rampant speculation: Alonso to williams?

I know it will never happen, but

with red bull looking set

mclaren in a downward regression

mercedes set with drivers

could his presence in the team attract the sponsorship they need to make that last giant step up the grid?

or am I completely out of my mind?

Why would Fred go there? Yes, it might be better than Ferrari at the moment; however, Williams hasn't truly produced a winning car in a long time.

He'll stay at Ferrari unless he doesn't like the 2015 prospects for the car.

McLaren depends on Honda and that's quite a gamble.

Dare I say it, he will probably retire in 2016 at Ferrari.

Edited by George Costanza, 15 May 2014 - 02:46.

You are out of your mind. They probably couldn't afford to even pay him right now and he'd be nuts to leave Ferrari to go drive for Williams. 

You are out of your mind. They probably couldn't afford to even pay him right now and he'd be nuts to leave Ferrari to go drive for Williams. 

Then again, every great driver drove at Williams in their careers; (Jones, Mansell, Senna, Prost, Piquet, etc) But, I don't see it myself.

Then again, every great driver drove at Williams in their careers; (Jones, Mansell, Senna, Prost, Piquet, etc) But, I don't see it myself.

no

Jones a great?

And at what point does Fernando decide a few extra million is worth less than the third title he desperately wants

Rampant speculation? No, its just you.

I know it will never happen, but

...

or am I completely out of my mind?

answered your own question

Or maybe, just maybe he will stay at ferrari.

Yes, he will go to Williams! And Massa will be there too. And one race Massa will hear: 'Felipe, Fernando is...'

And at what point does Fernando decide a few extra million is worth less than the third title he desperately wants

When he moved back to Spain and the Spanish tax man I think we can assume Fernando doesn't need the few extra million. 

Then again, every great driver drove at Williams in their careers; (Jones, Mansell, Senna, Prost, Piquet, etc) But, I don't see it myself.

The reason those great drivers drove at Williams was because Williams produced race-winning and championship-winning cars on a regular basis during that time period, and the best drivers obviously want to be in the best teams/cars.  While I'm sure the current drivers have great respect for the Williams team and what they have accomplished, they also realize that was a long time ago (in F1 terms anyway).  It's been 17 years since Williams won a championship and the last time they were truly competitive throughout a season was 2003.

Alonso does have a big problem though.  It seems unlikely that the Mercedes or RBR teams will hire him any time soon, but those look like the teams to be in right now if you want to win championships.  If he can't get in those top 2 teams I'd say Ferrari is probably his best hope of winning in the foreseeable future (unless that Honda in the Mclaren next year somehow produces 1500 horsepower ), so why not just stay at Ferrari?

Yes, he will go to Williams! And Massa will be there too. And one race Massa will hear: 'Felipe, Fernando is...'

Massa? He wouldnt be there... Alonso would replace Massa, unless Bottas of course would replace Alonso at Ferrari

Edited by Vesuvius, 15 May 2014 - 07:27.

@ OP- 

I don't think you're out of your mind. Stranger things have happened in sport. No one ever knew Hamilton would go to Mercedes. It was madness at the time. 

I do see through your reason to make this topic though, I'm also of the view that Ferrari and Alonso need a change. 

In my humble opinion, and it's just my opinion that Alonso doesn't have many more options left. Ferrari does. But, they're too much into Fernando. 

Retirement or Ferrari.

In my opinion...

Merc

Hamilton - Alonso

Ferrari

Vettel - Raikkonen

Red Bull

Ricciardo - Rosberg

Stranger things have happened...

lolz no. /thread

1. williams are the slowest merc team or thereabouts

2. the renault engines wont be running @ 85% forever

I know it will never happen  , but

 

with red bull looking set

mclaren in a downward regression

mercedes set with drivers

 

 

could his presence in the team attract the sponsorship they need to make that last giant step up the grid?

 

 

or am I completely out of my mind?

So you answer yourself first then you ask the questions? 

The Williams have surprised everyone this year and they were definitely ahead of Ferrari in Bahrain and Spain.

I dont think Alonso and Kimi will get along in the long run, so something's gotta change. Given that Kimi has been brought in recently, just like JB was brought into McLaren in 2010, it may be time for Alonso to move on from Ferrari.

There is no seat open at Merc and McLaren are the team that is in a downward spiral. Of the rest, RBR is most promising but wont happen unless Vettel is there. If I was Alonso, I would actually be contemplating Williams given their form this season so far, or even FI. Not beyond the realm of possibility.

Then again, every great driver drove at Williams in their careers; (Jones, Mansell, Senna, Prost, Piquet, etc) But, I don't see it myself.

But that was when they had a great car. The top teams will always be attractive to the top drivers. The mid-field only becomes attractive in the twi-light of your career when the top teams no longer want you.

It could be worth consideration if Williams maintain their form from Barcelona. 2nd Mercedes team and 3rd fastest overall would be well worth a look if they can keep it up. Oh and Mr. Alonso and Mr. Symonds have worked together before.

