Will Fernando leave if Ferrari does not win in 2013?

[PlatinumZealot]

Will Fernando leave if Ferrari does not win in 2013? What's the point of hanging around if they just can't produce a car that can compete on level terms for the WC? There must be a point when all the Ferrari benefits degenerate to just pleasurable distractions from the real goal of being World Champion.

[Cam]

Where's he going to go? McLaren? Red Bull? I think not. He's at Ferrari until retirement and I would bet he ends up taking a pay cut.

[CHT]

Will Fernando leave if Ferrari does not win in 2013? What's the point of hanging around if they just can't produce a car that can compete on level terms for the WC? There must be a point when all the Ferrari benefits degenerate to just pleasurable distractions from the real goal of being World Champion.

i honestly think that Alonso will wait till 2014 to have a clearer picture of how the new engine will affect to order before making any decision. Also think that the only team which Alonso might go to will be Lotus.

But in the recent interview, he was saying that he still have about 4 to 5 years at Ferrari.

[Sombrero]

I think that Fernando has probably no other choice than Ferrari or HRT that's why he will stay 5 more years at the Scuderia.

Nobody wants to see him back at Woking or Enstone : the Spaniard was involved in the Mc Laren spygate and the Renault crashgate. I can't see him going to Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton in place.

But, who knows, may be we'll see a switch between him and Vettel in 2014. Fernando in the Red Bull and Sebastian in the Ferrari...

[mnmracer]

Will Ferrari need Fernando if Felipe keeps up his performances of the last part of this season?
Horner said if Vettel leaves, they'd like Alonso or Hamilton. But Alonso's burned a lot of bridges, and if he had Webber as a team-mate making life hard on him like has has on Vettel, he will have burnt his last bridge.

Alonso will end his career at Ferrari.

[WhiteBlue]

Horner said if Vettel leaves, they'd like Alonso or Hamilton.

It was Mateschitz who has said that. source:
Vettel is unlikely to leave Red Bull unless Ferrari manages to gain a huge competitive advantage through the 2014 formula - which I very much doubt.

As others have pointed out Alonso has burned all the bridges to McLaren. His fate is linked to Ferrari until the time that Vettel may be lured there and given equal status or a new top team emerges. In case Vettel comes Alonso may prefer to move to Red Bull. But I doubt that the situation will arise before he has passed the zenith of his career which will probably not be before 2016. He is on top of is game now and will stay there for some more years. His fate is in the hands of the Ferrari design department and Pat Fry.

[raymondu999]

I think if they go into a 3rd consecutive season off the pace, he might well do it. Raikkonen's contract is out at 2014 and I'd imagine he could make a bid for that.

He'd look like a twat after all the times he's said "I'd like to end my career with Ferrari" and all, but I don't think Alonso really cares about being seen as a twat (I'm not saying that's a bad thing. A thick skin can be a key mental strength in a way - though it can be bad too)

Alonso is in the form of his life - would he want to go a 4th year off the pace? Having said that - the timing is difficult. If he can't get a strong car in 2014 it may be the straw that breaks the camel's back in terms of straining the Alonso-Ferrari partnership.

[Nando]

Alonso will stay in Ferrari regardless of what happens. And he will retire when he´s done.

2016 is the year his contract runs out, last PC i think he even spoke about lengthening his contract.

[Raptor22]

Alonso won't go anywhere else. The lure of being a Ferrari WDC is too great, too tempting, too ego stroking...

[Gerhard Berger]

At the current time, only Red Bull provide a better opportunity to win the championship. Alonso and Ferrari are the ones who came closest to stopping Vettel and Red Bull winning in the last 3 years.

[raymondu999]

McLaren did last year to be fair.

[Shrieker]

In all honesty, no one came close to stopping Red Bull and Vettel last year

[raymondu999]

Yes - but McLaren (and Button) came closEST.

[timbo]

Yes - but McLaren (and Button) came closEST.

Well, to be fair, there was a brief period of time (mid-season) when it looked like Alonso could make some pressure, although yeah, it was Button who was closest.
But OTOH considering that there was no actual threat to Vettel's title last year, it could be said that ONLY Alonso/Ferrari threatened Vettel during the last three years.

On the subject, he would surely wait until 2014 at least.

[diffuser]

I'm not from Spain, but I've been an Alonzo fan for sometime now....Nobodies said it from what I can see, and I understand that the F2012 didn't have the pace but in the last 3 races, the car had more pace in Massa's hand than in Alonzo's. They (they being the F2012 and Alonzo) went out of the 2012 year with a wimper not with a Bang! The Alonzo in the last 3 races wasn't the same as the Alonzo from the first 17. In the end Alonzo couldn't even catch the force India, was under threat from a damaged Red Bull and desperately needed the help from Massa.

I think that McLaren has proven to be a faster Car all year and in Alonzo's hands might have won he championship. but with regards to the topic of this thread, Alonzo's under contract for several years at Ferrari and more importantly, he's happy there. So unless they give him the boot, he's not going anywhere.