87 replies to this topic

[chumma]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/formulaone/article-2517110/McLaren-fly-meet-Fernando-Alonso.html …

Alonso/McLaren heating up? Let the games begin!

ps don't know why my writing looks like this..

[bogi]

[chumma]

^^^ Agreeeeeed, come home Fernando! You said it yourself after Malaysia 07 "This is the best team" 

[Fontainebleau]

Well, if I understood it properly, Whitmarsh attended the opening of the exhibition as head of one of the teams Alonso had driven for. Taking into account that it is very likely that a number of senior Santander representatives were there too, and that Santander is a McLaren sponsor, it may make all sense for Whitmarsh to be there for reasons other than to lure Alonso back to McLaren.

 

I am not saying he is not interested in Alonso, he was quite open about that when asked by journalists, only that there could have been other reasons for his trip. 

[jjcale]

At one point, I heard he was coming for 2014 .... then when I asked what happened after they announced the other lad my mate gave me shrug and changed the topic... so I have no idea now. 

 

Wouldnt be surprised if he turned up in 2015 ... both Macca and Honda want him real bad.... but not sure where the kid fits in - or JB for that matter.

Edited by jjcale, 03 December 2013 - 10:20.

[Gilles4Ever]

http://www.motorspor...n-deal-fiction/

 

In the Spanish capital, Alonso was launching an exhibition featuring the memorabilia of his entire career collected by his father.

 

But at the very same time, Alonso's manager Luis Garcia Abad denied the 32-year-old has already agreed to move to Honda-powered McLaren for 2015.

"What you're saying is Formula One fiction," Abad, also in Madrid, told Spanish radio Marca.

"You cannot have two signed contracts, as when you sign one, you must notify the body that controls it. So it is technically impossible.

"And an unsigned agreement is not an agreement."

 

Asked if Alonso intends to fulfil the terms of his entire Ferrari contract, which runs to 2016, Abad answered: "Fernando has said the same this year in three press conferences in different languages."

[ArkZ]

Alonso invited all his team principals to his exhibition, Minardi, Briatore, Whitmarsh, Domenicali.

Edited by ArkZ, 03 December 2013 - 10:31.

[Gilles4Ever]

http://www.f1passion...rid-per-alonso/

 

December 2, 2013 - A lot of Formula 1 at the presentation of the exhibition on the career of Fernando Alonso in Madrid, publicized by the pilot Asturian daily on Twitter. Among others there were Flavio Briatore, Stefano Domenicali, Giancarlo Minardi and Martin Whitmarsh, seen away from the show with a precious heirloom in your hands ...

Fernando Alonso was in Madrid today at the Arts Exhibition Centre Canal in Madrid to present the exhibition that portrays through cars, memorabilia and unpublished material his 12 years career in Formula 1 and beyond.

They were all there : Giancarlo Minardi , with whom Fernando made ​​his debut in Formula 1 in 2001, Flavio Briatore , the manager of the Spanish and the team principal of the two world titles with Renault, Martin Whitmarsh its reference point at McLaren in 2007, and of course Stefano Domenicali , the current "boss" in Spanish Ferrari.

 

https://twitter.com/...6093568/photo/1

Attention! Martin Whitmarsh seen running out of the @alo_collection with a Ferrari rear wing!

[EthanM]

so the basic story is whitmarsh attends Alonso exhibition along with the team principals of the other 3 teams Alonso has driven for

 

rest is fluff

[DampMongoose]

Maybe we'll see him back in a newly established Minardi!!!  I may have to start a thread...

[kosmos]

This is a non story, but having someone

 

so the basic story is whitmarsh attends Alonso exhibition along with the team principals of the other 3 teams Alonso has driven for

 

rest is fluff

 

Pretty much.

[Buttoneer]

http://www.motorspor...n-deal-fiction/

 

In the Spanish capital, Alonso was launching an exhibition featuring the memorabilia of his entire career collected by his father.

 

But at the very same time, Alonso's manager Luis Garcia Abad denied the 32-year-old has already agreed to move to Honda-powered McLaren for 2015.

"What you're saying is Formula One fiction," Abad, also in Madrid, told Spanish radio Marca.

"You cannot have two signed contracts, as when you sign one, you must notify the body that controls it. So it is technically impossible.

"And an unsigned agreement is not an agreement."

 

Asked if Alonso intends to fulfil the terms of his entire Ferrari contract, which runs to 2016, Abad answered: "Fernando has said the same this year in three press conferences in different languages."

