Rumours and speculations of various driver transfers is doing the rounds as we go into the final three races of the Formula One 2007 season. The most notable and gaining the press' attention is that of the reigning World Champion Fernando Alonso, whose bad-relation with his Mclaren Mercedes team boss Ron Dennis, hasn't been the best.
Alonso shifted to Mclaren for the 2007 season after two successful seasons at Renault which earned him back to back Driver's Championship.
Even before the 2007 season got midway, there were rumours of the tension in the Mclaren camp, which was later to be confirmed. Alonso, who is contracted with the Woking based team till 2009, is on the look-out for another team. Mclaren has maintained that they will let Alonso leave if he wishes to.
Initial reports suggested that former mentor Flavio Briatore is keen on bringing Alonso back to Renault. He has reportedly asked Fernando and McLaren to part ways ahead of the 2008 season.
Speculation is rife that Renault and Ferrari may now be in a bidding war to secure the services of the Spaniard in 2008.
Speculation is rife that Renault and Ferrari may now be in a bidding war to secure the services of the Spaniard in 2008.
Asked about the 26-year-old's seemingly untenable relationship with McLaren boss Ron Dennis at present, Italian Briatore told Sport Auto: "That is healthy neither for the team nor the driver.We have our own way of dealing with drivers. With us, Fernando simply got along well. Perhaps that is what is missing with him at McLaren."
Renault's 2008 driver lineup is now long overdue, and Briatore said he is still not ready to give anything away.
"We are a little bit late," he admitted, "but I am not in a hurry either.
"At the moment we are still considering what the best driver formation for us will look like."
"We are a little bit late," he admitted, "but I am not in a hurry either.
"At the moment we are still considering what the best driver formation for us will look like."
It has been speculated that Fernando Alonso could be about to drop a bomb on the Formula One silly-season. Felipe Massa was spotted by paddock observers meeting with Toyota officials at Spa Francorchamps, sparking rumours that he might need to vacate his Ferrari seat for 2008. The tale ties in with fresh speculation that Jean Todt - whose son Nicolas manages Massa - is increasingly under pressure to keep his top job at Ferrari, and also Toyota's reluctance so far to confirm a team-mate for Jarno Trulli in 2008.
It has long been suggested that Alonso's most likely destination, if he leaves McLaren after a single unhappy season, is his former camp at Renault.
But the Ferrari gossip, raising the prospect of the Spaniard's pairing with Kimi Raikkonen next year, is now gathering strength, including in the pages of the British newspaper The Daily Mail."One stumbling block exists, however," the report read. "Would Ferrari be willing to buy out the remainder of Alonso's contract with McLaren, believed to be worth at least (US) $20 million?"
Fans, however, are not very thrilled with Raikkonen and Alonso's possible Ferrari pairing as they think that two extremely talented drivers in a single team will make the sport a little less appealing.
Courtesy:f1-live.com and paddocktalk.com
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