Goodbye Fernando (for now?)

[Kai-Star]

Bottom post of the previous page:

That article above sums up how I feel. I also kept thinking Emerson Fittipaldi. F1 is synonymous with these stories and you can make good and bad career moves. The only accurate judgement to be made is against your teammate and that's why Fernando ranks very highly with the best.

[DaleJuniorFan]

Ever the opportunists, NASCAR responded to Alonso's Twitter in the corniest way possible:


Alonso's response, which I can only assume (and hope) is sarcasm:

[Everso Biggyballies]

The real reason Fernando retired....

McLaren gave him a sneak preview of their new (non James Key input) 2019 F1 Challenger.

[MonteCristo]

Fernando Alonso will be testing an IndyCar for Andretti Autosport on September 5 at Barber Motorsport Park with a Honda engine – and its blessings.

https://racer.com/2018/08/16/honda-welc ... urse-test/

C'mon Nando - Mindycar calls.

[Antonov]

Autosport is featuring an article I'm interested to read:

The alternate reality where Alonso eclipses Schumacher

there is also an alternate reality, however, where the 2005 McLaren was more reliable and in which Kimi won, and where the 2006 Ferrari didn't blow up in Suzuka and Schumacher won - with Alonso having 0 championships.

[erwin greven]

IF....

[kals]

Autosport is featuring an article I'm interested to read:

The alternate reality where Alonso eclipses Schumacher

there is also an alternate reality, however, where the 2005 McLaren was more reliable and in which Kimi won, and where the 2006 Ferrari didn't blow up in Suzuka and Schumacher won - with Alonso having 0 championships.

In the 2005 alternative reality Montoya doesn't hurt himself on a bike or while playing tennis and maintains the early season advantage he'd built which means Kimi then has to play second fiddle to him at McLaren.

While in 2006 the FIA decide to keep the single tyre races and therefore Bridgestone are once again uncompetitive, causing Schumi to retire at the end of the season.

[Everso Biggyballies]

In the 2005 alternative reality Montoya doesn't hurt himself on a bike or while playing tennis and maintains the early season advantage he'd built which means Kimi then has to play second fiddle to him at McLaren.

I dont think that JPMs absence damaged his season too much. He was only really ahead of Kimi for a couple of races, one result through fortune (Kimi's misfortune more) rather than performance.

Aus was 3 points to 1 JPMs favour
Malaysia Kimi was comfortably ahead for much of the race until he suffered a high speed tyre valve failure resulting in most of a lap on three wheels which allowed Montoya and most of the field to pass him. Kimi rejoined and got back up to 9th, Montoya finished 4th, so it was 8-1 for the year after Malaysia.

Montoya then missed two races, one of which Kimi finished 3rd, the other his transmission failed, leaving them separated by a point.
When Montoya returned Kimi won 3 of the next 4 races with JPM getting two 7ths a 5th and a DSQ.

Kimi was by then 37-16 ahead and was a long way ahead by year end although JPM took 3 wins in the second half, with a 2nd and a 3rd. (Kimi 4 wins and 3 x 2nds)

(I accept that if JPM had pulled a couple of results out in those two races he missed, including the one Kimi DNF'd it might have given JPM a better chance but from his return on he was not really in positions to be waved past by Kimi. I also realise that JPM had a couple of mechanical failures, against 1 in the 2nd half for Kimi. Kimi was leading Germany when he broke down, Montoya may have lost a couple of 3rds)

[kals]

In the 2005 alternative reality Montoya doesn't hurt himself on a bike or while playing tennis and maintains the early season advantage he'd built which means Kimi then has to play second fiddle to him at McLaren.

I dont think that JPMs absence damaged his season too much. He was only really ahead of Kimi for a couple of races, one result through fortune (Kimi's misfortune more) rather than performance.

Aus was 3 points to 1 JPMs favour
Malaysia Kimi was comfortably ahead for much of the race until he suffered a high speed tyre valve failure resulting in most of a lap on three wheels which allowed Montoya and most of the field to pass him. Kimi rejoined and got back up to 9th, Montoya finished 4th, so it was 8-1 for the year after Malaysia.

Montoya then missed two races, one of which Kimi finished 3rd, the other his transmission failed, leaving them separated by a point.
When Montoya returned Kimi won 3 of the next 4 races with JPM getting two 7ths a 5th and a DSQ.

Kimi was by then 37-16 ahead and was a long way ahead by year end although JPM took 3 wins in the second half, with a 2nd and a 3rd. (Kimi 4 wins and 3 x 2nds)

(I accept that if JPM had pulled a couple of results out in those two races he missed, including the one Kimi DNF'd it might have given JPM a better chance but from his return on he was not really in positions to be waved past by Kimi. I also realise that JPM had a couple of mechanical failures, against 1 in the 2nd half for Kimi. Kimi was leading Germany when he broke down, Montoya may have lost a couple of 3rds)

Stop using facts and reason, let me fantasise.

[Everso Biggyballies]

@Kals

[PTRACER]

Ever the opportunists, NASCAR responded to Alonso's Twitter in the corniest way possible:


Alonso's response, which I can only assume (and hope) is sarcasm:

Ha!

