Fernando Alonso, McLaren, IndyCar, Texas Motor Speedway, 2019

Alonso’s McLaren contract “goes beyond the Indy 500”

RaceFans Round-up

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In the round-up: McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown says the team will discuss possible future races with Fernando Alonso after they contest this month’s Indianapolis 500.

What they say

Our contract with Fernando goes beyond the Indy 500. That’s our current last race scheduled and I think we’re just going to see how that goes and what else is going on in the world of McLaren Racing. Once we see the WEC announcements, IndyCar, and then we’ll take a view on what the future together might look like.

Quotes: Dieter Rencken

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Comment of the day

Don’t expect the Russian Grand Prix or Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to disappear any time soon, says @Geemac:

The calendar is such a touchy issue for fans, but people have to realise that the calendar has to balance (a) the venues which are willing to pay to promote their countries (b) venues which are strategically important for those involved in the sport (OEMs, Sponsors etc.) and (c) historic venues

The simple fact is, while people, may not like the Sochis and the Abu Dhabis, they pay the most money to host races, that money goes into the pot that greases the wheels that keeps the sport alive, so those venues need to be on the calendar.
@Geemac

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On this day in F1

  • 20 years ago today Michael Schumacher led a Ferrari one-twp with team mate Eddie Irvine in the Monaco Grand Prix

Author information

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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21 comments on “Alonso’s McLaren contract “goes beyond the Indy 500””

  1. On the tweet about Zandvoort “discovery”: Yes, I think that very few people have a dedicated calendar to follow different series all along the year.
    One, not every series is easily available over the internet or on free air TV.
    Two, there are only 52 weekends on the year and only 24 hours on a sunday. There is a need for choosing and not all +4 hours events are that atractive to casual fans – or anybody at all.
    Three, someone can call itself a race fan and follow one, maybe two series every other event. In the same way, someone is a gamer and had not played more than a couple of titles/consoles.
    Sincerely, if not for “downloadability” and +2speed watching, I am not sure that I would watch two events/series a weekend. In fact, if I had to watch live, I would see almost no race.

    1. Yeah, that is quite a condescending tweet by Ben Constanduros (and I don’t know who he is). It reeks of gatekeeping, the implication being: “Oh, you’ve never heard of Zandvoort, you mustn’t be a real motorsport fan”.

      To Ben Constanduros:
      – Reality check, sunshine – not every motorsport fan has followed F1 for decades to realize that it is a “return”. And as maiagus said, real life intrudes, which means we often have to pick a few (or even just one) series to follow.
      – You could be snarky like this, or you could do as RF has done, and run various features on the circuit to educate us.

      1. BlackJackFan
        16th May 2019, 4:08

        Hey, Phylyp – Why so sanctimonious…? Unlike you… ;-)
        Maybe Ben was also referring to F1 enthusiasts who, unless they’ve only been fans for a handful of years, are likely to have studied the sport’s history, and ought to know of/about Zandvoort.

        And, what’s with the “reality check, sunshine”…? Were you on something when you made this “snarky” comment…?

        1. Maybe Ben was also referring to F1 enthusiasts who, unless they’ve only been fans for a handful of years, are likely to have studied the sport’s history, and ought to know of/about Zandvoort.

          I have followed F1 for a little over a decade. I might have heard of Zandvoort in passing previously, but only came to know of it in the discussions over the past year about a reappearance on the F1 calendar.

          Seeing as you expect an F1 enthusiast to study the history of the sport, I will surely not term myself an enthusiast. Hmm… what other term can I call myself by? F1 Radical? Nah, that sounds dangerous. F1 Fanatic? Ah, perfect.

          1. @phylyp: We expect you to serve the first 10,000 hours of F1 fantelligentsia in deep study of the traditions. But, study alone is not sufficient – you are required to visit every track from every era in the past 70 years. Not just visit. You must walk each track. In your bare feet. Heel and toe. In the rain. Or scorching heat.

