Alonso ‘wants to stay at Ferrari and extend contract’

2014 F1 season

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Fernando Alonso says he intends to see out the remaining two years of his Ferrari contract and wishes to sign a new deal with them despite speculation he could switch teams.

Speaking to Spanish journalists ahead of this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix, Alonso responded to rumours linking him with a move to other teams, including McLaren.

“I am proud there are some teams that say they’d like to have me,” he said, “because it means they appreciate the job I’m doing.”

“However, on this topic, it’s a year now that I’ve been saying I want to stay at Ferrari and extend my contract. That’s my wish, I repeat it every two weeks, at the end of every race, yet it’s never said, in fact there is a tendency for the opposite to be said.

“Talk of other teams has never come from my lips, in fact it’s always been the opposite.”

The speculation about his future had been disruptive for Ferrari, he added. “I think since last summer there have been stories and news almost all the time and so it’s now been going on for a year. It’s not nice, because it creates a bit of stress and it means it is disruptive for me, the fans and for the people in the team.”

Alonso said he and Ferrari are “working on” a new deal which would take him beyond his current contract which expires in 2016.

“I have a contract for another two years and as I always say on the subject of rumours and to ensure calm, what I want is to continue for the necessary years. Let’s see if that can happen, but for the next two years at least, there is no problem.”

Alonso has not yet won a world championship with Ferrari and his last race victory for the team was in May last year. But while admitting that “the most important thing is to win” Alonso believes “Ferrari can offer a lot more than ‘only’ winning”.

“Because there is a passion for this team, which as a driver, means you are already proud of what you are doing, independent of the results,” he said. “The most important thing is to fix the things that are not going well on the car and in the team and to do everything that is needed.”

Alonso does not envisage retiring from Formula One in the near future. “I’m only 33 and up until five years ago, you only started in Formula One when you were in 26 or 27,” he explained.

“The fact, is I started when I was 19 and it seems I’m very old, but given my actual age, I’ve still got lots of seasons ahead of me.

“I could have another ten: Michael Schumacher stopped when he was 43, Pedro de la Rosa is in the simulator every day and he’s 43, so it’s not a question of age. It’s a question of enjoying what you do and to still want to get up in the morning to train, to get on planes and fly to Australia and Malaysia, to race with a top car and to still get a good feeling from it all.”

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Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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38 comments on “Alonso ‘wants to stay at Ferrari and extend contract’”

  1. Although I would like to see him change, guess what matters is that he’s still good to go. Hope he has more luck with the car in the years to come!

  2. What a waste of a supreme talent.

    1. I think he’s a bit tired from earlier in his career and just wants some continuation. Renault -> McLaren -> Renault -> Ferrari. That’s 4 jumps in 5 years, a lot for a double world champion. He’s driving for a prestigious team and is highly respected for his decision (everyone sees him dragging that red turd on podiums and thinks of him as the most talented driver from a generation filled with extreme talent). I understand perfectly his decision and think he made the right choice, if not for winning champion-chips, at least for his legacy.

      1. 4 teams in 5 years*

        1. @gicu
          “Jumps” was a better description as that is what it felt like at the time, like a sailor lost at sea desperately clinging on to any ship for dear life. Not befitting a man of Alonso’s stature and talent.

          1. Agreed, but there were only 3 jumps, that’s why I corrected myself. 3 jumps, 4 teams.

    2. I think he is just playing everybody. I like Alonso but being a champion in a mediocre car for 3 years already…for me is lacking that hunger to win. He is confy where he is. He is making tons of money and looks like he is well liked in Ferrari. It is a disgrace for F1 fans not to have him in a team with a competitive car…..too bad. He has been sooo close to 2 titles with Ferrari.

  3. I think the truth is, no matter the contract, he has so much money and backing, he can buy himself out of any contract anyway.
    So the reality is, he books his place at Ferrari for the next 5 years for example, but can actually leave for another team whenever he wishes.
    It’s a win-win situation for Nando.
    Now just give him a damn car worthy of his talent.

    1. Hopefully, i’d hate to see him get dragged down by Ferrari like he has been for the last three years.

    2. But it’s pretty safe to say he isn’t going to McLaren any time soon I guess :D

  4. Potentially good news for Button…

    1. It’s all chips down on Vettel right now for Macca

      1. I suspect Macca already know for some time their talk about trying to get either Alo or Vet is just PR-talk trying to appease Honda, while they are nowhere near a position where they could actually hire them. As long as they don´t even have a title-sponsor, and with the prospect of changing from the best engine to one of unknown quality, it´s not even sure wether McLaren is more attractive than Force India, and they are certainly not gonna get anyone who is having a seat at Merc, Red Bull, Ferrari, Williams.

