Options narrowing for Alonso?

It will be amazing if Alonso doesnt find a drive for next year. I know this will not happen and he will be there in 2008 but it will nice to see him not getting signed by any driver and then see how he will cope with it mentally. Since he has shown this year brilliant as he maybe he doesnt have the mental strength required to be here. The minute things dont go his way he starts to cry. He did in 2006 and again in 2007. And it will also be a big dent to his overconfidence after he claimed he can get a drive when he wants.

Sorry that was he will get signed by any team!

I originally thought the idea of Alonso taking a year away from F1 was crazy, but now it is not sounding so far fetched! It's looking more like he may take a year off or else decide to take Toyota's money and coast. Of course, the way F1 deals have been made the past several years he will probably end up somewhere none of us will anticipate.

Crazy !
no one is willing to sign ALONSO..

But I guess he will make decision soon because everyone is testing soon and because of new traction control rules there will be a change of driving style so ALONSO needs to adapt to new style...

A year out would be very dangerous for Alonso as everyone else will have had a year on the new rules. I think like Button and the Williams / BMW issues, the out-going world champion may have burnt a few too many bridges at this stage.

Why would anyone actually want to sign him.?

all he does is moan and winge etc etc etc

if i was a team boss id be happy with the 2 drivers ive signed not kick them out for a stroppy spanish git.

like ive said in these posts before.

no one should be kicked out off there contract. just so he can have there seat. its wrong. some off these guys have worked so hard to get there race seats for next year.

personaly F1 would be a better place with out FA

Let's see; two-time world champion, in his absolute prime and no one wants to sign him for a one year contract. I think not. It's the art of bargaining and Alonso holds the winning hand. I'm neither a fan, nor a detractor of Alonso, those are just facts. Personally, I'd like to see him go to BMW. I predict they would then see their first F1 win.

I can't see 2008 without FA no matter what. Bernie just won't let that happen now that Spain has a huge F1 fanbase. Don't forget that up untill recently the Spanish GP was one of the lowest attended of the european rounds. BE won't want to loose this market so I can see him putting pressure on one of the top teams to take FA for a 12 month contract.

alonso has done no favours for himself this year, he very publicly falls out with the team and critiises them, something he started doing in 2006, he gets shown up by a rookie, even though he was hardly a rookie like others. Then aside from that alonso hasnt really impressed on track either, spain, brazil and canada he just seemed to be driving badly and his battle with heidfeld this year have done nothing to help him. Add a fairly dissapointing season, when compared to his previous 2, to the fact that he wants a 1 year contract and presumably number one status and a large wage. You have to ask yourself who would want him

Mossop,

You're surely not suggesting that Bernie would influence ANY team for money are you?

Surely Bernie is completely impartial and only thinks of the good of F1

Ik would love to see sob left without a seat for 2008.
O, by the way, I hate paella.

God knows what you guys are talking about - Bernie evil!?
We all know Bernie is going to Heaven - He is a good man constantly thinking about everyone else and always putting himself last and others before him!

Mossop, if Bernie or the FIA used their influence openly to get FA a drive, god help us,it will destroy the old adage "that no man is bigger than the sport". Could you imagine the egos of the drivers if the FIA and Bernie began to tell the teams that they had to have such-and-such a driver in one team or another. F1 would be totally destroyed within a year.
If FA is pushing for a single year contract,as is his right,he will rightly end-up without a drive for the season, as it doesn't make ecconomic sense for the teams to employ him @ a massive wage, oly for him to go to a rival.
If you are so worried about FA not having a drive, give him a go-kart so he can race on his own terms in F1 ;)

I cannot help thinking that Alonso blundered big time by so obviously wanting a Ferrari drive after 08, so everyone knows he is only around in 08 to fill a gap and his pockets. If he did a deal for for instance three years and played his cards to his chest, his interim employer could have made money as well if there was anyone ready to buy him out of his contract. For one year a top driver is no asset for a mid field team.

I find it hard to believe that Ferrari will want FA in 2009, the outcomes either way are bad for Ferrair:
1) Kimi beating FA is an unhappy experiance for FA that will likely result in public tantrums and bad publicity for Ferrari
2) FA beating Kimi says that Ferrari management have over paid Kimi for 2 years.

So - why would Ferrari want FA??

And - is he supposed to have already agreed this move, or is it just a desire of FA?

In response to Simon, who knows whether Kimi will still be in F1 in 2009. FA could be in the frame to be the lead driver in '09, with Kimi having retired at the end of '08. He's never looked like he's in F1 forever.

As for FA's immediate future, it has to be said that the combination of his demands for a one-year contract and his questionable conduct at McLaren must make even the most ambitious F1 teams think twice before employing him at the moment, despite his undoubted impressive on-track credentials.

AlanH

understand that Kimi may not want to be in F1 too long, but it just seems strange that FA should be weekening his position so much if he has no commitment from Ferrari.

If Kimi is there in 2009 then we get back to the problem as outlined. If he's already committed to go that makes more sense of the recent Massa announcement too I suppose...

Everyone is talking about FA going to Ferrari in 2009, but, have they all forgotten that he has already burned his bridges with Ferrari. Whan at Minardi, FA signed to drive for Maranello, but then went to Renault instead.

To my mind, his only choice is Renault, and that all hinges on the WMSC hearing next week.

FA could be testing for Force India yet!

I should point out that it would cause me to raise a glass and cheer if FA is forced to sit out 08 and then gets a ****** drive if any in 09, it's just that I can't see Bernie letting it come to that. Dorner, the TV rights holder for MOTO GP have in the past openly put pressure on teams to employ riders of dubious quality just because of their nationality and even paid the team some money to do so. This keeps the interest up accross key markets and you can't honestly think that the little wrinkly one won't get involved at some stage. Christ he has his nose in every other teams buisness, and if they want to play his game then they have to play by his rules, the little coc& that he is....

Maybe Alonso will go back to HWA once the take over of mclaren is completed!