Saturday, August 22, 2009
Various rumours and reports with regards to a possible move to Ferrari by Fernando Alonso were given more credibility today when McLaren team principle Martin Whitmarsh alluded to the move in an interview with the BBC. “At the moment we have not had, nor are we in, conversations with any other drivers and we will see in the future. In reality, there are some changes probably with Fernando and Ferrari and that frees up the driver market,” he said, when asked about what 2010 held for his team.
A possible move has been talked about for some months. Back in July, Italy’s Gazzetta dello sport reported a possible move, noting that Spanish banking giant Santander will sponsor the Maranello team from 2010; a Spanish driver would please the sponsors no-end.
The Italian Team however denies that such a move is on the cards – although this does not necessarily rule out the possibility, with driver line-up announcements at the Scuderia traditionally kept secret until later on in the season.
“[Whitmarsh] can say what he wants, there is no ‘Fernando-Ferrari move’,’ said an unnamed Italian team spokesperson, according to BBC.
Should the rumours prove to be correct, an extremely interesting combination could be on the cards. Autosport magazine have speculated that Michael Schumacher’s unwillingness to deny a possible return to the sport could still see him return to competitive racing in F1 in 2010.
| Speculation in this business is pretty natural… | ||
When asked about a possible return, Schumacher said: “Speculation in this business is pretty natural. Lots of people have their own opinions and thoughts but the fact of the matter is that I’m very disappointed not to do what I was looking to do.”
Elsewhere in the paddock, very few driver positions have been confirmed, with the exception of Red Bull who have confirmed the status quo of Vettel and Webber for next year, and Timo Glock, for whom it was confirmed that he would be staying at Toyota earlier in the year.
