'You don't want us, and we don't want you.' That seems to be the consensus at Mercedes-Benz regarding Fernando Alonso, who has openly stated his displeasure over the course of the season with McLaren, the F1 team principally owned and powered by Mercedes.
According to emerging reports, the majority of the German automaker's executive board voted that Alonso is no longer a suitable representative of their company, and that his services should not be retained for an additional season. This despite the contract that binds the Spanish driver to the British team through 2008, but if neither party has any desire to uphold the conditions, the contract is rendered rather meaningless.
Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug has also dismissed the speculation that they could prevent Alonso from going to a competing team next season by forcing him into a sabbatical until the contract has run out, saying, "That's not our style." Guess that means the one hurdle between the two-time world champion and a return to happier days at Renault, where he won said titles, has just been conveniently removed.
[Source: F1i.com]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DrZ @ Oct 18th 2007 7:08PM
Hurray for Zoidberg!
chairman @ Oct 18th 2007 7:18PM
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
I was hoping for Alonso to go to the new Prodrive-McLaren team, but since that isn't happening, I hope it's Honda or Toyota- they need all the help they can get.
Dax @ Oct 18th 2007 7:24PM
Good riddance FAT HEAD!
Vivek @ Oct 18th 2007 7:35PM
Hey Whiny:
Orange India called. They need a driver.
davido @ Oct 18th 2007 8:23PM
Don't let the door...
Richard @ Oct 18th 2007 8:46PM
I'll believe it when Autosport reports it!
Warren @ Oct 18th 2007 8:53PM
I think Alonso has shown his true colors with his jealousy toward Hamilton. I am not a Hamilton "fan", but I do think the guy is totally amazing! I am still rooting for Kimi.
Alonso had some serious ego issues, but to his credit is still a "big picture" thinker, so I think he will go quietly.
Luis @ Oct 19th 2007 2:20PM
Ditto.
Ian @ Oct 18th 2007 9:03PM
Seeing as Fred has said ne will fulfill his 2008 contract obligations this move my the Mercedes Board is going to cost them a lot of money to pay Fred out of his contract. I can't believe they are so naive! Fred wins every which way.
To those who decry Fred. Consider that he is a 2x WDC and it's just possible he will soon be a 3x WDC, driving for say Renault. If that happens the big losers will be Mclaren, Mercedes and Hamilton.
With this Mercedes move no wonder the FIA will have a Rep in McLaren's garage this weekend....
arthurc3 @ Oct 19th 2007 12:23AM
They don't have to pay him anything. If he is in breach of his contract (with his bad-mouthing of the team, and bad behaviour) they can boot him whenever they want.
Good riddance. Too bad Alonso couldn't let his driving do the talking for him and EARN him No. 1 status. His teammate really roughed him up this year.
Son House @ Oct 19th 2007 10:06AM
No Ian, I don't think a racer leaving the best team in the field would consider that a 'winning' move. Money-wise, maybe, but these guys are racers, not accountants. They're all looking to win the next WDC, and leaving McLaren's quick-and-bulletproof cars for Renault, which suddenly finds itself a midfield runner, is not a championship-winning move. Which makes me happy. I hope he languishes midfield and bitches about it some more. The kid is downright delusional about all this unfairness ranting - after an entire season, the points spread is only like 4%. 107 vs. 103 points. After an entire season of racing, with everything coming down to the final race. You couldn't ask for better proof of a team letting its drivers duke it out; it's downright unprecedented in F1 history just how fair this HAS been.
Ian @ Oct 19th 2007 10:20AM
Well Fred's "perception" is that HE has been key to the final piece of McLaren's revival and increased pace in 2007. That perception therefore could well carry him back to Renault which was a Championship capable team with him as lead driver in 2005 and 2006. Therefore in Fred's mind he can lead a revival of fortune at Renault, again. He probably also believes that w/o his abilities McLaren will falter slightly in 2008.
It's all perception. The only FACT is that Renault were a top team when they had Fred and McLaren became a top team when they got Fred. Conincidence????? Well we might know the answer to that in 2008.
Makes F1 fun.
Ian @ Oct 19th 2007 10:24AM
Arthur,
If you go to the stats of qualifying and who finished ahead to whom, between Fred and Ham, in the races you will find that Fred has the better record. Yup I know the points advantage is still in favour of Ham. I can't agree to the comment about Ham "roughing up" Fred this year. Having said that it's been a truly remarkable first season in F1 for Ham and nobody is more surprised about this than Fred IMHO. The ONLY question I have re Ham is how good is he at setting up his car for the races and w/o Fred as a team mate has he enough experience to standalone in 2008 as McLaren Team leader with a lessor team mate?
Ham is darn fast and there is no arguing that!
Bert @ Oct 18th 2007 9:53PM
IMHO, they should parked him when he puked his guts to the FIA, either for being disloyal or for actively participating in "unsporting" behaviour.
And I thought MS was a whiny baby. Alonso has him beat dead to rights!
Hamilton or Kimi!
MKIV @ Oct 18th 2007 9:54PM
I'm SO looking forward to the race this weekend. Knowing this guy, I wouldn't be surprised if he ram Hamilton and take both of them out giving Ferrari the championship.
lt1 @ Oct 18th 2007 10:34PM
The problem with Alonso is that latin people like him goes crazy with some things, they are not cold blooded like the germans ( shumacher ) or the british like hamilton, or the fins like Mika or Kimi, Latin people is very emotional with everything and this causes the people to get crazy with things like finding a great car rider like Hamilton, he has never expect to find such a good driver within his own team and that is causing a lot of jealously because he can't compete with Hamilton.
Alonso is a great driver with a lot of luck, it is a shame that he can't control on Mclaren, I don't understand why he don't understand that his best chances to win is to be inside mclaren near hamilton and not with another team.
Logik @ Oct 19th 2007 1:10AM
I think that none of us here has an idea of what really goes down behind doors at M-M. It can really be that they are favoring Ham, or maybe not, or maybe something else.
Now, this is both, good and bad for Alo. Let's say that both (Alo and Ham) have, more or less, equal performing cars (different teams) next season:
If he can beat Ham, I think that it will say a lot about M-M/Ron.
If he cannot beat Ham, then it will say a lot about him.
Brad @ Oct 19th 2007 1:38AM
C ya crybaby!!
Laikkonen @ Oct 19th 2007 2:13AM
If he could win twice with Renault, then he can do it again.
GO GO ALONSO!!
加油啦!!
vice @ Oct 19th 2007 3:24AM
Take those eyebrows and get the F out buddy!
Mika was probably the only normal guy after he won a WDC. What's up with these guys and their monstrous egos?