F1: - Alonso Free to Go

[Icy Gull]

. Or don't you read the papers?

Don't tend to get too excited by paper talk in situations like this but I have followed Formula One for long enough to know that Ron Dennis is what makes McClaren what they are. Drivers come and go and like footballers none are bigger than the team That seems to be getting lost in the hysteria surrounding these two drivers.

The car is that good that if he loses both Alonso and Hamilton there is enough new and old talent around to keep MClaren challenging for the World Championship.

Ron is going nowhere and I'll happily wager it with you.

 

[Statto]

Personally I think Alonso is jealous because he is getting beaten by a rookie. He Is really starting to irritate me. He has a kind of Schumacher arrogance about him now, thinking he is above the law.

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Don't tend to get too excited by paper talk in situations like this but I have followed Formula One for long enough to know that Ron Dennis is what makes McClaren what they are. Drivers come and go and like footballers none are bigger than the team That seems to be getting lost in the hysteria surrounding these two drivers.

The car is that good that if he loses both Alonso and Hamilton there is enough new and old talent around to keep MClaren challenging for the World Championship.

Ron is going nowhere and I'll happily wager it with you.

Time will tell, eh? It's all about the off-track activities. Ron Dennis is damaged goods. I won't take your money off you, I'll settle for a gentlemany bounce of this thread on the day the news breaks

 

[Dr Q]

I would be very surprised if Alonso left. There really is nowhere for him to go that will provide him with a championship winning car. The only viable team would be renault, but they are struggling with a poor car this year, that I doubt even Alonso could win in, and good cars usually take a couple of years to evolve. Plus renault or Alonso himself would have to buy himself out of the remaining two years of his contract (as Button did when he almost moved to Williams), which would dent eithers pocket significantly.

McLaren would move heaven and earth to keep LH, and hes previously stated he has no desire ever to leave McLaren. Ok, Ferrari may come in with a huge offer, but they have Kimi and Massa, two proven GP winners on contract as well.

I'm sure deep down the sponsers are loving this, the amount of press/tv coverage the team are getting ... everyone loves a feud, be it between teams or within. Its a shame this spying bollox is being appealed, this is all about Ferraris clout within the FIA and Max Mosley detesting Ron Dennis.

Alonso needs to get on with it and do his talking on the track and re-earn the respect hes built up over the last few years. We are over half way through the year and 4 drivers are still in with a shot of winning the championship .. it should be a classic year!

 

[Dr Q]

Time will tell, eh? It's all about the off-track activities. Ron Dennis is damaged goods. I won't take your money off you, I'll settle for a gentlemany bounce of this thread on the day the news breaks

Ron Dennis has publically stated he has an exit strategy that began with the sale of 49% of the company to Mercedes, then him and the Owner of Tag Heur selling half of their remaining share to a Bahrain investment group last year. He is grooming Martin Whitmarsh to take over in a couple of years, but I very much doubt this current situation will advance that.

 

[Dover]

Alonso will not go. Santander, who own Abbey, are the biggest sponsors, who just might be Spanish.

 

[Woodchip]

Alonso will not go. Santander, who own Abbey, are the biggest sponsors, who just might be Spanish.

And West were German, but they didn't sponsor anyone with a German driver did they.

 

[Dover]

But Santander being a bank may possibly be a longer term investor for a team rather than a tobacco company.

I just wonder if money will be a bigger deciding factor than we envisage.

 

[Normal Rob]

not great for Hamilton financially - he was lined up for a nice 15m+ a year job at ferrarri and if Alonso goes there instead he'll have to stay at MAclaren (if he want to win titles) for comparitively little money.

 

[Icy Gull]

But Santander being a bank may possibly be a longer term investor for a team rather than a tobacco company.

I just wonder if money will be a bigger deciding factor than we envisage.

Isn't Pedro De la Rosa spanish? Give him the drive and it's sorted!

 

[Woodchip]

I'd like to see a Kubica/Alonso swap. Two rookies in a Championship winning car, both showing great amounts of talent. And Rosberg could learn from Alonso, and I'm sure BMW would be willing to make sure Alonso was number 1, if it meant him joining.

 

[magoo]

phwoar vroom vroom!

http://planet-f1.com/gallery/0,18973,3524_2641548,00.html

http://planet-f1.com/gallery/0,18973,3524_2642845,00.html