F1 Testing 2017: Week 1 Barcelona (27th - 2nd)

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2005
Posts
6,243
Location
North of Watford Gap
There's hanging around as a rookie and there's wasting your career with bad decisions. I'd see he falls in to the latter and that only gets worse day by day.

It must be soul destroying for him to make so many bad moves. Especially as he watches his ex team mate go on to a potential 4th WDC, a former team come good (if testing is at all accurate) and he's running around at the back with a car that has an engine so underpowered it implodes constantly.

As he himself has said, Ferrari haven't been capable of winning a title since he moved so he's not lost out in that regard, and irrespective of how good the new one is they're going to have to massively improve in a number of areas over the last couple of seasons (tyre management, strategy, development) in order to mount any serious challenge.

His move back to Renault was out of necessity and his move to Ferrari nearly brought him 2 titles. The McLaren move was a gamble but I can see why he took it - I'm more surprised that Honda managed to negotiate out break clauses.

It's similar to Alesi, who on the surface made some infamously bad choices, yet when he rejected the 91 Williams seat (a move that would have likely seen him win at least a couple of titles in hindsight) to sign for Ferrari it was Ferrari who were challenging McLaren, not Williams. His move to Benetton again was a move to the top team, yet the 96 car was a bit of a horror.

I'd bet good money that Alonso will be sat in a Mercedes this time next year, and if so nobody could argue, at the moment, that that would be a poor move. It's surely the reason Bottas has only signed a 1-year deal (though I'm not convinced it will be Bottas leaving Mercedes - I think if Hamilton wins this year he might be off).
 
Caporegime
Joined
9 May 2005
Posts
31,703
Location
Cambridge
The past three years have done enormous damage to the brands of McLaren and Honda.

3 years? Honda and Mclaren have both stunk the place up for 15 years. Honda should pull out this year and go back to building dull road cars. Mclaren have sucked any consistency out of a car since 1999. Laughably woeful considering the resources. If ever there was a contender for living off past glories it's these pair of jokers.

Did i read that he was approached by Mercedes to replace Rosberg but he turned it down?

No you read they called him up to see his status and the talks didn't continue he was under contract, Alonso said they did this to everyone to see where they were in contract. If Alonso was out of contract he would be there now.
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Sep 2005
Posts
19,948
Location
West End, Southampton
I really want Ferrari to be good again but Merc are sandbagging so hard.

Yeah, they're sods for that. Ferrari look a pretty clear second atm. Renault quietly going about their business, I boldly called that they would be 4th in the constructors this year. Hulkenburg just seemed rather confident in things he's said and it seems justified so far.
 
Back
Top Bottom