No.

At this rate, Alonso will be driving for every team on the grid next year...

I agree the Alonso speculation is getting a bit out hand but do think a move to Williams might not be a bad idea.

Williams have made a massive leap forward this year and now have arguably the third best car on the grid.  The fact Claire Williams expects both Massa and Bottas to get points finishes in every race shows they have real faith in the car.  They have some good tech people on board (Symonds, Smedley) and the Merc engine plus a lucrative sponsorship deal.  What they lack is a stellar driver who can drag any car to the front; Massa, sadly, is looking more and more like a spent force while Bottas has a lot of potential but I don't think he can lead a team yet.  In many ways, I think Alonso and Williams would be an ideal fit for each other.  As a Williams fan, I would love to see this happen.

Anything is possible ... but no.

I think it would be doable. Some people mention salary issues. Well, it's true Williams couldn't afford paying such a high salary to their driver in recent years, but hey, there are some ways to solve that issue. If we assume Santander would follow Alonso to Williams, it would be enough to maintain their current R&D budget and pay his sallary at the same time. Don't forget having such a marketable driver would also help to attract other sponsors, maybe getting an upgrade on some current sponsorship deals etc. Williams will probably also get more than ever money from FOM this year, with 4th or maybe even 3rd in WCC at the end of the year being very realistic prospect.

It's true this team is not proven to be capable of producing competitive cars consistently. But so wasn't Mercedes when Hamilton went there. So wasn't Red Bull when Vettel turned down BMW's offer in order to join them. If you don't risk, you rarely win. And Williams would be on a good way to continue an upward trend under the technical leadership of Symonds and Smedley, with additional sponsorship interest thanks to hiring a top and popular driver and getting their best reults from a long time, and finally, with a real benchmark behind the steering wheel, the most competitive and complete driver Williams had perhaps since early 1994, which could make a big difference when it comes to capitilising on a decent car and delivering results it deserves each time, which could prove to be a further boost to a team morale, sponsorship interest etc. A positive circle which could end up with maintaining their level closer to the sharp end of the grid for the first time in many years.

But well. What Alonso needs is to have a WDC capable car within a year or two. That would be a very long shot at Williams. They're fully capable of making a step forward, but perhaps not that big in that short period of time. If he feels comfortable enough at Ferrari, then I doubt it would be a good move for him. If he wants a new challenge, then Williams is a decent option for him. If he wants another WDC, well, perhaps staying at Ferrari and hoping they would be able to catch Mercedes when it comes to the engine performance would give him a better chance.

But you never know. Winning a WDC with Williams in these circumstances would certainly make him a legend.

Alonso has dragged awful cars to the victories many times in his career - the Renault in 2008 and the Ferraris of 2011, 2012 and 2013.  Williams don't have an awful car, which leads me to think he could do well with the team.

When it comes to salary, well it could be an issue.  But s someone above has said, he would attract new sponsors to Williams and, at this point in his career, might he be prepared to take a pay cut if it meant having a shot at the WDC?  Only he can answer that one.

Alonso's salary is paid by Santander, the 2 are joined at the hip so to speak. Would Santander leave Ferrari for Williams? I don't think so - why would they? Ferrari are F1 aristocracy - Williams are has-beens.

My prediction is Alonso will finish his career at Ferrari as a double WDC.

1. williams are the slowest merc team or thereabouts

2. the renault engines wont be running @ 85% forever

Slowest merc team? No way. They're the fastest mercedes powered team after the merc itself.

I think the best option for him is to wait and see what happens with the first tests with McLaren Honda.

If the engine seems to be really good, risk with a move to McLaren Honda, if there are any doubts stay in Ferrari.

Yes, and afterwards he'll go to Mercedes, then Red Bull, then Lotus to finally end up at McLaren. Ferrari and Alonso are made for each other. He'll stay there unless Kimi beats him.

I know it will never happen, but

 

with red bull looking set

mclaren in a downward regression

mercedes set with drivers

 

 

could his presence in the team attract the sponsorship they need to make that last giant step up the grid?

 

 

or am I completely out of my mind?

So the only rampant speculation is in your head 

I am surprised there is no Alonso to Porsche thread yet. 

Imagine this question was asked in early 2012.

Williams was fast. In Australia Maldonado was right up on Alonso's gearbox before he crashed. In China Alonso finished behind the two Williams in 7th and 8th. If you asked such question back then, what would have been the answer? 

The answer is that regardless of the troubles of Ferrari, they are still a better long-term bet than Williams. It is like suggesting a Ferrari driver in 1993 to join the well-performing Ligier team.

It's true this team is not proven to be capable of producing competitive cars consistently. But so wasn't Mercedes when Hamilton went there. So wasn't Red Bull when Vettel turned down BMW's offer in order to join them. If you don't risk, you rarely win. And Williams would be on a good way to continue an upward trend under the technical leadership of Symonds and Smedley, with additional sponsorship interest thanks to hiring a top and popular driver and getting their best reults from a long time, and finally, with a real benchmark behind the steering wheel, the most competitive and complete driver Williams had perhaps since early 1994, which could make a big difference when it comes to capitilising on a decent car and delivering results it deserves each time, which could prove to be a further boost to a team morale, sponsorship interest etc. A positive circle which could end up with maintaining their level closer to the sharp end of the grid for the first time in many years.