[kals]

For some reason Fernando has decided to pick a fight with Red Bull management

Fernando Alonso hopes Red Bull Formula 1 team principal Christian Horner will apologise for criticising him, and has given more details of offers he claims to have had from RBR.

Double F1 world champion Alonso says he has had two approaches from Red Bull in 2018, including one this month after Daniel Ricciardo's departure.

Red Bull denies this, and while it was considering Ricciardo's replacement Horner described Alonso as "not the healthiest choice" for his team.

Helmut Marko, Red Bull's motorsport advisor, also recently said that Alonso's "demands were very tedious" when talks were actually held with him a decade ago, and accused the Spaniard of turning his teams into "a one-man show".

Alonso said that criticism was at odds with the interest Red Bull had shown in him.

"Yes I had a couple of offers from Red Bull," Alonso told Sky Sport F1.

"In fact I had in 2007, in 2009, in 2011, '13, and two this year, one in Monaco, and one in August.

"So I'm happy you asked me this question, because the comments of Christian Horner this summer and Mr Marko are completely out of context, surprise comments about me creating chaos, [being a] difficult man to work with.

"One, they never worked with me, and secondly they've been chasing me for five or six occasions in the last seven years, and now they say that, that they are loyal to their programme and their commitments and their junior drivers.

"It has been weird, it has been unfair to me.

"I wrote to Christian after his comments this summer, he apologised by email, and hopefully he'll apologise again this weekend."

Horner insisted on Friday at Spa that there was no offer, despite representations from Flavio Briatore - Alonso's long-time manager - and F1's management.

"Obviously Flavio reached out, even FOM reached out, but it was clear from the onset," Horner told Channel 4.

"We did offer Fernando Alonso a contract, but that was back in 2007! To my knowledge, no one within Red Bull has offered him one since.

"He's a wonderful driver, he's a great talent, but it just doesn't fit the profile of our team, our investment in youth and the junior programme that's been so successful over the last 10 years."

Red Bull has chosen to promote Pierre Gasly from Toro Rosso to take Ricciardo's place next year.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Re the Alonso stoush with RB management it seems that Horner may be telling the truth re Alonso.... Joe Saward mentioned of a meeting with Christian.

Well, I'll tell you a story. In Baku I was talking to a senior Red Bull Racing individual known as Christian and Flavio Briatore approached: "Oh God," Christian said (Sorry if this sounds like Pilgrim's Progess). "He's trying to sell me Alonso again. We don't want him." I was not surprised by responded: "You don't want him?". Christian looked to the skies and said: "We have no interest in him at all". I will leave it to you to figure out who is telling the truth in this case...

Of course we dont know what Flavio actually told Fernando.

[MonteCristo]

Of course we dont know what Flavio actually told Fernando.

Good point.

[kals]

YOU'RE BORING EVERYONE FERNANDO, STOP BORING EVERYONE. IT'S BORING!

Fernando Alonso says he rejected an offer to drive for Red Bull in Formula 1 next season because he was not convinced it could offer him the chance to win.

The build-up to this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix has featured a bizarre tit-for-tat as Alonso claimed Red Bull approached him to replace Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo in 2019.

Alonso claims to have turned down "four or five" offers, including one from Red Bull, to stick with his decision to quit F1 at the end of this year.

Red Bull states it has not approached him since 2007.

"I had other offers as well," said Alonso. "I don't think my targets or my challenges for next year were in F1 anymore.

"The offers I had, including that one [from Red Bull], they were not for winning.

"They are [all] probably, on performance, more than one second from pole position, as we saw [in Belgian GP qualifying].

"To be fifth or sixth or seventh will not be the same challenge or enthusiasm as I can find away from F1 in 2019.

"I made my decision a couple of months ago and I'm extremely happy with that."

Red Bull has won three grands prix this season but is switching to Honda engines next year as its relationship with Renault has increasingly soured.

Alonso has a fractious recent history with Honda, having routinely criticised the Japanese manufacturer during its troubled three-season spell with McLaren from 2015-17.

While Alonso is not alone in doubting Red Bull's ability to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari next season with Honda, he claims to have been offered drives in 2007, '09, '11 and '13, which would mean he rejected the team during its spell of four double titles from 2010-13.

"I was happy at Ferrari," Alonso said. "We were maybe not winning the championship, and it seems like we were not competitive and a long time not winning, but we were second three times.

"In all the offers I had after that, I still had Ferrari in my heart and I believed the following year was the good one."

Red Bull and Alonso agree that an offer came when the Spaniard was leaving McLaren from his tumultuous single season in 2007.

Alonso said he had offers from Red Bull, Toyota and his 2005-06 title-winning team Renault, which he eventually rejoined.

He explained he did not pick Red Bull because it was still a growing team and not in contention to win.

Alonso says another offer came when he was on the brink of signing for Ferrari for 2010.

"It was a little bit of a stressful time," said Alonso. "I had like four days to decide, and I was talking quite seriously to Ferrari.

"At that time I thought Ferrari was the safest thing and the best choice for the future.

"I'm still proud to make that decision. If you have crystal ball maybe you change opinion, but if not you will not say no to Ferrari."

[Antonov]

Very interesting words from Fernando. Thanks for sharing.