I've had to start a new thread.
Link to the old one.
http://forums.autosp...so-go-for-2015/
I haven't included the poll this time as the link to the original is still showing the results.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:05
I've had to start a new thread.
Link to the old one.
http://forums.autosp...so-go-for-2015/
I haven't included the poll this time as the link to the original is still showing the results.
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Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:11
Oh part II already. Let's kick off. He'll go to McLaren. A boring answer, but that's what it is.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:14
I am more than convinced now that he is going to McL. If we know that he is leaving Ferrari, won't drive a car with Mercedes engine, will remain in Formula 1, where else he can go?
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:16
Yeah as he has stated the answer is obvious. The only obvious answer right now is McLaren and it fits in with him saying it won't be Merc powered. Though Italian media is saying the contract would be with Honda not McLaren.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:23
Pitlanetalk account says Ferrari will confirm Vettel's arival and Alonso's departure tomorrow.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:23
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:24
Can someone confirm. Are Mclaren doing a Williams BMW thing next year and naming themselves Honda.Mclaren or Honda-Mclaren?
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:31
Well that will be great for team harmony, he's driving in a Mclaren for Honda.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:33
Well Button was looking pretty grumpy in Sochi so my (not so) brilliant powers of deduction say ...
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:38
Well, sounds like the best (or least bad) possible decision to me. Especially if Mercedes blocks the engine freeze there's no way Ferrari (or Renault) will bridge the gap, so in that sense he's losing nothing by leaving Ferrari. Likely Honda won't trouble Mercedes either in their first year, but there's at least a slim chance that they have built a better, or more developable unit for next year. It could also be worse, but who cares if 2nd, 3rd or 5th best, if P1 is out of reach anyway.
It's probably worth a shot
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:38
Can someone confirm. Are Mclaren doing a Williams BMW thing next year and naming themselves Honda.Mclaren or Honda-Mclaren?
you want to kill Ron or something?
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:38
PitLaneTalk @pitlanetalk
Fernando Alonso's original contract is with Honda (not McLaren) and it's a 2 + 1 year deal. Salary is €30M/year. #F1 #Formula1
If (that's a big if) this is true I wonder how McLaren feel about their engine supplier also supplying their drivers. I wonder if they are in agreement that they also want Alonso or if that's maybe causing the delay as McLaren are maybe not sure if they want Alonso back after last time.
If Honda are demanding what drivers they want (and this is just speculation - nothing to suggest they are) and go out and employ Alonso on their own maybe McLaren will refuse to give him a seat and they are at some kind of deadlock.
I wish they would come out and announce the drivers - silly season has gone on way too long and is way too silly
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:39
So McLaren was not Alonso's first choice, and Alonso was not McLaren's first choice. It's going to be an interesting year for both if the car is not up much.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:43
Well that will be great for team harmony, he's driving in a Mclaren for Honda.
"Harmony" is defined by results, nothing else. Just look how the harmony disappeared between McLaren and Hamilton, or now Ferrari and Alonso. In essence, if they win, the most unlikely couples will be all smiles and if they don't, even marriages made in heaven will break up eventually.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:44
So, Fred will be McLaren client. That is a clever setup by Honda, letting Fred loose on McLaren, making Ron the tech support rep for the car. This could be a Samurai talk fest...
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:45
Could be Honda in WEC? lol
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:52
If Honda are demanding what drivers they want (and this is just speculation - nothing to suggest they are)
That's not an "if" or speculation at all, it's a given.
Everybody who follows F1 knows this (or should know this) for months - that Honda want either Hamilton, Alonso or Vettel in one of "their" cars. That's been publicised for months, and there no real reason why it shouldn't be. And Alonso (and Hamilton and Vettel) knew this of course as well - that made the negotiations so intricate.
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Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:54
Honda might as well buy out McLaren altogether, it looks to be on their terms.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 22:58
I really hope tomorrow this agony will be over and we know everything. I just hope it's Kimi-Sebastian at Ferrari.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:00
That's not an "if" or speculation at all, it's a given.
Everybody who follows F1 knows this (or should know this) for months - that Honda want either Hamilton, Alonso or Vettel in one of "their" cars. That's been publicised for months, and there no real reason why it shouldn't be. And Alonso (and Hamilton and Vettel) knew this of course as well - that made the negotiations so intricate.
Honda might as well buy out McLaren altogether, it looks to be on their terms.
Edited by Exb, 12 October 2014 - 23:05.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:01
I really hope tomorrow this agony will be over and we know everything. I just hope it's Kimi-Sebastian at Ferrari.
