Poll: Alonso to where in 2020?

[Big Tea]

I suspect that if Vettel left Ferrari they would want Danny Ric there (I know there are contracts etc) so that would leave what to me is the only likely seat Alonso will get at Renault.
Other that this happening I really cannot see Alonso back at all ( unless he brings his own team, which is not that impossible)

Any idea when Ric's contract at Renault ends? Read somewhere it's at the end of 2020 (Vettel's contract will end at the same time) but I'm not sure how true is this.

No, but was there not 'some talk' of having a get out if Ferrari asked for him? (RBR wanted 2 years)
Again all speculation.

[PlatinumZealot]

RED BULL

[roon]

Given how contentious he is, would he not fit in well with Verstappen? Seems like such a longshot, though.

[epo]

Do people really think Honda wants him back and even if they accepted that he could partner with Max and Marko?

Someone mentioned Renault, wouldn't be surprised if he comes back for one year in 2020 as Hulkenburg contract is due then.

[Seanspeed]

Sainz to Red Bull and then Alonso back to Mclaren would have been pretty nice to see. Oh well.

[TheGkbrk]

As a huge Fernando fan for years, I can't really find any reason for him to return to Formula 1. Top teams are full. Even if not, Mercedes has Hamilton, Ferrari's future is Leclerc and Red Bull has Honda. Mclaren just renewed their drivers' contracts. Renault is still a midfield team clearly. I don't think Fernando himself wants to come back. As a fan, I don't want to see him fight for 8ths and 9ths so it is fine the way it is. Triple Crown and new challenges.

[Chuckjr]

Not sure if this is true or not. The author seems to think it’s highly unlikely due to the Honda issue.

http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/view/ ... _for_2020/

[Andres125sx]

The supossed Honda veto remind me when, before 2014, most fans considered Alonso would never join McLaren again after 2007, but...

This is F1 guys, people care about results and how to maximize their potential, not about who's nice or who's your friend or who said what in the past

Actually, if RBR and Honda have a top package, I can see the Japanese willing to sign in Fernando both to increase their potential and to improve their public image, because if we are real, the problem with the gp2 comment was that Fernando had many reasons to say that, he was fly passed by a STR with a poor (then) Renault PU, and also it didn't have any reliability, so it was probably one of the worst PU in F1 ever.

If I know japanese, what I do as my aunt in law is Japanese, they were humiliated by their poor performance, not because Alonso said it publicly, if it's true you shouldn't blame the messenger

[Jolle]

The supossed Honda veto remind me when, before 2014, most fans considered Alonso would never join McLaren again after 2007, but...

This is F1 guys, people care about results and how to maximize their potential, not about who's nice or who's your friend or who said what in the past

Actually, if RBR and Honda have a top package, I can see the Japanese willing to sign in Fernando both to increase their potential and to improve their public image, because if we are real, the problem with the gp2 comment was that Fernando had many reasons to say that, he was fly passed by a STR with a poor (then) Renault PU, and also it didn't have any reliability, so it was probably one of the worst PU in F1 ever.

If I know japanese, what I do as my aunt in law is Japanese, they were humiliated by their poor performance, not because Alonso said it publicly, if it's true you shouldn't blame the messenger

Yes.. the Mclaren 2007-2014 story... people keep forgetting that in 2007 Mclaren was part of the Daimler group and Alonso was hired by Mercedes. With new ownership comes new possibilities and that why Alonso was able to sign for Mclaren in 2014 and he will never be employed by Mercedes (They have clear corporate policies regarding this).

Honda is not possible, they are miffed and hold a big grudge. Not only did Alonso openly and knowingly criticised them and was one of the forced to steer the partnership into a breakup, the next day that the contract was broken, he signed for Toyota.

The only company in F1 that really doesn't care too much (As shown in the past) is Philip Morris. So, a return to Ferrari would be the only possible option (as Mclaren confirmed their drivers for 2020). This would mean a Kimi style payoff for Vettel and for myself, I don't see this happen.

[roon]

...he will never be employed by Mercedes (They have clear corporate policies regarding this).

Would that implicate Merc in spygate, or rather illustrate that Alonso was more sympathetic to Ferrari in '07? If it was simply about teams seeing his behavior of involving himself in a corporate matter, potentially blackmailing, as an undesirable trait for a driver, then Ferrari and Renault would have made a similar judgement.

[gokarter]

The supossed Honda veto remind me when, before 2014, most fans considered Alonso would never join McLaren again after 2007, but...

This is F1 guys, people care about results and how to maximize their potential, not about who's nice or who's your friend or who said what in the past

Actually, if RBR and Honda have a top package, I can see the Japanese willing to sign in Fernando both to increase their potential and to improve their public image, because if we are real, the problem with the gp2 comment was that Fernando had many reasons to say that, he was fly passed by a STR with a poor (then) Renault PU, and also it didn't have any reliability, so it was probably one of the worst PU in F1 ever.

If I know japanese, what I do as my aunt in law is Japanese, they were humiliated by their poor performance, not because Alonso said it publicly, if it's true you shouldn't blame the messenger

If alonso gets a drive a redbull honda in 2020, i will loose all respect for honda. you dont destroy the hand that feeds you.alonso did just that. alonso was more a political toxic driver than anyone who cant motivate the team he publicly said he want a different engine or he is out. and if he has that much control over mclaren, then it time honda to say No to him. no team want this political driver. he is begging for a seat. redbull honda is building nicely for a 2020 title challenge. they dont need chaos.

