Ferrari or Red Bull – what is Fernando Alonso’s next move?

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By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 author at Monza
Fernando Alonso always appeared to have a story following him around when he was in Formula 1, and it’s no different to a grand prix because Bahrain at Monza this weekend to his own first visit straight back in March.
The two-time world champion, who left F1 at the end of this past year, is at the Italian Grand Prix in his own role as a McLaren ambassador. But there are concerns about whether he might come back to the sport, not because Alonso himself has maintained the door open on the thought.
And has assured the problem has remained very much alive.
In two of the 3 clubs, there are question marks among the motorists, and Alonso provides a alternative which, if competitiveness was the only element in the choice, could be appealing.
Alonso or his management have contacted both teams lately to enquire about seats that were possible characters have told BBC Sport, but are rebuffed.
This writer and alonso had a lengthy – and private – chat in the McLaren motorhome. I prodded him about the approaches, about the Notion of an reunite to Ferrari and Red Bull, and got nowhere as anticipated. We chatted about the Indianapolis 500, F1 and his potential, also talked in length about his preparations for the Dakar Rally.
Later that afternoon, I back at McLaren talked to chief executive officer Zak Brown.
A packet of sugar landed on the coffee cup’s saucer I had been drinking, then Alonso walked , large smile on his head.
Can you do so, I asked?
He’d been to the Ferrari motorhome, he said, for a talk with their communications chief Silvia Hoffer Frangipane. She is currently a business friend and spent the previous four years in McLaren chaperoning Alonso.
“I went to see Silvia just to say hello,” Alonso said, grinning,”and I thought the story can be developed a little more now in your hands…”
Alonso has not lost some of the mischievous sense of humor, although his odds of a recurrence to F1 might seem slim. Nor his ability to maintain himself at the centre of attention.
Alonso is being discussed due to the driver situations in Red Bull and Ferrari.
Red Bull have already dropped Pierre Gasly back to Toro Rosso after a disappointing first portion of the season, and his replacement Alexander Albon has made a great beginning but is still very early to the nine races the team state will decide whether he retains the drive for 2020.
At Ferrari both drivers are under contract for next season, but everybody understands that in F1 which is not necessarily an impediment, and the form of Sebastian Vettel is increasing doubts about his future.
Team-mate Charles Leclerc has out-qualified seven days in a row the German. Leclerc appears to be emerging as the de facto direct driver of the team, only should a few have experienced extenuating circumstances Monza on Saturday. Along with also the 21-year-old is being marked out as the group’s long term future.
Vettel is a proud person and the question being asked is, just how long can he set up with this situation, and when he would like to block the obvious harm what can he do about it?
On the list, Vettel continues to insist he wishes to stay at Ferrari and satisfy his dream of winning the world title.
However, for a while currently in F1 there have been whispers that the union between Vettel along with Ferrari is not exactly what it was, he may be interested in a move away, which his favorite destination would be Red Bull, where he attained the vast majority of his achievement.
And who are a replacement for Vettel in Ferrari who can provide performance that is stronger or similar? Well, a Spaniard that is particular, Naturally.
It should be said at this point that both teams deny some of this could occur.
Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said at the Belgian Grand Prix final weekend that Vettel has been”not available following year”.
Pressed on how he understood, he said:”I understand. He’s a Ferrari driver. He’s contracted to the end of 2020.”
It was pointed out when he finished up joining Ferrari which Vettel was also under contract to Red Bull for 2015. He shrugged.
This is a different circumstance. Vettel had what’s known as a performance clause in his contract, which enabled him to leave if he was by a certain point in this season under a championship place. Insiders say, that’s not the case; it’s a cast-iron contract free of escape clauses.
Ferrari team chief Mattia Binotto said on Friday in Monza:”I’ve said it and I’m confirming it – to next year Sebastian and Charles are our motorists and there’s no doubt at all about this.”
There are a range of reasons why Vettel to Red Bull and Alonso seem improbable to happen.
Seeing Vettel, as one senior figure mentioned, he is already discovering Leclerc a competition that is difficult, so why on earth would he want to go to Red Bull and face a situation that is at least as difficult and more against Max Verstappen?
Then there are the expenses involved of needing to pay two superstar salaries for Red Bull. And the difficulties of managing two bulls within 1 field.
As for Alonso’s chances at either group, Red Bull are from this question even if they wanted him, due to Honda.
Following their fractious time together at McLaren, the Japanese manufacturer blocked from driving an Indycar in it with a few of its engines, so, Alonso are hardly likely to cheer him to an car fitted with one.
It is extremely clear that they view Leclerc as their potential for years to come. Simply by heading back to Alonso, risk destabilising this?
Few could doubt that he would be swift, and provide race-winning functionality to them. But his time with the group did not end favorably.
Once the relationship fell apart even though he wasn’t directly involved with managing Alonso, binotto was there. Can he wish to attract where anxiety and tension already run high just by its nature Alonso can involve straight back into a team?
Alonso was conspicuous by his absence from the celebration of 90 decades of their Grand Prix at Milan on Wednesday, attended with a great number of ex-Ferrari drivers. Explanations as to why he was not there differed depending to whom you spoke.
Alonso is cagey about his aims. “We will see,” was all he’d say to BBC Sport when asked about any possible F1 yield.
But this has not yet been declared, He’s been doing desert testing and is set to perform the Dakar Rally in one in the new calendar year. And he’s very keen to acquire the Indianapolis 500 and become the only driver apart from Graham Hill to motorsport’s unofficial’crown’.
But he is not presumed to be keen on a full Indycar program.
The obvious solution would be to do a deal with all the Penske team, that won the race with Simon Pagenaud this year, for a vehicle to run in Indy.
But Alonso may choose to maintain his connections to McLaren, and also the possibility of the brand new Indycar team operating a third car to him in the Brickyard is very much still open, regardless of the awkward set of circumstances which led to those failing to make up for the race that season.
Alonso is also not exactly enthused by the notion of a F1 calendar.
And at the start of this 2021 season, if new regulations have been released in the hope of closing up the field, Alonso will be closing on his birthday.
On the face of it, then, an F1 return next season – or later – seems highly improbable. However, in F1, you never know what might be round the corner.
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