There can be a contract and a notice of intent which can kick in if for any reason the termination clauses of the former are activated.  If Alonso has some Ferrari performance clauses in place, so that perhaps they have amassed less than 'x' WDC points before 'y' race then he can serve notice to quit.  At that point, the new agreement kicks in.  Ferrari need not know about that, but even if they did there would be little they can do about it.  In that regard, Abad's comments could be both true and misleading.

 

You can also have overriding contracts of the sort Williams had with Button and which the driver had to pay his way out of in order to stay with Honda.

[Jejking]

Yawn. I was asking myself what could be made of this. This, nothing more.

[tifosiMac]

Alonso said in 2006 McLaren are the greatest team on the grid and the one team he's dreamed of driving for since he was a child. Lets make it work this time around!

[Nonesuch]

https://twitter.com/...6093568/photo/1

Attention! Martin Whitmarsh seen running out of the @alo_collection with a Ferrari rear wing!

 

 

Great picture.

 

Alonso to McLaren? Who knows, but I have my doubts. He is right to be frustrated, but he is not alone in that, and the 2012 season was perhaps the only time in recent years that McLaren could have given him a better car than Ferrari has. Also, Alonso is not getting any younger: let's not forget it'll soon be seven (!) years since his previous move to McLaren.

Edited by Nonesuch, 03 December 2013 - 10:46.

[Francesc]

Alonso invited all his team principals to his exhibition, Minardi, Briatore, Whitmarsh, Domenicali

 

Where is Ron Dennis?

[Risil]

Washing his hair

[JLF1]

Where is Ron Dennis?

I doubt Ron would have been invited, also he focus's on the road car business at the moment.

[Lazy]

Change the thread title please.

 

Whitmarsh attends Alonso exhibition or something

[ArkZ]

Change the thread title please.

 

Whitmarsh attends Alonso exhibition or something

or merge it and make thread about Alonso exhibition. There are some great pictures from his racing history.

Edited by ArkZ, 03 December 2013 - 12:02.

[Jerem]

Off topic, but somehow  I get sick every time I see Briatore near anything that's related with F1.

[DampMongoose]

Extract of press statement from Ron Dennis:

 

"Regarding the matter of Fernando Alonso's achievements in respect of his contractual obligations to numerous Formula One derived entities in a retrospective and prospective exhibition of his vehicular activities and the associated memorabilia produced as a by-product of said obligations, it was deemed counter-productive by those currently empowered by the aforementioned driver to furnish all Fernando's previous employers with a written contractual statement of intent, binding said individuals with an obligation to present themselves in person on behalf of their organisations at the published location.  That is not to suggest that any negative acrimonious reaction was extracted from this course of action nor in any way incriminates our organisation or me individually, as it was documented from photographic evidence generated at the location in question that confirms without ambiguity that Martin Whitmarsh was in attendance and we must therefore, draw the conclusion that assets of our enterprise were in receipt of such contracts aforesaid and provided the necessary documentation to establish the terms of their attendance to the satisfaction of the controlling interested party" 

 

 

Basically Ron wasn't invited and probably didn't care either...

[santababy]

Off topic, but somehow  I get sick every time I see Briatore near anything that's related with F1.

+1.

[fabr68]

Typical Formula 1 "Gotcha" headlines. Sometimes I am not sure if I clicked on Teen Magazine or a Formula 1 news website.

[prty]

Off topic, but somehow  I get sick every time I see Briatore near anything that's related with F1.

 

You must also be disgusted that Symonds is in Williams, right?

[SpaMaster]

 

http://www.motorspor...n-deal-fiction/

 

In the Spanish capital, Alonso was launching an exhibition featuring the memorabilia of his entire career collected by his father.

 

But at the very same time, Alonso's manager Luis Garcia Abad denied the 32-year-old has already agreed to move to Honda-powered McLaren for 2015.

"What you're saying is Formula One fiction," Abad, also in Madrid, told Spanish radio Marca.

"You cannot have two signed contracts, as when you sign one, you must notify the body that controls it. So it is technically impossible.

"And an unsigned agreement is not an agreement."

Ok, that means there is an unsigned agreement, understanding that is.

 

 

..Alonso intends to fulfil the terms of his entire Ferrari contract, which runs to 2016..

The classic statement that suggests that the contract may be about to be broken!

 

[EthanM]

Ok, that means there is an unsigned agreement, understanding that is.

 

The classic statement that suggests that the contract may be about to be broken!

