105 replies to this topic

[ardbeg]

Ok, I just thought it was a bit funny
 
Alonso wants to end career at Ferrari
http://www.autosport...rt.php/id/79079
 
 
 
Alonso wants to end his F1 career at McLaren
http://www.autosport...t.php/id/118412
 
 
EDIT: Changed to home page headline for the latest article, that was the one that triggered the index in my brain.

Edited by Buttoneer, 09 April 2015 - 12:20.

[CountDooku]

Very misleading thread title

[Guizotia]

"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there."

[MikeMM]

"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there."

He was right.

 

This year he made a huge step backwards.

[RedRocksF1]

Great thread, my god...

[sergey1308]

It is interesting, maybe he said something like this when joined McLaren at first time too?

Ferrari is my love forever   ... no, no McLaren-Honda is my love forever

[PedroR]

Fred talking about his career´s end..... Ufff!!    

 

I don´t want to hear   

[ardbeg]

To be honest, Autosports headline is possibly even more misleading than my thread title.

[Guizotia]

Have other drivers made these kind of statements or is it just Fred?

[Jake360]

Well to be fair, i think he did say he wanted to end his career at Mclaren when he joined in 2007!

[RosannaG]

Flavio and him should buy Toro Rosso and win another championship and then, both of them can retire to Kenia... Or to Dubai... Or to Wherever... 

[SirVanhan]

So he will end his career at Lotus.

[P123]

You dug up something from way back in 2009.  Things change.

 

If he has a three year deal with McLaren then it's not a stretch that he could end his career there.

[Tourgott]

Footballers always talking about their love to a club and "wanting to end their career for them". Most of them are gone as soon as they get a better contract.

Edited by Tourgott, 09 April 2015 - 11:23.

[Jerem]

Back in 2008 Kimi said he'd end his career at Ferrari. I thought he was right, then wrong, then right again...

 

But unless an incredible merge happens, Alonso can't end his career at both teams, yeah.

[MikeMM]

You dug up something from way back in 2009.  Things change.

 

If he has a three year deal with McLaren then it's not a stretch that he could end his career there.

Is it three year deal or 2+1?

[kosmos]

"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there."

 

That was his feeling at that time, doesn't mean it was not genuine but as every person in their right mind knows, feelings and opinions change over time. Now is different because he is older, there is probably no more room for moving to another team, not unless he wants to end with 40 years.

[Beyond]

the problem here is not that he will not end career at ferrari, things can change, but that he moved to mclaren to win, and now that the car is awful he says that winning is no more that important...

[Zava]

Have other drivers made these kind of statements or is it just Fred?

Kimi made the same claim with ferrari, though he is keeping his word so far.

[Brazzers]

That was his feeling at that time, doesn't mean it was not genuine but as every person in their right mind knows, feelings and opinions change over time. Now is different because he is older, there is probably no more room for moving to another team, not unless he wants to end with 40 years.

 

This.

 

It's a bit like dating your ex. During that moment in time you really did love them but things change and those feelings are no longer there. 

[ensign14]

He's not really got much choice, has he?  He pissed off Renault, he pissed off Ferrari...

[wj_gibson]

He's not really got much choice, has he?  He pissed off Renault, he pissed off Ferrari...

 

Yeah, and the team he pissed off the most took him back with open arms.

So let's be a bit more cautious with this "he had no choice" thing, eh?

[SealTheDiffuser]

...then it's Mercedes or Lotus or even Toro Rosso (Renault works then)

[krea]

Yeah, and the team he pissed off the most took him back with open arms.

So let's be a bit more cautious with this "he had no choice" thing, eh?

 

It rather looks like two desperate moves from the two parties.

[Jimisgod]

"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there."

 

Judging by the McLaren-Honda his career did finish at Ferrari.

[topical]

It'd be nice to take him seriously when he says things like "at my age, your priorities change and there are more important things than winning" except that the reason he left Ferrari was because he was tired of not winning . . . Anyway, I think it'd be the perfect end to his career if he could take a 3rd WDC at McLaren, though I kind of have my doubts at this stage...

[DrF]

...once

[JtP2]

He probably will end his career at MaClaren. If he fails there, where is there to go?

[Zava]

He probably will end his career at MaClaren. If he fails there, where is there to go?

He could still try McLaren.

[ensign14]

 

Yeah, and the team he pissed off the most took him back with open arms.

