The rush is on to secure the services of the newly liberated former McLaren driver Fernando Alonso for 2008.
Leading the race to sign the double world champion are Renault and Red Bull Racing, according to reports on Saturday.
"There are always talks everywhere and with everyone," Red Bull mogul Dietrich Mateschitz told the Austrian newspaper Salzburger Nachrichten, albeit admitting that his outfit already has 'fixed contracts' with two drivers for next season.
One of them is David Coulthard, who found time to also speak with the newspaper despite currently being on vacation.
"If Red Bull intends to get Alonso, I am sure I would know about it. So I doubt that it is happening," the Scottish veteran said.
Coulthard's management told the British newspaper The Guardian: "We haven't heard a word. The team has an obligation to enter David in next year's championship and, if they are moving for Fernando, I'd like to think we would know."
Furthermore, it is understood that team boss Christian Horner is far less enthusiastic than Mateschitz about the concept of booting out Coulthard or Mark Webber to make room for Alonso.
But Germany's Bild newspaper quoted Mateschitz as adding: "In Formula One, nothing is for sure.
" He also described the $26m Alonso rumours as "a great compliment for us."
Apparently more resolute, however, are Flavio Briatore's plans to reunite the Spaniard with Renault.
"I have presented a plan to Fernando about the future," the Italian is quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"If he wants to cooperate with us again, it can happen. I know how much he can offer to Renault," team boss Briatore added, but he played down suggestions that Renault is prepared to play along with a merely single-year deal.
"An agreement for one year would not make sense," he insisted.
Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn also seems in favour of Alonso's return.
Asked about the rumour, he said: "Briatore is in charge of the Alonso case. I delegate all sporting decisions to him.
"But primarily Renault must occupy a role in Formula One among the favourites," Ghosn added.
Source GMM
© CAPSIS International
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Fernando Alonso in demand - ernando Alonso in demand
The chase was on to sign up former Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso for next season with his old employers at Renault leading the way, Spanish sports newspapers reported on Saturday.
Marca said that Renault boss Flavio Briatore was meeting with the French team's lawyers to hammer out the terms of a new contract that would shortly be offered to the 26-year-old Spaniard.
Renault, the paper said, were keen to sign up Alonso, who won his two world titles with them in 2005 and 2006 before leaving for McLaren, to a deal of at least two years in duration.
Marca said that Japanese carmakers Toyota had already offered a lucrative contract to Alonso but that he had turned it down.
Also in the hunt for the driver, who left McLaren on Friday after completing just one year of a three-year contract, were BMW Sauber, Red Bull Renault and Williams Toyota, the paper said.
They speculated that Alonso would likely opt to join one of the smaller teams on the Formula One circuit, in a transitional phase before eventually securing a move to Ferrari.
The AS sports daily said that the favourites to sign up Alonso on a one-year deal was Red Bull.
E.A.
Source AFP
Marca said that Renault boss Flavio Briatore was meeting with the French team's lawyers to hammer out the terms of a new contract that would shortly be offered to the 26-year-old Spaniard.
Renault, the paper said, were keen to sign up Alonso, who won his two world titles with them in 2005 and 2006 before leaving for McLaren, to a deal of at least two years in duration.
Marca said that Japanese carmakers Toyota had already offered a lucrative contract to Alonso but that he had turned it down.
Also in the hunt for the driver, who left McLaren on Friday after completing just one year of a three-year contract, were BMW Sauber, Red Bull Renault and Williams Toyota, the paper said.
They speculated that Alonso would likely opt to join one of the smaller teams on the Formula One circuit, in a transitional phase before eventually securing a move to Ferrari.
The AS sports daily said that the favourites to sign up Alonso on a one-year deal was Red Bull.
E.A.
Source AFP
McLaren confirm Alonso exit - A joint decision to part ways
After a turbulent season, McLaren Mercedes today confirmed that double world champion Fernando Alonso will not race with the team in 2008. The following is a press release from the team.
Following a meeting between Fernando Alonso and McLaren, it was agreed that it would be in the best interests of both parties to bring the relationship to an end.
The mutual parting of ways has not been discussed until now, since it was felt that any such discussion could have seriously disrupted the team’s and Fernando’s 2007 Formula 1 World Championship challenge. Both parties believe that this was the right decision.
Fernando Alonso
“Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out. I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home. I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win.
