2011-12 Silly Season

[phil1993]

Fernando Alonso has extended his Ferrari contract until 2016.

[iceman1]

Good news for his fans. I expect him to take another couple of titles in that time.

[phil1993]

I hope he does take a title or two, he's worthy of more than 2.

[JoostLamers]

Fernando Alonso has extended his Ferrari contract until 2016.

He says he'll end his career there one day. So this is his last team...

[mikhailv]

I heard that theres an extra 3 year extension optional on top of the new contract.

To be honest, theres nowhere he could go, I mean he wouldnt go to redbull, i doubt their dominance will last much longer, mclarens a no go unless Hamilton and Alonso swap.

Infact, to be honest, I hope Ferrari take on Hamilton, vettel jumps to mercedes or Mclaren in the future. Ferrari will definitely handle things better than Mclaren, I mean mclaren just dont have the people ability, infact, mclaren has really gone downhill imo, especially management wise.

Either way, ill be watching till 2016, because really, I dont know how I could watch so enthusiasticly or be so excited about race weekends without Alonso being in F1 as theres no other drivers I like or support. I mean, Its abit boring watching without supporting a driver wholeheartedly because you dont get that rush when they win, or the feeling when they lose. Its just people in cars with abit of overtaking. but if its your driver that overtakes, its much better than watching another driver overtake. If you get what im trying to say!

[phil1993]

McLaren can handle top drivers - Button and Hamilton's proof of that. Also they operate differently. There's no number 1. There wasn't in 2007 either, which contradicted what Alonso expected, and of course that situation was very badly handled!

Ferrari operated the Number 1 & Number 2 policy and its very clear that Alonso has established himself as the number one for Ferrari. This year looks a lost cause, but you still wouldn't bet against Alonso being in contention for the title at the end of the season.

[JoostLamers]

McLaren can handle top drivers - Button and Hamilton's proof of that. Also they operate differently. There's no number 1. There wasn't in 2007 either, which contradicted what Alonso expected, and of course that situation was very badly handled!

Ferrari operated the Number 1 & Number 2 policy and its very clear that Alonso has established himself as the number one for Ferrari. This year looks a lost cause, but you still wouldn't bet against Alonso being in contention for the title at the end of the season.

Alonso will certainly win a race this year

[iceman1]

Either way, ill be watching till 2016, because really, I dont know how I could watch so enthusiasticly or be so excited about race weekends without Alonso being in F1 as theres no other drivers I like or support...

I think Alonso could someday own or head an F1 team.

[mikhailv]

To be honest, I cant call jenson a 'top' driver in the sense of when you had Alonso and Lewis together. Jenson just isnt a guy you credit with being the best or near the best. His championship is just like what vettel's would have been without mechanical failures in 2010; dominant car and thats it.

But as soon as it isnt suiting jenson, he is terrible. He cant drive around problems at all, he cant perform. He reads the race well, and thats great, but he doesnt have the speed, he doesnt have the aggression, infact, he isn't even consistent, look at 2010, he was terrible in the second half, clearly out paced by Lewis, and STILL finished behind him even though lewis had 2 DNF's in the second part of the season. Jenson was shocking in korea for example, where as lewis made a mistake and gifted alonso a future inheritance.

Also, jenson doesnt have a champion ego, he doesnt have that aura about him, infact he doesnt even have a personality. Rather wooden. You dont see the fire that you get from Alonso or Hamilton. You dont see their 'at all costs'. Jensons never been in controversy through his own actions (fuel ballast in 05 wasnt him at all), he is poor at overtaking as well. Schumacher at this very track comes to mind.

Jenson will never be a top driver, so you cant say mclaren are handling them well, jensons about as dull as a day in wales to be frank. They couldnt hold senna and prost, montoya and kimi, david and mika was a sham also. But when you have 2 fiery drivers, mclaren were just p*ss poor at managment between them

[Eric_Cartman]

he is poor at overtaking as well. Schumacher at this very track comes to mind.

I think Button is one of the best overtakers in F1. Yeah he couldn't overtake Schumacher in Barcelona last year but we all know that you can't overtake there, if you don't have a much faster car. Alonso wasn't able to pass Petrov in Abu Dhabi as well

[cheng.damien]

I sincerely hope that by next year, we can have some clarity on the engine displacement.
NO 4-cylinders, this is a joke. NO eco-friendly F1.

[phil1993]

Domenicalli has not ruled out signing Hamilton, despite Alonso going through to 2016.

I've heard a rumour that Red Bull are looking at Kamui Kobayashi for 2012. Unlikely to happen.

[JoostLamers]

Jenson will never be a top driver

Not a top driver? Dude, he is the 2009 World Champion!

[mikhailv]

Jenson will never be a top driver

Not a top driver? Dude, he is the 2009 World Champion!

Oh come on, look at his career.He showed promise at williams, was rubbish at renault, was rubbish at honda, putting in just 2 or 3 memorable moments, he was outperformed royally by Rubens in 2008 dont forget. 2009 he won the championship, and was only winning in the first half of the season when they had a second a lap advantage, but when the advantage disappeared, jenson was outperformed by rubens and was lucky he had such a cushion from the fortune of the first part of the season.

2010 he was often, off the pace. China and Australia, shows jensons true strength; forethought. He read the race brilliantly, and was brilliant in Monza, I half wanted him to win at monza. I like jenson, hes a great guy, but he doesnt have the attitude, the go, the ability in the car, he doesnt have the restrained aggression, or any aggression in honesty. He's missing that extra quality that lewis and alonso have. If lewis had the thinking brain and didnt rely on mclaren, or making rash botched overtakes and had a little bit more consistency, then he would be equal only to Alonso, and i wouldnt want to choose between them because to be frank, it would be impossible, one wins one week, the other the next. those two are just THE best since the early 90's.

[phil1993]

I sense a person with a Button grudge.

He was good in 2000, awful in 2001, good in 2002, pretty decent in 2003, best of the rest in 2004, outperformed the car in 2005, good in 2006, average in 2007, awful in 2008. I think that sums it up.