Alonso to join McLaren in 2007

[crayzayjay]

:!: Alonso to join McLaren in 2007 :!:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,5923-1943301,00.html

McLaren has stunned Formula One by announcing they have signed world champion Fernando Alonso for the 2007 season.

Alonso won his world title in a Renault and is contracted to the Anglo-French team for next season. However, he will now switch to McLaren for 2007, meaning either Kimi Raikkonen or Juan Pablo Montoya will be forced out.

The moves comes just days after McLaren signed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Vodafone.

Ron Dennis, the team manager said: "It's great that our strong belief in the strength and competitiveness of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes package has been further endorsed by the world champion."


I posted this in the F1 sticky thread but figure it deserves a thread of it own...

[taygunho]

:shock: Alonsı to McLaren ???? :shock:
I am really shocked with this news. I can' beleive Renault lost its champion. I think Montoya will be forced out by Mclaren

[RAMMIUS]

I`am 110% sure that Kimi will drive a red car in 2007 :wink:

Soooo , Willy Weber said that MSc won`t drive for another team besides Ferrari , and if , most certainly :lol: Kimi joins the Scuderia in 2007, 2006 could be Schumi`s last season.

[taygunho]

I`am 110% sure that Kimi will drive a red car in 2007 :wink:

McLaren will be painted red in 2007 because of vodafone sponsorship deal. :wink:

[RAMMIUS]

^^^^^ :lol: :lol: yeah , but you know what I`am talking about :wink: :mrgreen:

[LotusGT1]

Kimi would be stupid if he would go to Ferrari under the conditions Schumi's former teammates were driving. It would be killing for his championship aspirations.

[5vz-fe]

Mclaren has the fastest car at the end last season, and Alonso clearly trying to make that his advantage. All those PR stuff are pure crap, win with a different team blah blah blah. He knows that Renault will lose its technical advantagevery soon and thus making the switch. I really hope Kimi will stay on the same team tho, that would for sure spice things up for us, but that most likely not gonna happen.

[nthfinity]

one thing that does make me appreciate the mclaren team is no matter where they are competitively... they are always at the limit of functionality/breakage of their chassis/engine. at the same time... doing so doesnt mean you win races, no matter having the fastest car.

i think its a mistake to have alanso... as really... i feel JPM is equally good, and more aggressive driver. Kimi is blisterinly fast... and definately a future multi- WDC of F1.

[5vz-fe]

^so they are consistent? lol

[bmagni]

I`am 110% sure that Kimi will drive a red car in 2007 :wink:


I dont think so, it can happen but IMO Valentino is going to drive for Ferrari...

Back on topic, i wanna see Alonso braking engines and some other lucky bastard getting the championship :P

[dropot2]

I recognise that Alonso is a good driver but I don't like him at all...considering that my favourite team is Ferrari, I'm happy with these news as they mean that Alonso won't join Ferrari in the following years :)

[nthfinity]

if somehow, MS doesnt get the drivers title in 06... i dont doubt he'll retire from F1 driving.... but if he dose it, i wouldn't put a drive in 07... and even 08 plausable...

i think Rossi will have a future in F1... but its just speculation really as to when/where.

[Ford Capri 2.8i]

I guess quite clearly what it is going to happen; I think Alonso will go to McLaren because Raikkonen goes to ferrari in the same period and Michael Schumacher will be retired as well (I mean, although Alonso has officially made his contraction, probably the Kaiser has already taken his decision to retire from the world championship Formula 1 and probably Raikkonen has already signed by Ferrari at the same time for 2007). In addition, I think that Juan Pablo Montoya will be his teammate unless Niko Rosberg or Kovalainen have a good next season

The other option, but less likely, that Im thinking about is that Raikkonen and Alonso will share the McLaren team as Prost and Senna did in the ninetees; however, I think that this relationship between two leaders wont take a long time

[360modenalover]

It looks like Carlos Ghosn CEO of Renault, will pull Renault out of F1 after 2007, citing the spiralling costs associated with Formula One (Renault's budget was around 300 million dollars for 2005) as Renault (car company) had a sales decrease this year and needs to improve its bottom line, Ghosn see's that F1 is not giving Renault the returns that they should be getting with what they spend.

It is also speculated that Falvio Briatore is leaving after 2006. Probably the main reason he switched companies would be that Alsono wanted to drive for a championship team, after 2006, and that Mclaren has the cash to pay Alsono's Pay increase after his contract has expired. Renault is very cheap with Drivers Salaries compared to other teams, so they would likely baulked at his demands.