 

no it doesn', it implies that there's an offer on the table

[Option1]

Extract of press statement from Ron Dennis:

 

"Regarding the matter of Fernando Alonso's achievements in respect of his contractual obligations to numerous Formula One derived entities in a retrospective and prospective exhibition of his vehicular activities and the associated memorabilia produced as a by-product of said obligations, it was deemed counter-productive by those currently empowered by the aforementioned driver to furnish all Fernando's previous employers with a written contractual statement of intent, binding said individuals with an obligation to present themselves in person on behalf of their organisations at the published location.  That is not to suggest that any negative acrimonious reaction was extracted from this course of action nor in any way incriminates our organisation or me individually, as it was documented from photographic evidence generated at the location in question that confirms without ambiguity that Martin Whitmarsh was in attendance and we must therefore, draw the conclusion that assets of our enterprise were in receipt of such contracts aforesaid and provided the necessary documentation to establish the terms of their attendance to the satisfaction of the controlling interested party" 

 

 

Basically Ron wasn't invited and probably didn't care either...

Brilliant, DM! 

 

I could almost swear Ron said it himself.

 

Neil

[KnucklesAgain]

There can be a contract and a notice of intent which can kick in if for any reason the termination clauses of the former are activated.  If Alonso has some Ferrari performance clauses in place, so that perhaps they have amassed less than 'x' WDC points before 'y' race then he can serve notice to quit.  At that point, the new agreement kicks in.  Ferrari need not know about that, but even if they did there would be little they can do about it.  In that regard, Abad's comments could be both true and misleading.

 

You can also have overriding contracts of the sort Williams had with Button and which the driver had to pay his way out of in order to stay with Honda.

 

Personally I thought the "And an unsigned agreement is not an agreement." was interesting.

[halifaxf1fan]

We will probably see him there in 2015.

[redreni]

Mclaren‘s interest in Alonso is, I‘d imagine, unreciprocated at the moment. It would be a step down the grid on current form. I don‘t rule out that Alonso is hedging his bets because it‘s never good for a top driver to appear not to have any other options beyond his current team, but I can‘t imagine that he would actively prefer to go back to Mclaren than to stay at Ferrari.

From Alonso‘s point of view, the fact that Ferrari signed Kimi is a deeply worrying sign. Whatever anybody says, I don‘t believe Alonso was anything other than implacably opposed to that decision, as it means he goes into battle with Vettel for next year‘s WDC with one hand tied behind his back, and with one extra competitor to worry about. I think he is bound to be disappointed that, unlike Vettel at Red Bull, he wasn‘t able successfully to lobby for the retention of Massa or the hiring of a young, relatively inexperienced, compliant second driver. So if there‘s anything at all in this story it is, in my view, Alonso seeking to demonstrate that he has options and Ferrari ought to treat him better if they want him to stay.

[metz]

McLaren. The new Williams.

[F1ultimate]

Mclaren want to retire Button and want to replace him with an experienced driver. Martin is simply courting Alonso in preparation for a formal offer sometime next year - especially if Kevin Magnussen fails to deliver, then Mclaren will be under pressure to hire a driver that can guarantee results. 

[unico]

Where is Ron Dennis?

 

He is in china

 

 

Edited by unico, 04 December 2013 - 12:05.

[Jimisgod]

At one point, I heard he was coming for 2014 .... then when I asked what happened after they announced the other lad my mate gave me shrug and changed the topic... so I have no idea now.

Wouldnt be surprised if he turned up in 2015 ... both Macca and Honda want him real bad.... but not sure where the kid fits in - or JB for that matter.

No doubt. Look for an Alonso - Magnussen pair in 2015. Then Kevin, assuming he's good, becomes #1 when Alonso retires.

[sneaker91]

I have a feeling that Ferrari will be uncompetitive with the new turbo engines.

Alonso's patience has run out and rightly so. If the car is no good next year he is out of there.

McLaren might be hoping on this and putting in the ground work now.

Either way true or not, Whitmarsh is doing good things despite the results.

[bourbon]

I have a feeling that Ferrari will be uncompetitive with the new turbo engines.

Alonso's patience has run out and rightly so. If the car is no good next year he is out of there.

McLaren might be hoping on this and putting in the ground work now.

Either way true or not, Whitmarsh is doing good things despite the results.

 

Why do you feel they will be uncompetitive?

[sneaker91]

Poor history with turbo and fuel consumption. Its not in their engineering culture so to speak. Where as the other guys and especially Honda have a pretty stunning record with plenty of innovation in both fuel efficiency and turbo powa!!!!!!!

Alonso no dummy he remembers Senna, remembers powered by Honda. Record speaks for itself.

Edited by sneaker91, 05 December 2013 - 05:59.

[Velocifer]

Whitmarsh has said one of his biggest regrets was to let Alonso leave the team and Honda doesn't hide that they want 'samurai' Alonso so all the signs are there. I also believe Magnussen was brought in as a good partner just for him so agree this is more than a courtesy visit.

