Current Fernando Alonso

Suprised there's no thread (although I had one for his blogs), so i'll start off:

A double world championship vs Raikkonen and then Schumacher in 2005 and 2006 respectively elevated Alonso's status but, apparently, no one told his rookie teammate at his brand new team of a theoretical 'pecking order' the following season ... and the Spaniard was 'seen off' by the young Englishman, Hamilton, into two years of Wilderness while both Hamilton and an even younger Vettel began to make their mark through '08 and '09.

Arguably, Alonso was in the Top 3 of all the Formula One 'Aces' in the 2000s following Hakkinen's retirement - up there with either Schumacher/Raikkonen and, then, Raikkonen/Hamilton - and remains so in the early 2010s along with Hamilton/Vettel...with only Kubica knocking on the door until the Pole's horrible Rallying accident.

A question mark initially over 2004 during which Trulli lead him in the standing until the Italian fell out with ex-manager and team boss Flavio Briatore (Alonso's then business manager) under dubious circumstances after the French Grand Prix.

Another question mark is...Who has progressed more since the end of 2007: Hamilton or Alonso?

A fan. Then came the unfortunate blackmail allegations against McLaren boss Ron Dennis on the morning of the 2007 Hungarian GP which came to light at the highly costly FIA 'Spy-Gate' hearings before Spa...followed by the odour of the deliberate crashing of the Number 2 Renault car at Singapore in 2008 which lead to Alonso finishing 1st in the event and ended in the banning of Briatore and Pat Symmonds a year later.

2009 was a poor year with 'Nando's' mind likely on the prospect of Santander paving the way to better prospects at Maranello one year earlier.

2010 was a fresh start at Ferrari (who no longer had Schumacher walking through the premises regularly) but first half season mistakes ultimately cost him a title inspite of being infamously aided by a Team Orders switch w Massa at Hockenheim (which lead to more world-wide criticism).

Relatively fast, relatively consistent but prone to mistakes and a possible insecurity complex (*) based on wanting sole focus from a team and being only happy with a Number 2 in the other car running behind him. Anything else and it seemingly rattles him.

(*) This is my own personal opinion.

..and so to 2011...

He's underperformed only at Malaysia (hit Hamilton) and China (invisible while Massa challenged McLarens and Red Bulls) and, arguably, Canada...but has maximized his chances in the other 6 races culminating in the British GP win.

He said in his post-Monaco blog that 'Silverstone would be the WDC cut-off'...and so, after some major upgrades, the Ferrari looks a winner again. It might be too late for 2011 given Vettel's finishing rate...but the 2012 regs means they should keep the hammer down at Maranello.

He's signed on through to 2016...So hopes are high of a WDC at some juncture...but not yet.
 
I think it’s all over, and I can’t help but think when he looks back at the later half of his career and wonders whether [allegedly] trying to blackmail Ron was worth all the grief that came afterwards.
 
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With the lack of announcement so far from alonso on the 14th. Interesting alonso liked this tweet. Backing his argument that team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne is closer to his level than some of his previous F1 team-mates despite his poor qualifying performances this season . As i just find it weird him supporting his teammate its so out of character. For the last decade as been more than happy to chuck his teammate & sometimes team bosses under the bus at any time if it benefits him. So has he all of sudden 16 seasons in become mr nice guy or whats his ulterior motive

Screenshot_20180814-145225.jpg
 
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Well we didn't see that coming did we? Good luck to Fernando, he'd burnt his boats at Ferrari, Mercedes and Red Bull didn't want him, with the other cars being nowhere near fast enough there really wasn't much point in him staying was there?

Hmm, should I point out to FB it should be So Long And Thanks For All The Fish? Probably not ;)
 
I'm not an Alonso fan but agree with you wholeheartedly Titch. He certainly adds character to the sport and is one of the more mentally agile drivers. I might not miss him as much as you though ;)
 
Red Bull didn't want him
I think it's less that they didn't want him than, when weighing up potential grief with Verstappen as their future boy plus whatever salary he would want (unless he was prepared to take a huge paycut, which I think was pretty unlikely), it just didn't make sense. It's a sad end to a F1 career for a top driver like Alonso but, as I've said before, it's a bed of his own making.
 
This probally the most conflicted post ive written, because i was really sad at the news being confirmed but expected. As Id assumed alonso retirement was coming. (Picture below) me & him have had our up & downs. Times i loved watching him like at renault also back end of 2012 onwards & times like for around 4 years between 2007 - 2011 that i hated his guts. in my eyes he was public enemy number 1. So i felt strange to feel so sad for a guy who ive grown to like but did have had such hate for

You could tell he getting disillusioned since spa 2016. He has other ambitions which he has my best wishes for. 1 of most unfulfilled talents of last 20yrs. Because if you told me in oct 2006. He wouldnt win another world champ, i wouldve laughed you out of town as it incomprehensible that man of that talent wouldnt. But as someone has said Fernando Alonso was so often the right man at the wrong place at the wrong time. F1 will miss him in 2019. For his personality, his battling attitude. The drives that turn hate to love in 2010 i against alonso but 2012 i was for him. Because i think 2012 was alonso at his best. Its a miracle that car was even in championship contention at interlagos. Because red bull was in a different league in performance. Yet he was 3 pts & 30laps away 156 pts ahead of teammate massa

No doubt in my mind that he would still be capable 17yrs since his debut of winning a 3rd world title if he was in a top team. But his career has inhibited that with blackmail, crashgate, fernando is faster than you & honda which is shame. Alonso in a red bull wouldve been amazing
 
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