...eight years afterwards...

[AustinF1]

"I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there."

No doubt when he said that he thought Ferrari would build better cars than they did for the next few years. I know I certainly did. 

 

We were both wrong.

 

That was his feeling at that time, doesn't mean it was not genuine but as every person in their right mind knows, feelings and opinions change over time. Now is different because he is older, there is probably no more room for moving to another team, not unless he wants to end with 40 years.

Exactly. So Fred was wrong about Ferrari. Doesn't make him a liar.

 

People ask whether it was a bad decision for him to leave Ferrari. With the benefit of hindsight, it looks now like the bad decision was to go there in the first place. But at the time, most of the people critiquing his decision making would have dropped everything to go to Ferrari then, no questions asked. People say he should have gone to Red Bull. Well, of course he should have, but who was saying that then? Pretty much nobody. Now people act like he was stupid not to go there. 

 

Now, for the rest of the season, every time Ferrari has a good result, we'll hear that it was a bad decision, and with every poor result from Ferrari, we'll hear that Fred was right. It's silly, uninspired, lazy journalism at best.

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2015 - 16:20.

[AustinF1]

 
...eight years afterwards...

But how long ago did they start wooing him back?

[AustinF1]

Have other drivers made these kind of statements or is it just Fred?

I don't know about drivers, but pro athletes do it all the time.

[sopa]

Kimi made the same claim with ferrari, though he is keeping his word so far.

 

Keeping his word, even though for many years he fooled us he had lied! But what a smart guy - doesn't matter what is inbetween, in the end he keeps his word!

[Seanspeed]

He probably will end his career at MaClaren. If he fails there, where is there to go?

Ferrari? Red Bull? Mercedes? Lotus? Williams?

Is there a team on the grid who wouldn't make room for him?

[sopa]

But how long ago did they start wooing him back?

 

McLaren started looking at Alonso, when it became obvious they had ran out of "other" star drivers, who could want to join them. Because from 2013 McLaren's performance level dropped, their big star Hamilton had left, and in this situation you struggle to attract star drivers and you'll start looking around for a best compromise.

 

McLaren didn't miss Alonso in 2008-2012, because they had Hamilton, who they felt had risen as the man to bring glory to them already in 2007.

[sopa]

Ferrari? Red Bull? Mercedes? Lotus? Williams?

Is there a team on the grid who wouldn't make room for him?

 

Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari wouldn't at this stage certainly. RBR and Merc rejected him last year.

[ViMaMo]

...eight years afterwards...

What a lame choice for a reply.... 8 years?.... Its obvious McLaren and Alonso have moved from their misunderstanding.

___________________________

So many drivers dream of driving for Ferrari..... I wonder how many had balls to drive for Ferrari when there were clearly better options OR is that better judgement NOT to drive for a dream team when there are better options.

Its clear from Nando's statements that he wanted to win a championship or two at Ferrari and possibly retire. What's so wrong with that?

Edited by ViMaMo, 09 April 2015 - 16:24.

[AustinF1]

Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari wouldn't at this stage certainly. RBR and Merc rejected him last year.

A lot of supposition here.

 

McLaren started looking at Alonso, when it became obvious they had ran out of "other" star drivers, who could want to join them. Because from 2013 McLaren's performance level dropped, their big star Hamilton had left, and in this situation you struggle to attract star drivers and you'll start looking around for a best compromise.

 

McLaren didn't miss Alonso in 2008-2012, because they had Hamilton, who they felt had risen as the man to bring glory to them already in 2007.

Why would they look for anyone when they had Hammy & Button? They wouldn't. Just as they wouldn't now with Alonso & Button. The fact remains that they began openly wooing Alonso 2 years ago. And of course they'd look for the best fit they could find, and that was Alonso.

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2015 - 16:25.

[sopa]

 

A lot of supposition here.

 

 

Not really. If you decide to quit a team or fall out, you start looking around for best options. Mercedes and Red Bull were closed. Or you think Alonso would have taken McLaren-Honda over Mercedes? Alonso flirted with Red Bull already in 2013. In 2014 he was surprised to find out that once Vettel had left, Kvyat had quickly been promoted.

[ViMaMo]

Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari wouldn't at this stage certainly. RBR and Merc rejected him last year.

RBR won't hire Lewis too .... for the salary he would demand. I'm sure lewis wouldn't drive for RBR for say 1-10 mil/yr after winning two championships rieeeght?

