Ferrari seat for Alonso at Monza ‘impossible’
"No, definitely not," the Renault driver said on Spanish radio Cadena SER in the wake of last weekend's Belgian grand prix.
The newspaper Diario AS however insists that conversations between Briatore and his Ferrari counterpart Stefano Domenicali did take place in the Spa-Francorchamps paddock.
It is believed that Briatore ruled out the switch, even though Alonso appears set to move anyway to Ferrari in 2010, because it might damage Renault's current search for a title sponsor for next year.
The rumor is that Briatore might have agreed to release Alonso had BMW-Sauber, searching not for a sponsor but for a savior for the entire team, agreed to release Robert Kubica to replace him.
As for his future beyond 2009, Alonso told Cadena SER that he hopes his plans can be finalized "soon" but did not know whether it would be "days or months".
08/31/09 (GMM) A member of the Ferrari team has admitted the "possibility" that Fernando Alonso will line up in injured Felipe Massa's car number 3 at Monza in two weeks.
In conversation with the Spanish broadcaster La Sexta, Luca Badoer's fellow team test driver Marc Gene said he is hoping for the seat.
"I am ready in case they want me, but there are twenty drivers possible for Monza and Fernando is one of them if you listen to the rumors of the paddock."
Gene however conceded that Flavio Briatore, Alonso's Renault team boss, reportedly dismissed the suggestion as "impossible" at Spa on Sunday.
The Italian newspapers La Repubblica and Il Giornale claim Alonso will be confirmed as Kimi Raikkonen's teammate for Monza as early as Tuesday.
Team boss Stefano Domenicali retorted: "Absolutely not."
And according to Corriere dello Sport, Briatore added: "The rumors make no sense. It is something that cannot happen."