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Alonso Threatens to Leave McLaren If It's Not Winning Races By September
He also said he'll quit F1 if the series goes to a 25-race calendar.
There's probably no one more miserable in F1 than Fernando Alonso right now. He's one of the best drivers on the grid, but he's stuck with Honda's unreliable, underpowered power unit in his McLaren, effectively rendering him noncompetitive. That's why he skipped F1's most glamorous race, the Monaco GP, for the Indy 500, where he had an actual shot at winning. Now, after his IndyCar dalliance, Alonso has issued an ultimatum.
At today's Canadian Grand Prix press conference, Alonso said he'll leave McLaren at the end of this season unless it can start winning races by September, and he'll quit F1 altogether if it moves to a 25-race calendar. Currently, F1 runs 20 Grands Prix in a season with a winter break between December and March.
Alonso has given Honda a very short timeframe to fix its numerous engine issues. Currently, McLaren is dead last in the Constructor's Championship and at least one of its cars has had a DNF or a DNS in each race this season. Honda also promised McLaren an engine upgrade for this weekend's Canadian GP, but now, that's been delayed indefinitely.
Given these circumstances, a miracle turnaround by McLaren and Honda seems unlikely at best, so don't be surprised to see Alonso head elsewhere. Or he could perhaps stay with McLaren, but as a full-time IndyCar driver. McLaren has expressed interest in a full IndyCar works program, and Alonso certainly had a good time, and a strong showing at the Indy 500. Perhaps an IndyCar drive is on his mind?
Really, it's amazing that Alonso's patience has lasted this long. He's too good of a driver to be stuck in F1, watching Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel having all the fun. Now, it seems like his departure from McLaren or the series entirely is imminent.
Well, he certainly shouldn't be hurting for money, and he certainly doesn't have anything else to prove, to himself or anybody else, in F1, and I certainly think that he could drive just about anything he wants (i.e sports cars @ LeMans) given the opportunity, which after his showing at Indy shouldn't be a problem either.
I'd weigh my options too, especially given the big-time changes potentially happening with the new ownership group--at 35 his F1 years are dwindling......
With Alonso's history of bad timing, McLaren/Honda will get it together after he leaves. He ran Indy. Maybe it's time for the World Endurance Championship.
If he expects McLaren to win by September, then he's basically saying "I'm out". There's no way they are going to win. It would be unlikely that any team other than Mercedes or Ferrari are going to win. Maybe RedBull has an outside chance with one race. Maybe he wants Bottas' seat and is basically saying "I'm available for next year"?
He's on record as saying about a month ago that he is going to wait until September and offer his serves to the team with the best car at the time... there's only 2 choices and would those teams want to upset the apple cart bringing in another #1 driver to be paired with Vettel and Hamilton?
As a side note, his McLaren failed him again today in practice and he threw the side bolsters to the cockpit out of the car and onto the ground in frustration. He may be the most unlucky top driver in the history of racing the way his career has gone.
I think he'd love the competitiveness brought by the very equal chassis packages. They've had 7 different winners out of 7 races. I don't think he'd like some to the crappy venues they still race. And, I think he'd miss the high overall professionalism of F1. Indy just can't compete in that regard, due to their much smaller budgets. Big money brings top-flight personnel, interesting chassis & aero development, in season upgrades, etc. But for the pureness of the racing.., he'd love it.
I think he'd love the competitiveness brought by the very equal chassis packages. They've had 7 different winners out of 7 races. I don't think he'd like some to the crappy venues they still race. And, I think he'd miss the high overall professionalism of F1. Indy just can't compete in that regard, due to their much smaller budgets. Big money brings top-flight personnel, interesting chassis & aero development, in season upgrades, etc. But for the pureness of the racing.., he'd love it.
But he wouldn't need to run the Towel Tour F1 is still extorted to run-Bahrain and Abu Dhabi.
Or other motorsports hotbeds like Azerbaijan and China....
And the crowds at every Indy Car venue would welcome him.
Listened to more interviews with Alonso and he said that Indy for a whole season was "a lot of work" so he didn't think he would go that route.
He is very interested in winning the "triple crown" so it sounds like he will come back for Indy 500.
Honda contributes the funds towards his $40M salary at Mclaren. If Honda leaves Mclaren won't be able to pay him that salary. He is going to have real problems going somewhere else. Ferrari won't want him back. Mercedes wouldn't put him in with Hammy. Red Bull likes young drivers.
Renault perhaps? Only team that might want him that could give him even half his salary.
Lastly, the quote in the OP was immediately followed by another questions saying "you know Mclaren can't win by September so does that mean you are out?" Alonso backtracked his comment somewhat saying he can't predict in June how he will feel in September.
I'll be curious if he shows up at the Le Mans race next week. That is where we will probably see him next in my opinion.
...Honda contributes the funds towards his $40M salary at Mclaren. If Honda leaves Mclaren won't be able to pay him that salary. He is going to have real problems going somewhere else. Ferrari won't want him back. Mercedes wouldn't put him in with Hammy. Red Bull likes young drivers.
Renault perhaps?
I think Ferrari would take him back if they had need. He didn't burn his bridges with them. There was no animosity between them. They brought Kimi back.
06-08-2017, 02:00 PM
Alonso talks leaving McLaren & even F1
