McLaren will have to wait if they want Fernando Alonso. The two-time world champion has confirmed he has no intention of leaving Ferrari yet, talking of “finishing the job” of winning a world championship with the world’s most famous motor racing squad.
McLaren are hunting for a marquee signing to head up their new partnership with Honda, who return to the sport as the team’s engine supplier next season. Ron Dennis, McLaren’s chief executive, has made no secret that he wants Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, the four-times champion.
However, both are under contract and Dennis admits there is little attraction in joining his outfit after 18 months of producing lacklustre cars.
Alonso appears to have put himself out of the reckoning for now, at least, and told Sky Sports News that he intends to stay with Ferrari.
“It is not my intention at the moment to move.” he said ahead of the Italian Grand Prix this weekend. “I want to win here and finish the job that we start some years ago. There has been a lot of talk since last summer but from my mouth there never came any interest to leave Ferrari or any words saying l would join another team.
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“There was a lot of speculation, which is not disturbing but it created a little bit of tension and stress. Yet you also feel happy and proud that the best teams have an interest in you.”
It seems the unrest with a season that has Mercedes clearly in front continues to furrow brows at the top teams looking to get back on terms. Rumour abounds that Ross Brawn, who set Mercedes up for their title-winning season, will return to Ferrari where he was so spectacularly successful in helping Michael Schumacher to five consecutive world titles.
Marco Mattiaci, Ferrari’s new team principal, admitted he would love to have the big man from Manchester back at the helm and that they have spoken several times. In an interview with CNN, Mattiaci said: “Everybody would like to have Ross or would like to see Ross back at Ferrari. He is one of the most respected personalities in F1 with the highest knowledge and pedigree.”
However, there seems little prospect of a comeback at the moment and Mattiaci is putting his faith in another Englishman, James Allison, as technical director to engineer a turnaround in Ferrari’s fortunes.
“James is the technical director and I want to start from that point. To tango you have to have two. Maybe Ross is happy with what he is doing,” Mattiaci added.