2014/15 Silly Season

[Harsha]

Not to mention Vettel can't be announced until he fulfills his contract with Infinity RedBull not officially they can announce he's leaving but anyone else has to wait to announce they picked him up so it could simply be a mix of both Alonso and Vettel sponsors..

yes that could be a key point. Vettel is not only Redbull member but also he was the Infinity member (Performance Director or some thing). That could also hold announcements

[Sevach]

Honda states that the driver domino will not be solved until the final race in Abu Dhabi because Alonso holds all the cards at the moment.Alonso has a contract with Ferrari for two more years and until he breaks(escape clause because of performance) that contract,Ferrari can't announce Vettel as their 2015 driver.

What I'm getting from very good sources is Alonso is being a little child about this(enjoys the drama).Everything is waiting on him to announce he is leaving Ferrari(everything is signed).

I heard Alonso and Ferrari are playing a game of chicken, if Alonso can invoke the performance clause and walk anytime he wants but if he does so Ferrari doesn't have to pay him anything.
If Ferrari terminates the contract instead they'll have to pay him much like they did Raikkonen back in 2010.

And that's getting everything stuck...

[Manoah2u]

Felipe Nasr signed with Sauber alongside Marcus Ericsson, Banco do Brasil will join Nasr @ Sauber. I expect a quite yellow sauber next year, which is a good thing - i'm missing the yellow cars (Camel Lotus was the best yellow car ever)

Guiterez and Sutil get the boot. Both didn do any real good anyway, so no surprise there. Perhaps Sutil can get a drive @
HAAS F1 or Forza Rossa, but i'd doubt it. Guiterez exit. Force india said they definately want to keep Perez.

[WaikeCU]

A bit gutted for Giedo Van Der Garde. I was expecting him in a Sauber next season. Hope he has a plan B, which I doubt so.

[Harsha]

this is all getting increasingly stupid as time goes on

McLaren has warned Fernando Alonso he is running out of time to commit to the British team for the 2015 season.
Media reports in the last days have suggested the Spaniard, whose five-year stint at Ferrari appears definitely over, has now decided to re-join McLaren to spearhead the team's new works Honda era.

Italy's Tuttosport said the contract is for two years with a total value of EUR 70 million.On a visit this week to Mexico City's rejuvenating F1 venue for 2015, however, Alonso denied the reports.
"There is nothing new," he insisted. "I have decided nothing for next year -- nothing is definite yet.

"With Ferrari I am seeing what is the best decision for next year, whether I continue or not, but I will try to choose what is best for my future.

"I have something in my head, but every week for the past two months there have been these rumours, always with a different team.

"I respect Ferrari greatly," Alonso said. "It is a team that I love. For Ferrari it has been a difficult year, and for me it has been five difficult years."

On the face of it, it seems Alonso's only choice is McLaren or a sabbatical, leaving Jenson Button increasingly nervous about the likely end of his F1 career. In his latest interview with Hermes, former McLaren driver Mika Hakkinen agrees: "Jenson's behaviour lately reflects a certain loss of confidence.

"I think when you are striving for success in the long-term, your behaviour looks different."

McLaren acknowledges that it has put Button and Kevin Magnussen in an awkward position as the Alonso talks drag on.

Team boss Eric Boullier may now be losing patience.

"We want to have Fernando's decision between Brazil and Abu Dhabi," the Frenchman is quoted as declaring clearly to the German newspaper Bild.

"We have had good conversations with him, he would fit well with us and he has signalled that he wants the job.

"However, we want a long-term solution - three years - not just a contract for one."

Honda is making no secret that it wants a driver of Alonso's top calibre for 2015. The BBC has reported Alonso is on the verge of agreeing a two-year contract plus a further option for 2017.

"We cannot comment on the drivers as it is a subject for McLaren and Honda," said the Japanese marque's F1 chief Yasuhisa Arai, according to Spain's Marca.

"But Alonso, Vettel and Hamilton are very strong drivers and all the teams want them. Any one of them has a chance of being in the team in 2015," Arai added.

The big favourite is clearly Alonso.

"There are simply moments in your career when you know that you have to change teams," McLaren legend Emerson Fittipaldi said. "Fernando has arrived at such a moment."

Here is the link

[Alain Frost]

I really don't know what Alonso is playing at but obviously we don't know what is being played out behind the scenes of all parties involved.
In a way I understand his procrastination as he needs to make the right choice and the longer he waits the more feedback he gets as where the best options are, but..

Chances are McLaren could be a big step back from Ferrari...or not.

Based on what went before I do not see him staying at Ferrari. I think that relationship has fallen apart. I do not see him at Mercedes. I believe Paddy, Toto and Nikki when they say Lewis and Nico are going nowhere and Nikki tells it as it is.

That leaves McLaren. So if I had to put my dog's life on it (and I love my dog) I will say Alonso will be at McLaren in 2015 with half an eye at Mercedes. McLaren might want him long term but Alonso may be thinking short term and many believe as mentioned, that this is where the problems lie.

[astracrazy]

Nasr Comfirmed by Sauber!

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3185 ... 15-season/

Interesting. On ted's notebook he said the Telmex owner was at the race to have a meeting with Monisha. I wonder if it was between Gutierrez and Nasr and the decision was made after that meeting. Perhaps Telmex weren't prepared to pay more $$$$ (i.e more than what Nasr brings)

[Kiril Varbanov]

this is all getting increasingly stupid as time goes on

McLaren has warned Fernando Alonso he is running out of time to commit to the British team for the 2015 season.
Media reports...

