Alonso eyes Williams as sabbatical ‘risk’ grows (Update)
Wild rumors in the past few days suggested the Spaniard was working on a sensational deal to join dominant Mercedes next year, in Lewis Hamilton's place.
"This is all bullshit," Mercedes boss Toto Wolff told German television Sky at Sochi.
"We have a driver lineup for next year," he said, referring to Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.
"We just don't want to go into contract negotiations (with Hamilton beyond 2015) during this intense phase, which is why there are these rumors.
"But we have said that at the end of the season, we will get together and renew the contract," Wolff insisted.
Alonso has undoubtedly been in talks with McLaren-Honda for 2015, but the Woking team has reportedly been trying to drive down his retainer and insisting upon a more than one-year term.
It has triggered rumors Alonso could go elsewhere in 2015 as a 'stopgap' — perhaps Williams or Lotus, both of which will have the field-leading Mercedes V6 next year.
But the 33-year-old has now been quoted by the US broadcaster NBC after the Russian grand prix that his next team will not be powered by Mercedes.
"My future is already set," he told British television Sky a few minutes earlier. "Or already set in my mind for some months.
"Now we are finalizing everything," Alonso revealed. "You need to be patient, you need to wait a little bit.
"I cannot say anything until everything is completely done but it's good and I will do the best for my future and the best for the future of Ferrari because it is the team that I love.
"When you know it you will say 'it was so obvious you will do that'," he added.
10/12/14
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| Alonso to Williams? |
(GMM) Williams is the latest team sensationally linked with Fernando Alonso's uncertain future.
The growing feeling in the F1 paddock is that, as Ferrari reportedly prepares to welcome Sebastian Vettel, Spaniard Alonso is facing the prospect of a year on the sidelines.
Dominant Mercedes – his obvious target – is not interested in accommodating Alonso in 2015, team chairman Niki Lauda repeated at Sochi.
"We have a contract with Lewis (Hamilton) for 2015," the F1 legend told Auto Motor und Sport, "so there is no place for Alonso.
"Toto Wolff and I want to continue working with Lewis, and we are in constructive discussions with him if he wants to stay with us after 2015," Lauda added.
Alonso is in talks with McLaren-Honda, but supremo Ron Dennis is reportedly pushing back against the Spaniard's salary demands, and reluctant to agree a mere one-year deal.
Asked if there is a risk he will have to take a sabbatical next season, Alonso told reporters in Russia on Saturday: "Probably not a big risk."
Auto Motor und Sport claims that is because Alonso is lining up his alternatives should his talks with McLaren fail.
"He is also knocking at Lotus and Williams," said correspondent Michael Schmidt.
Schmidt said a move to Lotus is however unlikely for Alonso, even after the Enstone team announced its switch to field-leading Mercedes power for 2015.
When asked if Alonso is a possibility for Lotus, Romain Grosjean said in Russia: "Maybe, but I don't think so."
That could be because the Total and PDVSA sponsorships linked with existing drivers Grosjean and Pastor Maldonado respectively brings a whopping $80 million to the team.
And the impressive Mercedes-powered Williams team has already announced that it will field an unchanged driver lineup of Valtteri Bottas alongside Felipe Massa in 2015.
A week ago in Japan, a mischievous Massa sauntered up to Alonso during the Spaniard's media round and asked him: "You go to Marussia? To Caterham?"
Alonso replied to Massa: "Come to Ferrari."