Fernando Alonso looks increasingly likely to limit his options of employment for next year by continuing to press for a single-season contract that would leave him free to join
Ferrari in 2009.
Despite claiming, at the height of his fall-out with
McLaren, that ten teams would be interested in securing his signature for 2008, Alonso's choice continues to narrow, with several teams having completed their line-ups, others expected to be beneath his expectation, and more still unwilling to accommodate his wish to bide time before heading to Maranello.
Among the latter group is one of the teams thought to be in the running to land his signature for the coming campaign,
Red Bull Racing. Alonso's options are currently thought to encompass
Renault,
Toyota,
Honda and
BMW Sauber as well as the Milton Keynes operation - despite only the
regie having yet to confirm its line-up - but he could see the door slammed shut by RBR if he persists in chasing a one-year option.
"From what I'm hearing, [Alonso] is only negotiating with the other teams for a one-year deal," Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz told Germany's
Motorsport Aktuell, "A deal like that would be out of the question for us."
Making no secret of the fact that he would love to hire the double world champion, Mateschitz admitted that he would only be interested in negotiating at least a two-year deal with options, but would not disclose whether talks - rumoured by other sources - had been held.
"We would rather wait another year and show that we are capable of building a car for 2009 that would be worthy of attracting one of the best grand prix drivers," he said, appearing to call Alonso's bluff. The Spaniard has apparently been given similar terms for a return to Renault, with Flavio Briatore equally unwilling to temporarily house a driver destined for one of his biggest rivals.