            Today’s F1 is not here to entertain you. Oh…wait. It is. Never mind. ;-)

          2. The track isn’t widely used in video games either, if the new track was Laguna Seca, there would be a larger awareness of it, despite a lot of fans having never watched an actual race on the track.

          3. @jimmi-cynic – LOL :) 10,000 hours? I’d have to stop commenting here to make the time!
            @emu55 – that’s interesting, it not featuring in video games. And yes, you make a good point with the comparison to Laguna Seca.

          4. BlackJackFan
            16th May 2019, 11:30

            Phylyp… I didn’t use the word “expect” nor did I even suggest what you have asserted… so… not much of a response, my friend… especially as you have chosen to ignore the main point of my comment which was, in my view, your uncharacteristic and unnecessary verbal attack on the OP in a sanctimonious and nasty manner…

            I’ll leave you to mull on it…

      2. @phylyp He’s F1’s long-time track announcer, the person who on nearly every circuit is responsible for the English on-track commentaries via loudspeakers. I’ve heard him on every venue I’ve attended thus far.

        1. @jerejj – ah, many thanks, I didn’t know that :) I presume that makes him an FOM employee.

          1. @phylyp I’m not sure of that, though.

          2. @jerejj – OK, thank you.

    2. Depending on where you are in the world you could easily have never heard of it, think of all the motorsport you could watch in the States without seeing a race at Zandvoort. You are still a motorsport fan in that case.

      I bet the percentage here that watch more than 3 series races end to end is pretty low, a vote on this could be interested, what series people watch the race/extended highlights for, qualifying and practices.

  2. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
    16th May 2019, 7:11

    I think Alonso will keep his McLaren ties strong pending what rules and regs they bring in for 2021. If the new regs give McLaren hope and a bit of a reshuffle to the sport, then I bet he will be back.

    Alonso loves his milestones, it started with his aim of 3 titles with 3 teams, more recently triple crown and the ‘complete driver’ goal and then I could see him wanting to be the driver to make a successful comeback and win a championship where so many (like Schumacher) have failed.

    Would be great if he could convince Toyota to make a comeback as well and give McLaren a decent engine ;)

    1. Niki Lauda and Alain Prost(after he was dropped mid season by Ferrari) are the ones that I remember who have successfully won titles on comeback after a sabbatical from F1.

      1. Was just going to ask if Prost’s 1993 win would qualify as a comeback? I guess he had a full season out of the sport, so it really should. Would we consider Fangio’s post 1952 period as a comeback? He was out through injury, so maybe that shouldn’t count, just like Schumacher’s 1999 wouldn’t have counted, even if he didn’t race in the last few races that season. Lauda’s is the big one though … out for two full seasons, and then winning races upon his return, and the title in ’84 with the “future world champion” (a label given to quite a few drivers over the years, most of whom didn’t win) Prost as his teammate.

        Going back to the OP, must say I don’t recall Alonso citing “3 titles with 3 teams”. I don’t doubt that he said it, likely when explaining his move to McLaren right after scooping his first title with Renault. It’s interesting to note that only Fangio has won titles with more than 2 teams (and he did it with 4). If Hamilton ever ends up at Ferrari, perhaps he could do it with 3.

        1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
          16th May 2019, 20:15

          Yes exactly @krbeatz there are a few elites that have managed it and I bet Alonso would love that accolade.

          I think he quoted the 3 champs with 3 teams sometime around joining McLaren (stretching my memory now).

  3. I can’t help but feel there’s a bromance going on between Alonso and Zak Brown.

    1. @Jon Bee

      I can’t help but feel there’s a bromance going on between Alonso and Zak Brown.

      Don’t feel it, watch it.

  4. I thoroughly agree with the COTD. No matter how much people hate the Sochi’s and Abu Dhabi’s, etc., these places are the ones that pay the most, so, therefore, they’ve managed to remain in F1 in the long-term.

Comments are closed.