Fernando Alonso has moved to finally quell all speculation linking him to a move to Maranello next year, by insisting that such a possibility ‘was never an option' – at least for 2009.
It was revealed that
Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo stopped by at the Renault garage to chat to Alonso during last week's pre-Italian Grand Prix
Formula 1 test at Monza – fuelling the rumours that the Spaniard is set for a future in scarlet – but the man from Oviedo has insisted that he will
not be Prancing Horse-bound next season.
“I saw him for five seconds,” the 27-year-old told Spanish newspaper
Diario AS of his encounter with di Montezemolo. “He asked me how I was doing. Next door was [Giancarlo] Fisichella and he gave him a hug. He also saw [Lewis] Hamilton.
“It has always been known that their two drivers are under contract. It was never an option for next year.
“I am 27 and have enough time to get back to winning races and championships, whether with Ferrari or another team. When I won my two championships with
Renault, Ferrari were behind me, so I am not afraid of the challenge.”
“Ferrari has always respected contracts and we are very happy with the couple of drivers that we have,” concurred the 30-time world championship-winning outfit's team principal Stefano Domenicali. “That's the real situation, as I have always said.”
Current employers Renault as well as
Honda, BMW-Sauber and
Toyota are all continuing to hold off from announcing their own drivers for 2009 until Alonso makes up his mind as to where he wishes to drive, with Honda team principal Ross Brawn admitting in Spa-Francorchamps ahead of this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix that the Brackley-based outfit will only firm up its line-up ‘when Fernando decides where he wants to go'.
