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As Nakajima and Rosberg are confirmed at Williams, rumours continue to go round that Renault are close to a deal with Fernando Alonso, with suggestions that a new consortium of sponsors will secure the cash required to lure Alonso to the team.

The big question is how to keep him there for a second year, as these sponsors will not be happy to put the money together and then have him disappear off to Ferrari 12 months later. There are rumours of a performance clause in Alonso’s contract with Renault which will force the Spaniard to stay with the team if they deliver but will allow him to leave after a year if they don’t. Renault are confident they can come back after their scrappy 2007 season. They admit in this week’s Autosport that ‘the evaluation and development time of the R27 was squeezed because it spent too long focused on its ‘06 campaign’ and that they know how to put right the mistakes of last year.

Such a performance clause is the most sensible option for both sides, but it doesn’t stop Alonso throwing his toys out of the pram again and signing for Ferrari the moment the opportunity arises. No doubt the mechanics at Renault, though pleased at the thought of getting a proven winner back in the car, are probably still reeling from the way Fernando treated them a little over a year ago. Alonso has proven at two consecutive teams that he can be a bit of a prima donna and there is no reason why he would change next year.

Which makes it even more surprising that the most likely driver to partner Alonso is said to be Nelson Piquet Jr. He’s an outspoken, fiery lad who was making proclamations a year ago that he was going to have a race seat in 2008 at the expense of Giancarlo Fisichella. Though his contract will subdue him into a number two role at Renault, such contractual arrangement don’t cover qualifying performances (how could they?) and we can expect some interesting headlines if Piquet starts beating Alonso and then is forced to allow the two-times champion past.

Next year will be the toughest of Alonso’s career. He has a reputation to save, both on and off the track: not only must he beat his team mate, he also has to elevate Renault (if that is the team he chooses) after their year in the doldrums and prove to his team and the rest of the paddock that he is someone who can knuckle down and do his work without complaining.

Heikki Kovalainen is now expected to go to McLaren, giving the Mercedes-powered team a driver partnership with just 34 races between them. Giancarlo Fisichella will almost certainly retire from F1.

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The word ‘rumour’ used to mean “a piece of unverified information of uncertain origin”, though when journalists are clutching at straws in a bid for that exclusive story, even the most off-the-cuff comment from a very certain origin (Patrick Head) can be turned into hot story.

The ‘rumour’, ridiculed in on this site yesterday, has now also been described as ‘absurd’ by Schumacher’s manager, Willi Weber.

So let that be the end of it.

Meanwhile, take a look at today’s best F1 news stories:

• Did McLaren fire Alonso? Norbert Haug makes some revealing comments
• McLaren driver speculation from Grandprix.com
• Fact and Fiction about Fernando Alonso The latest rumours given the Joe Saward analysis

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More Michael Schumacher stories on Digg.com

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Missed some important F1 stories this week? Not got enough time to scan the net for the best F1 features? Then get the cream of the week’s F1 press right here! It’s been a busy weekend, especially regarding ludicrous Fernando Alonso rumours.

Sunday 4 November 2007

Alonso and Brawn set to join Red Bull dream team Rumours on Fernando Alonso’s future from The Guardian that looks like it was plucked out of thin air, relying on unnamed ‘informed sources’.

Michael Schumacher to McLaren? A throwaway comment by Patrick Head to the Mail on Sunday is turned into a headline story by Pitpass.com. Read the quote in its proper context in this Metro article: Hands off Rosberg, McLaren told

Red Bull have ruled out signing Alonso for 2008 More rumours about Fernando Alonso are apparently laid to rest. But few have commented on Dietrich Mateschitz’s mid-sentence U-turn, where he announces that, though “[David] Coulthard and [Mark] Webber are 100% our drivers for 2008″, he admits that “there’s nothing certain in F1, only things that are very probable.”

Williams warn McLaren off Rosberg Unsurprisingly, Nico is not for sale.

Saturday 3 November 2007

From the F1 news archive A reminder of what Alonso said about the Renault team last year.

A feeling of déjà vu This Alonso situation is reminiscent of another we had not so long ago…

As one door closes Excellent feature from Planet F1 that echoes many points made on this site!