[roon]

It's exactly what Horner & RB personnel did to Renault, so they would be two peas in a pod.

Telling the truth is political, ok... How many other McLaren employees felt and said the same about Honda from 2015-2018?

Towing a line and subserviant acquiesence are also political behaviors.

[Jolle]

...he will never be employed by Mercedes (They have clear corporate policies regarding this).

Would that implicate Merc in spygate, or rather illustrate that Alonso was more sympathetic to Ferrari in '07? If it was simply about teams seeing his behavior of involving himself in a corporate matter, potentially blackmailing, as an undesirable trait for a driver, then Ferrari and Renault would have made a similar judgement.

I don't know how Ferrari, Philip Morris or Renault would reacted. What we do know is that Philip Morris is more interested in contracts with world champions then anything else. A good example is Freddie Spencer when Lawson walked away from the Agostini run team back in '89 (and hired him back the following year with Roberts).

By the way, driver contracts for Ferrari are done (since 1996) trough Lausanne and not Maranello, as were McLaren's from 1981 up to 1996 (the rumour goes that Ron Dennis and Nigel Mansell never spoke to each other) and Stuttgart after that. Mclaren only got on their own feet after Dennis got the company back in 2012 (and hasn't won a race since). Perez was probably the first Mclaren driver with a McLaren contract since Prost in 1980

Renault already stated a few years ago that they are not interested in the world champion from yesterday but in the one for tomorrow. Guess they are after one of the youngsters (prob Ocon).

For Alonso, not only his age and his history with some of the major players in F1 are things that keeps him out of a winning seat, also that all the big teams now have their own talent to promote. RedBull is the most obvious example but also Mercedes is 100% driven by Mercedes Juniors the last decade. Ferrari got long term on Leclerc (until 2022) and it's looks like he's not another Massa. Even McLaren seems to have finally found the right junior after Magnussen and Vandoorne. So, not only are the current seats taken up, also the future seats are taken.

The big teams all paid to dollar for a few years of Alonso (Honda, Renault, Mercedes and Ferrari) and all they got was scandals, abuse and blackmail. Only Ferrari kept it's nose pretty clean. So, no, I think F1 is quite done with Alonso.

[Jolle]

It's exactly what Horner & RB personnel did to Renault, so they would be two peas in a pod.

Telling the truth is political, ok... How many other McLaren employees felt and said the same about Honda from 2015-2018?

Towing a line and subserviant acquiesence are also political behaviors.

To come on the radio at your employers home race, and shout "GP2 engine" is not telling the truth, that is lack of respect. Prost was fired for something similar by Ferrari.

There is a big difference between RedBull and Renault and Honda and McLaren. RedBull had to pay for their engines, they were a customer. Honda funded both McLaren and Alonso.

I suspect as soon as it was obvious that McLaren Honda would fight among the back markers, Alonso wanted out and these kind of public statements are good ways to be bought off. But, he got his way in the end, a big pay check from McLaren and the opportunity to race in LeMans with Toyota what wasn't possible if they had gone another year with Honda.

[Andres125sx]

The supossed Honda veto remind me when, before 2014, most fans considered Alonso would never join McLaren again after 2007, but...

This is F1 guys, people care about results and how to maximize their potential, not about who's nice or who's your friend or who said what in the past

Actually, if RBR and Honda have a top package, I can see the Japanese willing to sign in Fernando both to increase their potential and to improve their public image, because if we are real, the problem with the gp2 comment was that Fernando had many reasons to say that, he was fly passed by a STR with a poor (then) Renault PU, and also it didn't have any reliability, so it was probably one of the worst PU in F1 ever.

If I know japanese, what I do as my aunt in law is Japanese, they were humiliated by their poor performance, not because Alonso said it publicly, if it's true you shouldn't blame the messenger

If alonso gets a drive a redbull honda in 2020, i will loose all respect for honda. you dont destroy the hand that feeds you.alonso did just that. alonso was more a political toxic driver than anyone who cant motivate the team he publicly said he want a different engine or he is out. and if he has that much control over mclaren, then it time honda to say No to him. no team want this political driver. he is begging for a seat. redbull honda is building nicely for a 2020 title challenge. they dont need chaos.

I find amazing the power you guys think Alonso has on their teams. Looks like you think F1 teams are amateurs who need the guidance of a driver to make decisions... but in reality the team was as feed up with Honda as Alonso, only that they didn´t suffer the poor perfomance while driving at a heart rate of 160 watching how a small team like STR with a very poor PU as Renault was in those days fly pass you

Don´t get me wrong, I think Alonso should have never said that, but it´s understandable in the heat of a race when he sees his efforts are useless with that poor PU. I can´t imagine how frustrating that may be, specially for a world champion

Probably biggest mistake was McLaren signing in Alonso for a long term project, they didn´t need a world champion to develop a new project as any world champion is very demanding, and if you can´t deliver, he´ll criticize you because of not accomplishing the targets they did promise