Santander, Alonso still set on Ferrari switch
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| Emilio Botin (red jacket) is seen watching Fernando Alonso get ready to race in Bahrain. He is rumored to be in meetings to move Santander's sponsorship of the lying McLaren team (they originally went to McLaren because of Alonso) to Ferrari to coincide with Alonso's move to the Italian powerhouse. |
Photographed entering the famous Italian team's private building in Bahrain, for a 20 minute meeting with Luca di Montezemolo, was Santander boss Emilio Botin.
Spain's Marca sports newspaper reports that Botin also met with Fernando Alonso at the Sakhir track, as well as Bernie Ecclestone.
Botin's meeting with Ecclestone explains the F1 chief executive's eye-wateringly bright red jacket on the grid of the Sakhir race: apparently it was a gift from the Santander chief.
09/16/08 (GMM) Even without the prospect of Fernando Alonso at the wheel, the Spanish bank Santander's 2010 switch from McLaren to Ferrari is still on track, a Spanish newspaper insists.
Diario Sport reports that Banco Santander is now confirming that, at the end of a three year contract with McLaren next year, the company does not intend to exercise an option to renew for a further two years.
'Sport' explained that while Santander was keen to spearhead its Ferrari association with Alonso in a Maranello built car, this element has not proved a deal breaker. [See original rumor]