Merc had Lewis and Nick. And had no intention of changing the lineup.

Edited by ViMaMo, 09 April 2015 - 16:33.

[sopa]

Why would they look for anyone when they had Hammy & Button? They wouldn't. Just as they wouldn't now with Alonso & Button. The fact remains that they began openly wooing Alonso 2 years ago. And of course they'd look for the best fit they could find, and that was Alonso.

 

Yes, every team looks for the best options on the driver market. Once McLaren's position had weakened, Alonso became an attractive proposition to them.

 

But my point also is that currently Mercedes (they already have Hamilton), Red Bull (Ricciardo and lots of talented youngsters) and Ferrari (Vettel) are not in position to be actively interested in Alonso on the driver market. They themselves are currently well-equipped with driver talent.

Edited by sopa, 09 April 2015 - 16:32.

[sopa]

RBR won't hire Lewis too .... for the salary he would demand. I'm sure lewis wouldn't drive for RBR for say 10 mil/yr after winning two championships rieeeght?

Merc had Lewis and Nick. And had no intention of changing the lineup.

 

Red Bull is an interesting case. Allegedly they also rejected Hamilton back in 2012.

 

It looks like Red Bull's young driver programme is working very well, they have lots of good drivers coming up. And they are happy to sign quick young drivers for peanuts rather than pay a king's ransom to an established star.

[showtime]

He will end his career at Croydon. 

[AustinF1]

Not really. If you decide to quit a team or fall out, you start looking around for best options. Mercedes and Red Bull were closed. Or you think Alonso would have taken McLaren-Honda over Mercedes? Alonso flirted with Red Bull already in 2013. In 2014 he was surprised to find out that once Vettel had left, Kvyat had quickly been promoted.

More supposition. We don't know he was surprised about Kvyat. For all we know he was already headed to McLaren when that shoe dropped. Merc and RBR (maybe) were closed. So? That's not the same as them "rejecting" him. Do I think he would have taken McLaren over Merc? Probably not, but Merc has their drivers, at least for this year. Then again, maybe he's very confident of a good outcome for McLaren Honda based on things he's seen that we haven't. The whole team seem very relaxed and supremely confident given their struggles.

Edited by AustinF1, 09 April 2015 - 16:46.

[ViMaMo]

Yes, every team looks for the best options on the driver market. Once McLaren's position had weakened, Alonso became an attractive proposition to them.

But my point also is that currently Mercedes (they already have Hamilton), Red Bull (Ricciardo and lots of talented youngsters) and Ferrari (Vettel) are not in position to be actively interested in Alonso on the driver market. They themselves are currently well-equipped with driver talent.

Its not a horse trading market. Teams negotiate with interested drivers and choose what suits them and stick to it.

Edited by ViMaMo, 09 April 2015 - 16:41.

[rasul]

What a lame choice for a reply.... 8 years?.... Its obvious McLaren and Alonso have moved from their misunderstanding.

___________________________

So many drivers dream of driving for Ferrari..... I wonder how many had balls to drive for Ferrari when there were clearly better options OR is that better judgement NOT to drive for a dream team when there are better options.

Its clear from Nando's statements that he wanted to win a championship or two at Ferrari and possibly retire. What's so wrong with that?

Ferrari has never been a dream team for Alonso. He said years ago that he's dreamed of driving for McLaren since he was a boy. He didn't bother to hide his contempt for Ferrari when he was driving for Renault.  

[Seanspeed]

Mercedes, Red Bull and Ferrari wouldn't at this stage certainly. RBR and Merc rejected him last year.

Why wouldn't these teams want him? :/

Salary issues aside, I'm pretty sure any team would be glad to have him.

Edited by Seanspeed, 09 April 2015 - 16:46.

[sopa]

More supposition. We don't know he was surprised about Kvyat. For all we know he was already headed to McLaren when that shoe dropped. Merc and RBR (maybe) were closed. So? That's not the same as them "rejecting" him. Do I think he would have taken McLaren over Merc? Probably not, but Merc has their drivers, at least for this year.

 

Yes, in this instance "closed" and "rejected" are the same.

[kimster89]

He wont finish his career at Mclaren Honda. 2-3 years without the competitive car and hes gone. Fernando is still in a honeymoon period right now, but that will end soon and than watch him throw his toys araund.  My guess it will RBR or Merc next.