off heating at home.

[pabloh20 1]

I like that last reply from Fernando!

[BradSpeedMan 6]

I like that last reply from Fernando!

I enjoyed that one too

[goferrarigo 0]

When people start announcing a deal is done, esp with Ferrari, then it means the opposite... Remember in 06 with Kimi they refused that they were even in talks with anyone and then in Monza came out with an announcement...

[Elizabeth Sterling 0]

I can't see Ferrari wanting Nando really. Alonso just wanted a one year contract 'cause he's a spoiled brat.

[dribbler 6]

Ferrari fanbois like me will be p**sed off, if Assonso comes over.

Hey broad minded one, welcome back!

[Rainmaster 7]

Alright, it all works like this, kids:

BMW-Sauber gets Fernando and Nick

Ferrari gets Kimi and Robert

Renault gets Massa and Grosjean

Red Bull gets Webber and Vettel

Everything else you can figure out for yourself.

Who do I get?

Oh yeah I agree with what everyone else says, Alonso and Ferrari don't match while Kimi is there etc.

[Oli 1]

It is pointless nonsense to go on about Alonso's beauty habits. Sure, there are people that are "one with the agenda" (just look at the poll on whether Alonso cause the accident by brake testing, hilarous).

The bottom line for Ferrari is that Alonso and Kimi together implies two things. One, near guarantee of WCs for years to come. Two, getting on your side a dangerous rival.

Imagine if last year McLaren had been behind Alonso or if this year Alonso were to be driving for McLaren or BMW... things would be very very different in and for Ferrari.

Anyway, it is unclear that he will move to Ferrari next year... it is a good move, I reckon, but it is nonetheless unclear. Who says that Kimi might not object... and since he is going to take this years DWC, his opinion will have even more weight....

Perhaps, but at the moment Fernando is effectively neutered at Renault. Unless there is a drastic improvement in the Renault, which to be honest is not going to be for a while given the lack of funding available, Ferrari is safe from him since they know he's not going back to McLaren. Why risk everything by signing him with Kimi? They of all teams know the value of having a clear number one driver and a clear number two, especially after having seen Mclaren last year losing the WDC because their points haul was so evenly split. I don't see either Nando or Kimi going for a number two spot.

[maure 1]

Perhaps, but at the moment Fernando is effectively neutered at Renault. Unless there is a drastic improvement in the Renault, which to be honest is not going to be for a while given the lack of funding available, Ferrari is safe from him since they know he's not going back to McLaren. Why risk everything by signing him with Kimi? They of all teams know the value of having a clear number one driver and a clear number two, especially after having seen Mclaren last year losing the WDC because their points haul was so evenly split. I don't see either Nando or Kimi going for a number two spot.

Yep. That is the point. Alonso is parked, _right_now_... but if Reanult manages a car that can (at least) bring trouble next year and Alonso stays, Ferrari will have yet another team to worry about... thus my point. Ferrari can set other teams back by hiring the best proven drivers... which right now are Alonso and Kimi....

The issue of no1 and no2 drivers is not as big as deal as it has been made to be. Sure, Shumacher could ask for the moon but some will argue that he had earned the right. But, for example, Hamilton couldn't and even today, McLaren and acolytes are _still_ trying to sell us last season's fckup. My take is that Kimi and Alonso can work together... as can most of the field. The bullsht last year at McLaren is not the rule.... far from it.

[Eric 0]

Who do I get?

You get Yuji Ide and a year's supply of tuna fish.

[elgo 1]

Great comeback,Jay!

And I loved the last answer too.

My opinion on the thread...It would be fun to watch.If it would be good/bad for Ferrari/Alonso/Kimi/F1/the Universe....I don't care.

[Oli 1]

Yep. That is the point. Alonso is parked, _right_now_... but if Reanult manages a car that can (at least) bring trouble next year and Alonso stays, Ferrari will have yet another team to worry about... thus my point. Ferrari can set other teams back by hiring the best proven drivers... which right now are Alonso and Kimi....

Renault won't be in a position to win for at least two or three years, by which time the field will have altered, there'll be new talent and the situation will have changed. In addition, I think FA and KR are the best drivers on the grid, but I think there's a VERY small gap between them and the next "tier" of drivers. FA is not such a vital asset that the whole game revolves around him. Nor is Kimi, but Kimi is already in red- he made his move at the right time.

Personally I think Alonso's days have been numbered since the day he left McLaren. He's still a great driver, but there's just too much talent on the grid at the moment for any of the top teams to take a risk with him. What if the situation at McLaren isn't unique? Mario has to be thinking there's a possibility the same thing could happen at BMW.

[The Rumble Strip 0]

I think it's a done deal but we may have to wait till 2010 to see it.