        1. And not having a title-sponsor also means less funds for developing next years car -> that´s a downhill-slope

        2. @crammond

          Totally agree. Can’t imagine Vettel or Alonso going to McLaren for 2015. It wouldn’t be a sideways move for either one, it would be a very backwards move. FI would be as good of a choice and Williams would be better. Not going to happen. Both drivers will stay put for 2015 at least.

          Ron Dennis and McLaren have much work to do before attracting a major star to jump in their car. If the next driver mentioned is Hulkenberg, I sincerely hope he stays at FI at least for 2015 before moving up to a better team, not McLaren.

          I do wish to see McLaren/Honda do well going forward. It would be good for F1. But right now it just sounds like Ron Dennis puffing up his chest declaring; “I’m Ron Dennis and we are McLaren, we will sign only the best, harrrummmpphhhh!”

          Probably Button, good news for him and probably somebody to replace Magnussen.

      2. I think your going to loose your chips !
        I cant see a reason for Seb to go to McLaren ,

        Renault will change their max 48% of the engine through winter and should come out swinging ,
        Adrian is still in charge ,
        Dietrich is still rich ,
        Seb is sitting pretty for another title before he moves on :)

      3. Why the hell would Vettel leave Red Bull for McLaren at this stage? Which team is more likely to win races in 2015?

  5. Good for Ferrari, maybe not for him…

  6. Alonso has become too comfortable for his own good.

    1. I don’t think so. He is just checking the waters. There is no reason to move. Mercedes positions are closed and he doesn’t know what Ferrari will do with Allison and the new boss, he doesn’t know if the Honda engine is gonna be any good and Mclaren will be on their way to victories and he doesn’t know if Renault will manage to make an engine that will rival the Merc and Red Bull will be the same without Adrian. Also he doesn’t know if Williams are gonna grow stronger or continue their up and downs.
      So he just stays were he is and wait to see how things are gonna develop for one more year and then see what ship is best to stay or jump on.

  7. That conversation with Ron must have utterly gone wrong.

    1. There was no conversation with Ron according to Fernando, probably just media BS, probably almost everything the media writes about him is BS anyway.

      1. Ron Dennis = BS

        That’s a well known fact….

    2. Or they were talking about how best to cultivate tomatoes, or something equally irrelevant to F1 :P

  8. As a Ferrari fan and a huge admirer of Alonso, this is music to my ears. I get huge pleasure from watching Alonso drive the red cars I’ve been a fan of since childhood. I just wish that they had a car worthy of his talents the last few years. But his apparent loyalty and pride in being a Ferrari driver only endears him to me further.

    I think Alonso might have a narrative set up in his own head, maybe for him a third title would be ok, but he wants to go down as the guy who won a third title with Ferrari, like another multiple world champion! Either that or Mattiacci has convinced him their three year plan is going to work.

  9. I think that FA is absolutely right to be considering the long game with Ferrari. Realistically, the only WDC winning ride is in a Merc and those seats are not available. This is a new chapter in F1 and I think most would agree that the field should be tighter next year once teams have had a season under their belts. Merc may still dominate on pace next year, but not nearly by the margin they have been. Given that everyone else is so distant from Merc, FA is right to assume Ferrari has as much chance as anyone to improve on this year’s effort and get closer to Mercedes next season and beyond. Put another way…where else could he go, if not Mercedes, and have any more assurance of being in a better car than one of the most resourced teams that have shown willingness to make him the one rooster if needs be, and that have amongst the least amount of patience between eras of non-winning cars.

  10. I have a feeling Fred is thinking something lke this

    “If I leave Ferrari and they actually nail a good design then someone will wear my glory,
    And there is no one else that can pay my retainer”

  11. As if Fernando will say anything else at Monza!

  12. Why Fernando why? Can’t you see the spirit of Ferrari is dead? The dream team is gone! If you want to win another WDC, you’re gonna have to move to a better team that actually has commitment to design a good car unlike Ferrari.

  13. Am I the only one who believes that Alonso has unfinished business in F1 (Beat Lewis in the same team) :)

    1. Yes you are.

    2. You are right in that he has unfinished business – which is to win a 3rd championship.

      Beating Lewis in the same team? You are right in that you are the only 1 thinking that.

    3. :D
      Well then he’ll never be finished with F1.
      Lewis is supremely fast!

  14. Pure speculation, but I my theory is that Ferrari have convinced him to stay (in part) because Ross Brawn is coming back to the team next year.

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