2008 Line-Up (Rumour Mill)

Having both Hamilton and Alonso is bad for McLaren. I think it would be a good choice for Alonso to leave because even though McLaren preaches fairness, he will always be on his back foot due to him being a non-brit in a british team with a british teammate. I would love it if he went to honda or toyota and help them improve cos I really want to see the Japanese being competitive, although I doubt alonso would do that.
 
Oooooh We'll take him!!

McLaren said at the start of the year that when they had Prost and Senna together, Ron wasnt powerful enough in the sport to stop their fighting. He said he has matured and can keep Alonso and Hamilton from doing the same thing.

Sorry Ron, you were wrong.
 
Is Adrian Sutil being mentioned by a other team by the way? I mean he did crash a lot in the beginning of the season but now he knows the car, has a good consistent pace and ended up in front of Barrichello in Hungary.

I think he would make a fine formula 1 driver. Plus he is Lewis's partner. ;)
 
I would like to see Sutil in a better car as well. Ron just has to get this idea of two equal teammates out of his head. It just doesn't work!!!!!! It certainly doesn't work with Alonso.
 
Alonso could always join another former McLaren driver in Nascar. :p
 
Necx0 said:
I would like to see Sutil in a better car as well. Ron just has to get this idea of two equal teammates out of his head. It just doesn't work!!!!!! It certainly doesn't work with Alonso.
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I think the fact that he has 2 drivers leading the Drivers Championship by a good gap and also is leading the Constructors Championship proves you wrong somewhat.
 
It works in terms of results......short term. These fractious relationships create fabulous progress for a while.....until the drivers both want to kill each other.
 
Well you're both right in a way. I used to think that having the two best drivers possible was always the way to go, but I'm not so sure now. Ferrari had great success with Schumacher/Irvine, Schumacher/Barrichello, Schumacher/Massa. Both drivers knew their place in the team and worked to support each other (support Schum, really). McLaren's policy of 'let them race until it is mathematically impossible for one driver to win' seems good, until you realise that they both still have a chance, and as the number of races decreases, the tension and desperation rises accordingly!
 
Exactly! Not just Ferrari, Alonso and Fisichella another good example.
 
Haha I don't think Fisi had a choice!! If you talk to Giancarlo he would have been supporting him, however he got pantsed.
 
`McLaren tell Alonso he can go`


McLaren are reportedly so "p***ed off" with Fernando Alonso that they have told him he can leave if he wants to.

Alonso and his team-mate Lewis Hamilton suffered a complete breakdown of their relationship in Hungary this past weekend after Alonso illegally held Hamilton up in qualifying, preventing the rookie from getting pole position.

However, that only happened after Hamilton first disobeyed team orders telling him to let Alonso passed at the start of the third and final qualifying segment.

The result was that neither team-mate was talking to the other after Sunday's grand prix, which was won by Hamilton.

And now, according to The Times, McLaren are ready to say goodbye to Alonso at the end of the season.

'Fernando Alonso has been informed by Ron Dennis, the McLaren Mercedes team principal, that he can leave at the end of this season,' the newspaper reported.

"My understanding is that he's been told he can go because they're so fed up with him," a 'well-placed source' said. "Ron is just very p***ed off with both of them."

As for where Alonso will go, The Times speculates that it could be to either Ferrari, at the expense of Felipe Massa, back to Renault, he would probably replace Giancarlo Fisichella, or even to BMW.
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Source

Well...this could be the end.

So presumably Alonso will go back to Renault, because they want him back, and he wants to go. Who can McLaren replace him with? Nico Rosberg?
 
I am not going to believe any of this really until I hear otherwise from the horses mouth. Its only been a couple of days and already too much shit has been spread. However its good to speculate. If we believe the rumours then.....

Renault: Piquet Jnr has already signed with Renault for '08....so Alonso could find himself in the exact same situation!!! Although I doubt Piquet Jnr will be quite as strong and Renault are much more likely to paint Alonso as number 1. Could be a good combo.