"
"Today’s decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrileña and all the other team Partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.”
Ron Dennis
“Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, especially McLaren’s Spanish Partners Banco Santander and Mutua Madrileña and the team’s title partner Vodafone, want to wish Fernando all the best for the future. He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward."
"We all believe that our joint decision to part company is for the best, and we will now continue to focus on our 2008 World Championship challenge.”
E.A.
Source McLaren Mercedes
Following a meeting between Fernando Alonso and McLaren, it was agreed that it would be in the best interests of both parties to bring the relationship to an end.
The mutual parting of ways has not been discussed until now, since it was felt that any such discussion could have seriously disrupted the team’s and Fernando’s 2007 Formula 1 World Championship challenge. Both parties believe that this was the right decision.
Fernando Alonso
“Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out. I continue to believe that McLaren is a great team. Yes, we have had our ups and downs during the season, which has made it extra-challenging for all of us, and it is not a secret that I never really felt at home. I know there have been suggestions of favouritism within the team and people say a lot of things in the heat of battle, but in the end I was always provided with an equal opportunity to win.
"
"Today’s decision allows all of us to focus on 2008, and I wish the team, Vodafone, Banco Santander, Mutua Madrileña and all the other team Partners who I have worked closely with during the year, the best for the future.”
Ron Dennis
“Everybody at Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, especially McLaren’s Spanish Partners Banco Santander and Mutua Madrileña and the team’s title partner Vodafone, want to wish Fernando all the best for the future. He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward."
"We all believe that our joint decision to part company is for the best, and we will now continue to focus on our 2008 World Championship challenge.”
E.A.
Source McLaren Mercedes
Alonso not feeling pressure - Kovalainen
Heikki Kovalainen has hit out at suggestions that F1's reigning world champion is "feeling the pressure" of racing alongside Lewis Hamilton in 2007. The media made a meal of Fernando Alonso's claim this week that he has always felt "uncomfortable" at the McLaren team in 2007, after he lost the lead of the drivers' championship to his rookie teammate in Canada. British newspapers interpreted the outburst as the Spaniard losing his cool; the Daily Mail declaring that he "has been rattled" by Hamilton's impressive showing.
"The Spaniard, normally resilient, appears to have one weakness -- he cannot cope with being embarrassed by a teammate."
The Times pointed to "a succession of errors" for 25-year-old Alonso, adding that his scrappy performance in Montreal "underlines that (he) is not only feeling the pressure from Hamilton's raw speed but is also being worn down by the Briton's poise and presence of mind in the heat of battle."
F1 rookie Kovalainen, however - who replaced Alonso at the championship winning Renault team in 2007 - told the BBC that it's "not right" for his predecessor to be accused of failing to cope with pressure.
The Finn, who worked alongside Alonso as a test driver last year, said: "I don't think Hamilton has any impact on him.
"He has shown time and again in the past that he is mentally very tough and in a long career he has not made many mistakes.
"He pushes very hard for the win every race and mistakes can happen when you race like that.
"Yes, he made might have made a mistake in Barcelona and one early on again in Canada, and because they have happened in a short period of time it looks very dramatic, but I don't think it affects him.
"He is still one of the top guys out there and he is going to be very strong, fighting for the championship for sure."
"The Spaniard, normally resilient, appears to have one weakness -- he cannot cope with being embarrassed by a teammate."
The Times pointed to "a succession of errors" for 25-year-old Alonso, adding that his scrappy performance in Montreal "underlines that (he) is not only feeling the pressure from Hamilton's raw speed but is also being worn down by the Briton's poise and presence of mind in the heat of battle."
F1 rookie Kovalainen, however - who replaced Alonso at the championship winning Renault team in 2007 - told the BBC that it's "not right" for his predecessor to be accused of failing to cope with pressure.
The Finn, who worked alongside Alonso as a test driver last year, said: "I don't think Hamilton has any impact on him.
"He has shown time and again in the past that he is mentally very tough and in a long career he has not made many mistakes.
"He pushes very hard for the win every race and mistakes can happen when you race like that.
"Yes, he made might have made a mistake in Barcelona and one early on again in Canada, and because they have happened in a short period of time it looks very dramatic, but I don't think it affects him.
"He is still one of the top guys out there and he is going to be very strong, fighting for the championship for sure."
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