Fernando Alonso has dismissed
Lewis Hamilton's chances of battling for the 2008
Formula 1 Drivers' World Championship crown, whilst seeming to implicitly suggest that his own long-term future within the sport may indeed lie with
Ferrari.
Though his former McLaren-Mercedes team-mate – with whom he famously never got on last year – is currently tied atop the drivers' points standings with Ferrari stars
Kimi Raikkonen and
Felipe Massa, when speaking about who he believes will be the likely title contenders as the season wears on, former double world champion Alonso told Italian sports newspaper
La Gazzetta dello Sport: “It is a question that will involve only Raikkonen and Massa in the second part of the championship.”
The Spaniard was also pressed by news agency
EFE as to his future plans, with a strong belief that he is unhappy at an underperforming
Renault this year and further claims that he may be part of the package in a mooted deal that would see key
McLaren sponsor Santander move to Ferrari in 2010 [see separate story –
click here].
“All I know is what I have read in the past days,” Alonso underlined. “I don't know if it is true or not; I have not heard anything. Even if [Santander] do go [to Ferrari], it doesn't mean I have to go as well.
“I haven't spoken to anybody from Santander or Ferrari; that's all I have to say.
“Let's see what will happen between now and the end of the year. Next year's championship begins in March, so I am not in a hurry to decide. In July you can have discussions with people, but nothing very serious until September or October.”
In another Spanish media report, meanwhile, the 26-year-old seemed to drop a big hint about where he would like to be driving in the years to come. In a cooking activity for a sponsor, Alonso was asked whether he prefers French (Renault) or Italian (Ferrari) food.
“Spanish,” he replied, according to
Diario AS, “but if you are referring to something else, then I prefer Italian.”
In somewhat wilder speculation, finally,
The Times has suggested that Lewis Hamilton – who last year agreed to a new five-year contract with McLaren – could be interested in a future move to Maranello himself, despite having previously insisted that he would like to remain at Woking for the duration of his career in the top flight.
