Now this is hardly a ‘new’ rumour, but today’s comment made by Red Bull owner Dietrich Mateschitz does seem to add further weight to the possibility that Alonso is going somewhere next season. His words were that although Alonso wanted to join Red Bull for 2008, he was available for just one season, and the team were interested in two years as a minimum contract.
So let’s look a little closer to Alonso’s soundbites since the beginning of the season. First, he warned Renault he would have little patience if the car showed no improvements, then, a week later, Alonso decides that Massa has had his chance and that ‘logically’, Alonso should be taking his place. My how proud Renault must have been. However, the team chose to stick by their driver in a way that he wasn’t by mentioning what a calming influence he was around the place.
Prior to last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix, the subject of contracts happened to come up in a conversation with the media, allowing Alonso to slip in details about a possible get-out-early clause in his two-year Renault contract. Of course, he had ‘forgotten’ if it was actually there and he would be sticking his pole firmly in Renault’s front lawn for now. He then ruined this sweet moment by adding that as he himself proved in 2007, ‘contracts are flexible’.
After the team’s lacklustre performance in Bahrain, the team have stated they are committed to providing Fernando with a better car, essentially saying ‘hang on! We’re really trying!’. Further Alonso-love followed, which has yet to be reciprocated by the man himself. Has he written 2008 off as a bad thing? Renault say he’s driving the wheels off the R28, but is he?
So, what about from Ferrari’s side? All I recall from a televised interview with a Ferrari spokesman was denial and a refusal to comment on rumours. All very well, but this is exactly what they said about Raikkonen joining the team and we all know what happened there!
Obviously, all this comes down to Massa. If he continues to build on his great Bahrain drive, Ferrari may not want to let him go (unless they have already) and if he beats Raikkonen in the Championship (unlikely, but not impossible) it would be very strange for the team to replace him with a driver who has trundled round the track in a sub-par car for a year. It also raises the question whether Alonso is Ferrari material? Yes, he has the ego and the ability, but would he really want to partner someone as strong as Raikkonen? Time will tell, but one thing is for sure, there is a lot going on behind the scenes.