James Allen’s verdict The ITV-F1 commentator gives us his point of view on the Alonso situation, from his privileged position of having followed the former champion around the world all year.

Alonso free to sign for any team Rumours that Alonso cannot drive for another manufacturer are laid to rest by his manager.

Mika Hakkinen retires The two-times champion calls time on his racing career.

Renault makes its play for Alonso But with conditions…

Lewis predicts potential team-mates And they’re all young and up and coming. Just not as up and coming as he is!

Friday 2 November 2007

The Spanish Problem How McLaren can satisfy their Spanish contingent - and why they have little other option.

Alonso is no longer a McLaren driver A look at all the options available to Fernando Alonso.

What next for Alonso? A good article from ITV-F1, though it erroneously says that Alonso is still managed by Briatore.

Thursday 1 November 2007

From the other side of the fence Footage from Spanish TV showing Hamilton’s retirement from the Chinese Grand Prix. And you thought the British press was partisan.

The kettle calling the pot black A look at another F1 site’s obsession with an obsession.

Papering over the cracks Alonso and Hamilton appear to pave the way for Alonso to stay at McLaren.

Wednesday 31 October 2007

“It’s about time he retired, isn’t it?” A mechanic reveals his opinion of his driver. But it could apply to so many!

Max Mosley admits defeat A surprise quasi-admission of his own failings over the past ten years.

Alonso to give Red Bull 0.6 seconds? What Alonso could do for Red Bull, if we believed his own hype.

UPDATE Since writing this article, I have discovered an article confirming that McLaren’s Spanish sponsors will stay with the team as the terms of the contract “make no reference” to specific drivers. However, the points in this article still stand - the sponsors certainly would want a Spanish driver.

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When Ron Dennis announced the departure of Fernando Alonso from the McLaren-Mercedes team, he was very careful to give a mention to McLaren’s Spanish sponsors (or ‘Partners’, as McLaren likes to call them - the capital ‘P’ being exceptionally important). No doubt these sponsors will appreciate the mention, as they are almost certainly fearing that their investment in McLaren is about to go to waste.

The actual contents of sponsorship contracts are known only by the parties involved (and claimed to be known by Tom Rubython) but we can assume that a large part of the deals that clinched the Santander and Mutua Madrileña contracts would have been the involvement of Fernando Alonso.

So, there is a real possibility that the terms of the contract dictate, in the eventuality that Alonso may leave the McLaren team, some sort of compensation may have to be paid to these Spanish sponsors. Though Banco Santander is pushing its international profile (it is widely anticipated that Santander will soon re-brand recent British acquisition Abbey under the parent company’s name) and will be largely unaffected by the loss of Spain’s national hero, the value of Mutua Madrileña’s involvement with McLaren must surely have gone down in the wake of Fernando’s departure.

So what can McLaren do to allay the fears of their Spanish partners? The answer can be found in the picture that accompanies this article. They can sign Pedro de la Rosa as partner to Lewis Hamilton for the 2008 F1 season.

The logic of signing de la Rosa goes much further than pure business. Though several drivers have been suggested as possible replacements for Alonso, none of them could, or would, partner Hamilton.

Let’s look at the candidates.

There is little chance that Nico Rosberg, a driver whose star is most definitely rising, would want to partner Hamilton. Though he’d love a drive in a faster car than a Williams, could he risk losing to Hamilton? Being a number two driver does nothing for your market value. Just ask David Coulthard.

The same could be said of Heikki Kovalainen. There is a big risk that the poor Finn could be out of a job next year, as Renault is threatening to reward Fisichella’s lack of pace and get rid of Kovalainen, just to keep Alonso happy (don’t you just love the politics of F1?). But Kovalainen would do better to sit out next year than play second fiddle to Hamilton.

By giving Hamilton a drive, McLaren have shown themselves to be good at picking out the talent and some have predicted that another McLaren protégé, Gary Paffett, may finally get a drive. But you should never place all your eggs in one basket, nor put two drivers of the same nationality in one F1 team as it makes little sense for sponsors, so that rules Paffett out.

And you can use all of the above to explain why Jenson Button, another driver pipped to replace Alonso, would never take the McLaren job. Jenson has seen off former world champions during his time at Honda and he hasn’t been beaten by a team mate since Fisichella (when he was good). He won’t want to risk ruining his good run and the McLaren sponsors won’t have him either.