Can't see Kimi or Massa leaving Ferrari. Heidfeld is likely to stay at BMW as is Kubica. Webber and Coulthard are at Red Bull. Despite his assertions otherwise, I can see Button heading there. Two strong british drivers in a british team. Paving the way for a youngster to hop into the Honda alongside Rubens......Sutil perhaps??
 
Necx0 said:
Renault: Piquet Jnr has already signed with Renault for '08....so Alonso could find himself in the exact same situation!!! Although I doubt Piquet Jnr will be quite as strong and Renault are much more likely to paint Alonso as number 1. Could be a good combo.
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Piquet Jnr hasnt been signed by anyone yet.

Can't see Kimi or Massa leaving Ferrari. Heidfeld is likely to stay at BMW as is Kubica. Webber and Coulthard are at Red Bull. Despite his assertions otherwise, I can see Button heading there. Two strong british drivers in a british team. Paving the way for a youngster to hop into the Honda alongside Rubens......Sutil perhaps??
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From what I heard, most of the McLaren team arent speaking to Hamilton and that they lay the blame at him. McLaren will be stupid to let Alonso go, but if they did I would like him to go back to Renault and kick their arse again.

I really dislike Hamilton. I hope next year he has a Button 2007 year.
 
Oooh the drama - I'm not believing too much of it yet - we know how the media selectively uses quotes and facts out of context.

But the 2008 championship is going to have a lot to live up to...
 
Necx0, Where does that leave Kovalainen then?

Have the Piquet Jr rumours been confirmed? If I was Flav, I'd be holding off for a few weeks and wait for the outcome of the McLaren/Alonso dispute.

Ferrari are unlikely to change, and if Renault have signed Piquet Jr, then expect Fisichella to be out, and probably Kovalainen as well unless Piquet Jr can be slotted back into the test driver role for 2008 with a written promise of a race seat in 2009. Fisichella possibly to head up Prodrive or if he's really desperate then Spyker? Retirement is also a likely option.

As for McLaren, why not Rosberg? He's a very good young driver with great potential given the right machinery and is a PR dream. Plus he's German, which will keep Mercedes Benz happy. He doesn't seem like a confrontational sort of guy and should gel well with Hamilton. That opens up a position at Williams, so Flavio might even like to place Piquet Jr or Kovalainen there for a year.

Its all speculative though. My money is on Alonso and McLaren sorting things out for at least another year :)
 
Thats why I said "if you believe the rumours"......I have heard Piquet is already a Renault driver. I would like Alonso to go back to Renault as well actually.....they just seem right for one another.

Kovalainen will surely be picked up by somebody else. I really think he is a great driver. Rosberg could be a good fit, especially as him and Lewis get on well.....but two young ambitious drivers in the same team?? Hmmmm......

I just read a report saying that Prodrive may be in big trouble and considering it is already August and they haven't announced engine, chassis, sponsors, drivers or any sort of test programme thats probably pretty right!! However assuming they get on the grid......and I think they will otherwise Bernie will rip David Richards apart Wurz and De La Rosa are high on the list. That frees up two seats at Williams if Rosberg were to go to McLaren.

how about this:
Renault: Alonso and Piquet Jnr
Ferrari: Kimi and Massa
BMW: Hiedfeld and Kubica
McLaren: Hamilton and Rosberg
Honda: Button and Rubens
Williams: Kovalainen and Sutil
Red Bull: Webber and Coulthard
Toro Rosso: Vettel and Bourdais/Liuzzi
Super Aguri: Sato and Davidson
Toyota: Schumacher and Truilli
Spyker: Whoever comes up with enough money
Prodrive: Wurz and De La Rosa
 
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fbc said:
But the 2008 championship is going to have a lot to live up to...
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Hamilton will have a shocker and Kubica in the BMW will win the championship!
 
Planet-f1 are really milking the McLaren drivers issue arent they? Now they've suggested that Ferrari may target Hamilton...

If in the unlikely event that occured, would Alonso then stay at McLaren?

......:p
 
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