Total crap. Alonso is unmoved:


He insists he's not in rush and pursues a decision which he took two months ago: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116652

[Raleigh]

Nasr Comfirmed by Sauber!

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/3185 ... 15-season/

Interesting. On ted's notebook he said the Telmex owner was at the race to have a meeting with Monisha. I wonder if it was between Gutierrez and Nasr and the decision was made after that meeting. Perhaps Telmex weren't prepared to pay more $$$$ (i.e more than what Nasr brings)

Guiterrez says his backers couldn't (or weren't prepared to) match Sauber's demands.

http://www.espn.co.uk/sauber/motorsport ... 82641.html

Nasr seems to have strong backers based on his FP1 appearance (or is it two?) in the Williams where he is currently the reserve driver. He is currently 2nd in the GP2 championship with 4 wins this season, however it is his 3rd year in the series and he has just 6 wins total.

Generally speaking I would say a GP2 driver has to win the title by their second season or at least make a strong title challenge in that time to be worth an F1 seat on talent alone, witness the fate of champions Davide Valsecchi and Fabio Leimer who took too long to win their titles and had failed to attract sponsors big enough for F1.

[kooleracer]

I can only imagine that Alonso is waiting on Lewis Hamilton. If Hamilton signs a extension after the Abu Dabhi GP. He will know that Hamilton will sign till 2017 so then the best option will be Ferrari or McLaren. If Lewis fails the sign an extension I can imagine Alonso taking a 1 year break. To sign for Mercedes for the 2016 season. Lewis is the key for Fernando's future, not McLaren, Honda or Ferrari. He knows a Mercedes seat is he last chance for a third championship. Also imagine money is a big issue, Alonso gets a lot from Ferrari I can imagine if he leaves his big contract at Ferrari he wants an even bigger cheque from McLaren. Vettel's announcement to leave Red Bull has put Ferrari in a tight spot and the announcement of Red Bull to give Kyvat the seat made it even worse.

I'm still waiting on the announcement that Ferrari has bought Kimi out of his contract again. I can't imagine Alonso signing a 3 year deal at Mclaren, he doesn't want to take that gamble because McLaren hasn't showed any improvement the last 2 years. Even with the Mercedes PU they haven't improved can't imagine that next season will be any better.

My gamble Alonso stays another year at Ferrari and Kimi moves to McLaren to replace Button.

[Sasha]

Alonso is pissing everybody off(Ferrari,Mclaren,Honda and Vettel)with his game of wishing he can get Hamilton's seat.

It is almost to the point he will have no seat in 2015.

Mclaren Honda is only giving him until the last race to sign and then Ferrari will have to fire him to get Vettel to sign.

So I guess if he doesn't get a seat in 2015,he will still get his last two years(money) from Ferrari.

[Sasha]

Here is the catch!

If Alonso doesn't sign with Mclaren and Ferrari doesn't fire him...

Vettel will sign with Mclaren.(he will not be Alonso's teammate per sources)

[Manoah2u]

well.......Christian Horner said vettel is going 'to the reds'.

That could mean Ferrari-powered 'Scuderia'

or...

FORZA ROSSA



No but seriously,

Vettel to Ferrari.

Alonso? NO CLUE.
Mclaren? NO CLUE.

math seems easy here. except for the fact that in reality, if Alonso definately was intending to go to Mclaren-Honda, it would have been signed and announced months ago.

The fact alonso stated he has something in his mind which he DECIDED to do about 2 to 3 months ago, paints an entire different story. What could be so 'exciting' and 'bold' or 'daring' if you may about going to Mclaren for a new 'challenge'?
'Offcourse you were going to do that' is something he said about his decision. Yeah Mclaren fits that description but it may
just as well be something entirely different.

The fact Mclaren is getting annoyed with waiting (so say the news articles) would seem odd if he's really INTENDING to go to Mclaren.

IMHO, it still seems like Alonso isn't INTENDING to go to Mclaren, but rather taking it as a 'in between moment'. His desire for a one-year deal only seems to back this up.....so really, what are we not seeing here or what are we missing here?

[astracrazy]

I can only imagine that Alonso is waiting on Lewis Hamilton.

Funny i thought the same thing too.

I also tend to think he is throwing signals/hints left right and centre every time he speaks

"You never know year to year how things change and you need to study the projects, you need to see what are the prospects

"At the moment my priority in the past, the present and the future is Ferrari

“I have a very ambitious plan in my head for my future. I think that this is the best thing for Ferrari as well. If that happens people will be very, very excited – as I am. I am extremely happy and all the things in the last two or three months follow exactly the plan that I had.

"I am extremely lucky and privileged to choose more or less where I want to go. I have the doors open in many places and we've seen the difficulty of some small teams, some drivers who are fighting for the seat even in this day. I feel very lucky not to have those problems and to more or less choose where I want to go.

When it was suggested the decision represented his ‘last chance saloon’ to win a coveted third world title, Alonso acknowledged: “Probably, yes.”

That's just a select few from some recent interviews. What i get from that is he is considering a few teams i.e projects. He isn't ruling out Ferrari. It's his choice in his eyes which ever choice he picks - everyone is waiting on him as we expected. He is going to go where he can win the title.

But i keep wondering, what will people be very excited about if it happens??? People got very excited (ferrari fans) when he went there, i can't imagine the same if he goes back to macca.

The thing is ferrari MUST know the plan, no? Else they have 3 top drivers on there books next year and they need to pay someone millions to leave?

And we all thought Alonso was left with just macca as the only option. So why not get the deal done and dusted before he loses that too?

My guess? Nothing is as it seems.

[MOWOG]

Nothing is as it seems.

I think those words will prove to be prophetic.