Who else is there? Kubica? See Rosberg and Kovalainen. Or Webber? A possibility, but another Anglophone is nearly as bad as another Brit. Ralf Schumacher? Now that would be funny.

No, the best option all round is a driver whose career is not on the up, who won’t mind losing to Hamilton, and who will keep the Spanish sponsors happy. Whether they like or not, de la Rosa really is McLaren’s only choice.

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Following reports in the Spanish media, it has been officially confirmed that Alonso will no longer drive for McLaren.

Though the move had been seen as inevitable since around the time of the Hungarian Grand Prix, stances had softened in recent days, which appeared to suggest that Alonso may stay, if only because he couldn’t find a better option.

So what are Alonso’s options?

We’re going to have to wait three weeks before we find out Alonso’s destination, as Fernando plans on taking a holiday before he makes his decision. In the meantime, all we can do is speculate. Let’s take a look at all the possibilities.

• Renault Talks have stalled over finance and management, but the team knows him and would love to have him back.
  
  Likelihood: 8/10

• Ferrari Both drivers have a contract for next year, but Massa could be farmed out to make way for Alonso. But would Alonso risk being beaten for a second year in a row?
  
  Likelihood: 5/10

• BMW Heidfeld and Kubica have had an outstanding year, why would they change?
  
  Likelihood: 6/10

• Williams There’s a vacancy at the team and Rosberg would learn a lot from a two-times champ. Williams would happily take Alonso for a year, too. The betting man’s choice.
  
  Likelihood: 8/10

• Red Bull There have been rumours of a move to Red Bull for Alonso, but Red Bull would want a bigger commitment than Alonso is willing to give.
  
  Likelihood: 7/10

• Honda Barrichello is apparently on the way out, so there might be a berth, but after their 2007 season, would he want to?
  
  Likelihood: 4/10

• Super Aguri Too busy taking Honda’s leftovers to have space for Alonso.
  
  Likelihood: 2/10

• Toyota An offer has apparently already been rejected, so the chances are slim.
  
  Likelihood: 2/10

• Torro Rosso Quick, young and cheap drivers already confirmed for next year.
  
  Likelihood: 2/10

• Spyker Stranger things have happened (Damon Hill going to Arrows in 1997 is an obvious example), but Alonso would rather retire.
  
  Likelihood: 1/10

• Prodrive If the team even makes it to the grid, its McLaren connections make this nigh on impossible.
  
  Likelihood: 0/10

• A sabatical year There is pride at stake and Alonso might take this option, though coming back after a year would be difficult, especially with so many technical changes next year.
  
  Likelihood: 5/10

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There are few problems in F1 that can’t be sorted out with a large wad of cash and the threat of legal action. And so as Fernando Alonso’s management affirms that his driver will not be forced out of McLaren, we also have Hamilton insisting that he and Alonso are friends.

No one wants Alonso to leave McLaren. McLaren want two of the three fastest drivers in F1 (if Raikkonen wanted to be a test driver for McLaren, they’d accept all three). Alonso wants to be in the fastest team in F1: as Ferrari won’t have him, he’ll settle for McLaren. Hamilton enjoyed beating Alonso in 2007 and will happily do it again.

Hence the reason why PR machine is suddenly going into overdrive.

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The latest Fernando Alonso rumours suggest that the Spaniard may be going to Red Bull Racing next year - providing he can get the contract he wants.

It seems the stumbling block is the fact that Alonso wants a one-year contract and Red Bull wants to tie him in for longer.

So why would Alonso be worried about staying at Red Bull Racing for longer than a year? Money and a fast car is all a driver wants (hey, don’t we all?) and Red Bull are not short of cash. So Alonso must be expecting that the Red Bull won’t be fast enough for him.

So let’s take a look at Red Bull’s performance at the last race of the year, the Brazilian GP. In qualifying for the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alonso qualified fourth, while Mark Webber, in the Red Bull, was fifth. The gap between them was six tenths of a second.

Well, that’s a relief. Because we all know Fernando Alonso gave McLaren six tenths of a second last season, so he’ll have no problem making the Red Bull just as competitive.

Expect Fernando to sign a five-year contract today.

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