zoroastar wrote: ↑07 Feb 2026, 09:02
PinkFloydPulse wrote: ↑04 Feb 2026, 14:27
Jesus, so much negativity and scepticism here, you guys are truly and utterly cooked.
Wait at least until the first race before all the doom and gloom takes over...
my god in heaven, 41 pages on the team thread and we are not even in Australia... Let Newey cook, give Honda a chance, and let the first few races pass before declaring "it's over, we are done!" ...
yeah man, its depressing to look at the world through some peoples eyes haha. if i had one wish for the last 10 years for alonso (being a fan),
it would have been for him to drive a newey designed car in a team with a budget. and here we are.
Actually, it seems that the good Lord has wanted to do Fernando a favor. Indeed, as you say, we are almost witnessing the definitive end for Fernando. His last season, then he will become a father... and that's it. That's how it should be, although I would love it and it would also fairly make up for all the disappointments I have experienced over the past few years if something extraordinary, miraculous happened. Disappointments and moments of despair that I suppose are common to everyone here on the forum. Because, perhaps being bold, it seems to me that most of us are here because of Fernando. Not because of AM.
After having been through so much for so long... now that it seems Fernando is almost racing in Red Bull at least... and because I believe he can finally have his damn longed-for and well-deserved car... being Spanish like him... ambition inevitably arises! The glorious thing would be for this year to be so good that it would be a must (if he finished among the top 5) to race in 2027 as well. And then we could all enjoy watching a kind of prodigy, miracle, or whatever you want to call it. All of this was unimaginable five years ago.
He has Newey, he has my admired Mr. Stroll who has not spared any effort, and has used them wisely (something not very common among millionaires who are new to F1,
especially with a driver's son (ERROR))
especially if your child is one of the pilots and who has proven to be a true professional in my humble opinion. It has taken time and at times he has frustrated me, despite knowing how very complicated his task was to put all the pieces together, but when he knew what to do, he did it in true Normandy landing style and I will always remember him fondly for having done it: the occasion to relive the rebellious Fernando deserved it. But the only one who has truly bet on him has been Mr. Stroll. For the first time, Fernando has the ingredients of an excellent team around him. And working for him.
Now AM is a very serious team. If I’m not mistaken, Newey has also bought shares of AM. So apart from the salary or the agreement they have, it’s HIS TEAM. Considering who he is and the amount of resources he has at his disposal, and keeping in mind that Newey and Fernando 'like each other' so much in statements, which is also evident in the images of them together... I hope the team gets their act together in pit stops, strategies, and other 'administrative' matters... because we are losing a lot of time in the pit stops. Several, not just a few, minutes by the end of the season. That’s like shooting yourself in the foot, that can’t happen.
Besides being my wish, I think logic also makes it possible to create a proper racing team. Finally. A team capable of losing but fighting until the end. At least with the means to achieve it. The dream of the first AM car in Fernando's hands faded after a dazzling start. And then 2 lost seasons, wandering, disoriented, slow... I think that has been the worst part, because it was unexpected, of the illness called 'Alonso fan.' Last year I ended up climbing the walls several times.
Perhaps we finally have all the pieces of the puzzle and all that's left is to put them in place. Before, we were missing pieces and were disoriented. Now I believe we have all the pieces and we possibly also have a wildcard: CoreWeave. If the program works as it seems it can... it’s a revolution in itself. And it seems that Newey really likes it for now.
Sorry for the long story I just unleashed. There’s a terrible wind and it’s raining quite a bit, I can’t sleep. I think that if CoreWeave manages to make Newey’s work easier, the Honda engine holds up, and the car isn’t the worst when it comes to using up new tires... if the team doesn’t fall asleep in the pits (and here I think Newey will be crucial, being 'down there' and in charge of the team)... Fernando has an extra opportunity that could - finally - be the one he deserves. As long as his car can fight with the ones in front, he’ll take care of the rest.
So we should be happy because for now everything is going wonderfully well. Theoretically speaking. I will wait, as usual, until the 3rd race, Suzuka. If the car at least shows clear progress, everything will go well, I think.