A.k.a. the flower-power team.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:04
"Harmony" is defined by results, nothing else. Just look how the harmony disappeared between McLaren and Hamilton, or now Ferrari and Alonso. In essence, if they win, the most unlikely couples will be all smiles and if they don't, even marriages made in heaven will break up eventually.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:04
I meant more along the lines of Honda wanting a driver that McLaren don't - its all very well Honda wanting Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton and being prepared to stump up the money for McLaren to sign them BUT if Honda sign them against McLarens wishes and demand them to be run - well that's quite a different matter (and that's what I'm speculating here, not just that they want Alonso (we have known that all season), but I kind of assumed it was in agreement with McLaren but this just seems a little odd with Honda actually signing the driver rather than McLaren who has the seats? I don't know there maybe nothing more in it than the fact its Honda paying the money but it just sits a little uncomfortably with me.
At this point you simply appear to make up an artificial situation with which afterwards to feel uncomfortable. Or what real world pointers do you have for McLaren not wanting Alonso?
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:07
At this point you simply appear to make up an artificial situation with which afterwards to feel uncomfortable. Or what real world pointers do you have for McLaren not wanting Alonso?
I don't (hence why I said it was speculation on my part) I just worry sometimes I still haven't forgotten the mess of 2007 and I'm sure there are some at McLaren that haven't either. However I guess a 2+1 deal at least knocks the gap year theory out the window which would have been ridiculous for McLaren to go with (if indeed those details are true?)
I just find the whole thing a little odd, There have been rumours that Alonso has signed a deal, that he has been let go by Ferrari (which surely would not have happened had he not had a deal) and yet Ron was quite clear that they had not yet signed a contract with McLaren. (now he could be stretching the truth or pulling all our legs knowing the 'deal' was with Honda rather than McLaren, or McLaren could genuinely be arguing with Honda whether they want to run Alonso - I just can't see why they wouldn't announce it if a deal was done? I get why Ferrari need to wait but announcing McLaren/Honda drivers would have been perfect in Japan if indeed the deal was done?
Hopefully it will all make sense once its all out in the open but at the moment something just doesn't seem to quite add up and this is one scenario that might fit. Anyway its late, I'm tired and I'm just rambling nonsense that appears in my head which is never a good idea so I will just shut up and hope you all ignore my posts which are just my worries and have no basis to suggest anything I'm worrying about maybe true. I just wish I hadn't posted anything in the first place - I usually write posts like this, reread them and then delete them before posting when I realise they are just nonsense - shame I didn't do that tonight
Edited by Exb, 12 October 2014 - 23:20.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:10
I meant more along the lines of Honda wanting a driver that McLaren don't - its all very well Honda wanting Alonso/Vettel/Hamilton and being prepared to stump up the money for McLaren to sign them BUT if Honda sign them against McLarens wishes and demand them to be run - well that's quite a different matter (and that's what I'm speculating here, not just that they want Alonso (we have known that all season), but I kind of assumed it was in agreement with McLaren but this just seems a little odd with Honda actually signing the driver rather than McLaren who has the seats? I don't know there maybe nothing more in it than the fact its Honda paying the money but it just sits a little uncomfortably with me.
Well, last december even Ron Dennis himself said that was open to welcoming Fernando at McLaren. That's after a peace mission (oh the irony) made by Martin Whitmarsh to meet Fernando in Madrid http://www.bbc.com/s...rmula1/25400798 So McLaren can't make any reservations now.
The intriguing thing is that Fernando told Whitmarsh and the press that he had no grudge anymore against McLaren, only "against one man in the team that isn't there anymore" (At that time Ron wasn't yet involved again with McLaren's F1 operation). Wonder if and how that's been straightened out!
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:10
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:16
He's going to McLaren. He wouldn't be doing jokes if he was to take a sabatical.
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:34
A.k.a. the flower-power team.
6 of the last 7 WCCs; 5 of the last 7 WDCs - I think we need to patent those flowers...
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:34
Alonso, running for Spanish presidency in 2015. It's so obvious!
Posted 12 October 2014 - 23:36
Alonso, running for Spanish presidency in 2015. It's so obvious!
What are his promises for the electorate?
Posted 13 October 2014 - 00:05
What are his promises for the electorate?
He won't tell them what he's going to do, but after he's done it, they'll think it was obviously the right thing to do.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 00:44
My hunch is Alonso is staying at Ferrari.
So, why is Alonso being so secretive?