A very positive outlook. I don't see Williams developing above midfield levels. They are about in the same boat as Force India to me. Should Alonso join Force India?

Another one is McLaren? People suggest Alonso could join McLaren, but this too is a very big "if". Another aspect of Alonso's career is that he needs to make things happen in the next 2-3 years.

Williams or McLaren-Honda? Both very big questionmarks and McLaren evidently struggling with chassis design in addition to the unknownness of engines. It is said Williams is living off past glories, but we are increasingly getting to the point, where we could say the same about McLaren.

If I was a driver and was given a choice between the two teams... I think I could take the McLaren-Honda option above Williams, only just. And largely due to the reason of being an A-priority manufacturer team, which gives a little bit more hope of becoming a true top team again.

It's like choosing between Williams-Toyota and Toyota factory team around 2007. The factory team was struggling, but if I wanted to get to the top, I'd take this choice marginally above Williams, who even if they were punching above their weight, seemed destined for midfield as a private team.

Edited by sopa, 16 May 2014 - 10:10.

Darn it! I will open a thread with voting options and we could even decide where to go: 

• Button to Ferrari
• Maldonado to Force India 
• Chilton to BTCC
• Bernie E. to jail (oh, wait...)

So the only rampant speculation is in your head

Why would Fred go there? Yes, it might be better than Ferrari at the moment; however, Williams hasn't truly produced a winning car in a long time.

 

He'll stay at Ferrari unless he doesn't like the 2015 prospects for the car.

 

McLaren depends on Honda and that's quite a gamble.

 

Dare I say it, he will probably retire in 2016 at Ferrari.

No way he retires in 2016. LOL.

 

 

It's true this team is not proven to be capable of producing competitive cars consistently. But so wasn't Mercedes when Hamilton went there. So wasn't Red Bull when Vettel turned down BMW's offer in order to join them.

 

He did?

Last I knew, he was on loan to BMW.

Doubtful he had any lattitude to entertain offers at that time.

(oh, and I think the adjective the OP was seraching for was not "rampant" but "rank". Look it up  )

Edited by Murl, 19 May 2014 - 09:54.

Rampant means: (especially of something unwelcome) flourishing or spreading unchecked.

This speculation sounds personal to the OP, it's not rampant. I would (politely) request the title of the thread needs changed.

I think the best option for him is to wait and see what happens with the first tests with McLaren Honda.

If the engine seems to be really good, risk with a move to McLaren Honda, if there are any doubts stay in Ferrari.

You don't think Mac will have their driver line-up sown up before the first tests? I don't think they would wait on Alonso.

They are about in the same boat as Force India to me.

Maybe to you, but in fact, they're not even close. Results-wise Force India may have been doing better job in the last couple of years, but in terms of outright potential it's not even close.

Williams hire somewhere around twice as many people as Force India. Force India are consistently losing their best engineers to take lesser roles at Williams (Harlow and Andreassen to mention two in recent years). Williams always design their own gearbox and Force India do not. Williams enjoy a special payment from FOM due to historical success, Force India do not. Not to mention the historical success on it's own, what makes it easier for Williams to attract engineering talent and sponsorship in case of having simillar results to Force India.

There's no comparison in how both team work and what they're capable of, really.

What Williams lacked in recent years was an organization and right people managing things and a bit of sponsorship (the last one only to go even higher up the grid, because to be beating Force India they only need the first one). That's much easier to solve than what Force India lack to go higher up the grid. In the way how teams operate, Williams is closer to McLaren or Red Bull (500+ employees, making home as many parts as they can), than to Force India (less than 400 employees, buying parts from others). If there's one team of these two that is going to be winning races consistently in 5 years, it's definetely Williams, not Force India.

He did?

 

Last I knew, he was on loan to BMW.

 

Doubtful he had any lattitude to entertain offers at that time.

I think I've read somewhere that BMW tried to get him out of the Red Bull "family" and sign him on a long term deal, but he preferred Red Bull. Though, I'm not sure when and where I read it, so feel free take it with a pinch of salt.

If he misses felipe baby so much, then yes, I think it could happen. Otherwise: 

Do we need it's own thread for every far-fetched fantasy scenario?

Yes, he will go to Williams! And Massa will be there too. And one race Massa will hear: 'Felipe, Fernando is...'

Well it might be entertaining to see the Massakissed crying about favoritism on the Forum again. That might happen this year anyway.

Anderis.

Williams may be producing more parts "in-house", but I don't view this as necessarily an advantage. It depends on quality. Force India moved significantly upwards the field in 2009, when their partnership with McLaren started, which means they bought a lot of the high-quality parts (like the whole drive-train) instead of designing them by themselves.