[SophieB]

As the BBC have a story on this, I've cleaned the thread up and resurrected it.

Fernando Alonso: Ron Dennis would not stop return to McLaren
 

McLaren chairman Ron Dennis says he would have no problem if Fernando Alonso rejoined the Formula 1 team. The two men fell out dramatically when Alonso raced for McLaren in 2007.

But asked if he would object to the Spaniard returning, Dennis said: "One has to recognise the first objective of any grand prix team is to win races. Whatever obstacles sit between a team wanting to win and winning, be it engineering, fiscal or human issues, you resolve them. You never say never."

Not anything like as clear a statement as the BBC headline suggests in my view but there we go. Elsewhere, article has this to say:
 

A fortnight ago, Whitmarsh attended the opening of an exhibition in Madrid that showcases artefacts from Alonso's racing career.
Officially, Whitmarsh went as one of Alonso's former F1 team bosses, even though, strictly speaking, Dennis ran McLaren at the time the Spaniard was with the team.

But sources close to McLaren say Whitmarsh also took a contract for Alonso to assess.

A McLaren spokesman confirmed Whitmarsh and Alonso met in Madrid, adding the two enjoyed "a very good relationship", but insisted their conversations had "focused" on the exhibition.

Enjoy your silly season story. For context, previous thread on this, although there's been others: http://forums.autosp...onda-eye-alonso

Those threads got closed because they turned into driver threads once everyone had their say on the latest development, despite warnings. Let's try not to let that happen again, eh? This thread's for discussing the possibility of Fernando Alonso returning to McLaren next year. If you find yourself arguing about 2007 or whatever instead, that's a very bad sign.

[chumma]

Ahhh...so there is substance after all! Hopefully it was just the initial nitty gritty details that he agrees to or wants compromises on (Tooned being one of them, thought about it today, can't see him wanting to touch that with a ten foot pole) but hopefully McLaren take back whatever he says, adjusts it and see where it takes them!

[EvanRainer]

Well it's not exactly a stretch even without rumours.

 

While I think the Alonso to McLaren in 2014 "rumour" was always stupid as he was never going anywhere in 2014, I am on the other hand convinced that it is all but certain he will be out of Ferrari in 2015.

 

And, well, there aren't exactly many other places to go to.

Edited by EvanRainer, 17 December 2013 - 09:34.

[F1ultimate]

Ferrari better pull it together next season or else Alonso will be off to Mclaren in 2015. 

[rasul]

As it has been said numerous times, it all really depends on how competitive Ferrari is in 2014 and on his relationship with the team. Ferrari's last champion's presence wouldn't exactly make him very comfortable, as well.

[EvanRainer]

As it has been said numerous times, it all really depends on how competitive Ferrari is in 2014 and on his relationship with the team. Ferrari's last champion's presence wouldn't exactly make him very comfortable, as well.

 

Exactly. That's why it doesn't depend only on Ferrari's competitiveness. There is no way he stays if he gets beaten by Kimi, especially if Kimi becomes champion.

 

I've said before that the only way I see him staying at Ferrari beyond 2014 is if he wins the title.

[Fontainebleau]

I love F1, I really do; but sometimes I think it will make my head explode from trying to follow all its back-and-forths!

[scheivlak]

As the BBC have a story on this, I've cleaned the thread up and resurrected it.

Fernando Alonso: Ron Dennis would not stop return to McLaren
 

Not anything like as clear a statement as the BBC headline suggests in my view but there we go. 
 
 

The full story even contradicts its own headline!

 

Quote: "The Ferrari driver has also made it clear he would not return if Dennis had any involvement in the F1 programme."

[SophieB]

The full story even contradicts its own headline!
 
Quote: "The Ferrari driver has also made it clear he would not return if Dennis had any involvement in the F1 programme."

You can make the argument that this isn't contradictory as such, just that Ron's supposed no hard feelings may turn out to be irrelavant if it should transpire that Alonso didn't feel the same way to the extent he'd turn down a return to the team if it would working with/for Ron again.

[as65p]

You can make the argument that this isn't contradictory as such, just that Ron's supposed no hard feelings may turn out to be irrelavant if it should transpire that Alonso didn't feel the same way to the extent he'd turn down a return to the team if it would working with/for Ron again.

 

But the headlines misleads as if Alonso had stated an "no hard feelings" towards Dennis, which appears not to be the case at all.

[Tenmantaylor]

http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/25400798

 

Interesting re-visiting 2007 and the Dennis / Alonso relationship. As much as I loved how Lewis exploded onto the scene that year and should have won the title fair and square you can't help but think had they given Alonso the #1 status he would have indeed won the title.