(1) Because he can. He disdains rumor-mongering and is having fun.
or
(2) Because Raikkonen is being axed, and he doesn't want to say something that would let the cat out of the bag.
or
(3) Because Ferrari is going to a 3-car-team, with Alonso, Vettel, and Raikkonen as drivers. Again, it's not for him to announce this.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 01:01
Could be Honda in WEC? lol
Honda DO have a WTCC team, for your friendly reminder
Posted 13 October 2014 - 01:42
The taking a year off sabbatical made very little sense to me, sound as a plain bad idea, not only due to age, but F1 is not video game where you can turn on and off top driver mode, would be quite a gamble for him and for any top team expecting a top driver right after a year off at 34 years old. The Lotus rumor a little less worst, but still quite unsound. So Honda seems to be the most sensible option all along.
As a fan would be the most fun combination also, Mercedes is already top talent heavy in all areas, so the prospect of having a Mclaren with Honda partnership coming strong and with Alonso on board, makes quite interesting potential. Vettel at Ferrari makes a nice distribution of talent along the grid. Although in losing Alonso, I think Ferrari has a strong chance of being downgraded as a team, I don;t see in Vettel this ability to mask the true nature of a mediocre car and still fight for podiums and top 5 WDC finishes as Alonso does.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 01:51
Posted 13 October 2014 - 01:52
I am more than convinced now that he is going to McL. If we know that he is leaving Ferrari, won't drive a car with Mercedes engine, will remain in Formula 1, where else he can go?
Posted 13 October 2014 - 02:01
He won't tell them what he's going to do, but after he's done it, they'll think it was obviously the right thing to do.
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Posted 13 October 2014 - 02:16
The only reason he wouldn't go to McLaren is Ron Dennis.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 02:21
Edited by SR388, 13 October 2014 - 02:22.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:19
Interesting. When I asked him that previously, he had no idea...
@Austin_F1 Like we said, we don't know the details of the deal but he most likely signed with McLaren, not Honda.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:32
I like the theory put forward the other day by someone, saying McLaren haven't yet decided who they were going to fire - Button or Mag. They are going to let Mag have the benefit of the full season to be judged so as to be fair to him. After the season, they'll make a decision and announce Alonso and whoever they decide to keep.
Edited by prostspeed, 13 October 2014 - 03:32.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:38
He's going to McLaren. He wouldn't be doing jokes if he was to take a sabatical.
What jokes? I missed it.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:40
Just to throw something into the mix here. Alonso said he won't be sitting in a Mercedes powered car, but how about running a merc powered team and not driving for it as well? Most people assume he'd drive a lotus as well as run it if he were to go there but maybe not.
Also a lot of people keep talking about 3 car teams and with a marrussia statement coming next week, who knows, maybe he'll be still at Ferrari
Just to be clear, Buxton asked him if he'll have a Merc PU in the back of his car next year, and Alonso replied in the negative. Not that it likely means much, but who knows.
Edited by AustinF1, 13 October 2014 - 03:47.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:42
My hunch is Alonso is staying at Ferrari.
So, why is Alonso being so secretive?
(1) Because he can. He disdains rumor-mongering and is having fun.
or
(2) Because Raikkonen is being axed, and he doesn't want to say something that would let the cat out of the bag.
or
(3) Because Ferrari is going to a 3-car-team, with Alonso, Vettel, and Raikkonen as drivers. Again, it's not for him to announce this.
I keep thinking back to him saying over and over that whatever he did, it would be for the good of Ferrari. That could mean many things though.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 03:48
Just to be clear, Buxton asked him if he'll have Merc PU in the back of his car next year, and Alonso replied in the negative.. Not that it likely means much, but who knows.
He was joking according to one Spanish journalist.
I hope Marchionne announce today that Alonso is out, maybe this way he can announce his plans, I'm so tired of this circus
Posted 13 October 2014 - 04:41
I just hope he doesn't take a sabbatical. The races just won't be the same without him.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 05:24
Can we stop with the "he signed with Honda" garbage? Honda don't have a team in F1, not this year, not next. McLaren do, a car that will be powered by a Honda engine. Signing with Honda doesn't get Alonso anything, and as has been repeated in this thread pretty frequently Ron Dennis is on record as saying he would welcome Alonso back.
Now there could be a wires crossed element here in that Honda may have guaranteed Alonso's salary in case anything went awry between the deal being agreed and Ferrari being in a position to release him . . . but Fernando will sign with McLaren.
Edited by Ricardo F1, 13 October 2014 - 05:24.
Posted 13 October 2014 - 05:47
If it's McLaren it will have been obvious. If he stays at Ferrari, I will laugh so hard. If it's anything else I will fall out of my chair. No chance of retirement/sabbatical IMO.