It looks like Schumacher is out after 2006, and Raikkonen is in 2007. It looks like Montoya and Alsono for 2007 for Mclaren, and Raikkonen and Massa/Rossi for Ferrari.

I wonder what is gonig to happen to Fischella and Kovalalein.??
It looks like Wurz will probably take over Villenvauve's spot for BMW in 2007 too, if he takes the role at BMW instead of Mclaren this year.

and Im hoping David Richards comes back to F1 after the new concorde agreement is signed by all the teams, he was awesome with Honda, still dont know why he got fired since he got Honda to come in second place??

[ae86_16v]

^ Interesting speculation. Should be fun to see what happens after 2006.

About David Richards, he had a falling out w/ the drivers I thought. On top of that Honda wanted to install their own guy. Last time I heard was that he was thinking about using ProDrive to come in w/ a team.

[360modenalover]

See here is the wierd thing, Nick Fry use to work at prodrive and under Dave Richards during his reign at Honda, he is basically second in command during that time, so why pick Nick Fry over Dave Richards, when they both worked the same company. Dave Richards had results.

If David Richards does come back, I wonder if Hyundai will join, they were reported to come into F1, but I think a lot of people are waiting to see if the FIA can keep costs down with the new concorde agreement, that is killing the sport, the costs, if they can fix that, I hope the privateteer teams can come back into the sport.

Also I remember reading that if nothing is settled by GPMA before christmas, then there will be no turning back with Honda, Toyota, Mercedes, BMW and Renault.
didn't prodrive release a new car out, something called a P2?

[RAMMIUS]

Is Martin Brundle an idiot ?


http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=34740

Quote : With Alonso in one McLaren, Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya are left to fight over the remaining drive.

:roll:

[360modenalover]

If ferrari does not pick up Raikkenon at the end of 2006, then it will be basically between Kimi and Monotoya.

[RAMMIUS]

I bet Kimi already signed with Ferrari :twisted:

And Mclaren had to take a similar action , and they signed with the spanish driver :wink:

[saadie]

well it dosnt really matter .... .
in 2007 the new wing will be introduced .... :roll:
sooo all the top drivers will be like equal .. i suppose .. . :roll:

[RAMMIUS]

I'm with Brundle... with Alonso already in McLaren for 2007, there is only one remaining seat in McLaren. IMO, everything depends on Schumacher (if Raikkonen will go to Maranello or stay at Woking) and if he decides to continue after the end of the 2006 season. Personally, I don't see a Schumacher-Raikkonen team, since Raikkonen is too good to be the 'second' driver, which in Ferrari means that you cannot win the title. If Schumacher stays at Ferrari... would be interesting to see what happens


Actually this was discussed in the past too , Ferrari with Msc & Kimi combination it`s not possible for sure , but neither Mclaren with Alfonso and Kimi.

Msc is let`s face it , quite old (don`t get me wrong) and I suppose that if the 2006 season it`s gonna be a good one , well he might retire at the end , so the main driver at Ferrari will be Kimi and the second , could be , if he proves that knows the trick of the trade , Valentino Rossi.

[pzgren]

i'll expect the following changes:

- Alonso to McLM because Renault quit's F1 business
- Vodafone to McLM because Michael Schumacher will finish his F1 Career in 2007
- Kimi to Ferrari because of Micheals leaving

so we'll have the two most talentet drivers in 2 different teams and they'll have to drive against each other. everything else would be boring.

:D

[dropot2]

As for Rossi driving a Ferrari in 2007... would be nice for sure, but I think it's just crap and rumours :?

I hope so...I prefer to keep him in MotoGP :wink:

[Max Power]

ahaha...Alonso jumps ship before it goes down and ppl realize what a fraud he's been...there's no way Renault defends its title, and then nobody is gonna want his faggot ass...

[yg60m]

I bet Kimi already signed with Ferrari :twisted:

And Mclaren had to take a similar action , and they signed with the spanish driver :wink:

Same opinion here :wink:

[bmagni]

i heard some rumors that flavio briatore was involved in the transaction to mclaren, he denies it though, but well rumours sometimes tend to be true

[bmagni]

bah, pure bullshit, i just hpe the real alonso comes out and mclaren brakes the contract