Alonso Remains Undecided on Future
Alonso Fails to Commit to Renault Despite Victory in Singapore
With the season coming to a close the Spaniard and two-time world champion has yet to confirm that he will continue racing for Renault in 2009.
First Win Since Return to the team
Despite his first success with the Renault team since he re-joined at the start of this year, it seems his signature for next year is still up for grabs.
When questioned whether he would now be planning for a future with the team Alonso replied, "I didn't say that.
"It's not changing the decision for next year. As I've always said, Renault will be my first priority because I feel I'm at home in this team."
Alonso who has tried his hardest in an off the pace Renault this year is looking to get back into a team that will give him a chance of a third world title and has been linked with both Ferrari, BMW and Honda this year.
Ferrari Drive out of the Question?
His chances of a Ferrari drive next year took a blow when Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen were confirmed as their drivers until 2011, a decision that was a surprise to many in Formula one, with most certain Alonso would be in the Ferrari red sooner rather than later.
With a Ferrari drive seemingly out of reach, until 2011 anyway, a BMW or Honda drive still remains a possibility.
BMW have both Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld on contract for next year, but with the team's determination to progress and their known courting of the driver, an opening could be available for Alonso.
Alonso, Future in Limbo
Then there is Honda, the under-performers of Formula One moved to sign Ross Brawn before the start of this season and are now looking to another big name to try and move them back to the front.
Alonso fits the bill for Honda in a way that Michael Schumacher did when he left Benetton for Ferrari, but at the moment they are a team at the back of the grid, somewhere Alonso does not want to be.
The former world champion is looking to be back at the front immediately and will not want to wait for Honda to produce a good car two or three years down the line and has realised this year just how much he dislikes not being at the front.
BMW would seem to be the most obvious choice for Alonso at the moment if a drive were available to him.
The team has made excellent progress over the past two year and gained their first Grand Prix victory at Montreal this year.
They are a forward thinking team and are already known to have diverted funding and attention towards next years much changed car, satisfied with the progress made this year.
This could bridge the gap between themselves and the top two Ferrari and Mclaren, plus with Alonso in the car could well make them into worthy title challengers.
Alonso may have to put his reputation back on the line.
Robert Kubica is seen as the team's current number one driver and has been extremely impressive since he joined the team two seasons ago.
Alonso himself holds the Polish driver in high regard, but if he were to join him in the BMW he would be faced with a similar situation to the one he face when he joined Mclaren last season.
Kubica is an extremely fast and talented driver and whether Alonso would want to risk his reputation again may be a determining factor on what car he is driving next year.
Fernando Alonso's stats:
Current team: Renault
Nationality: Spanish
Race victories: 20
Points: 528
World Championship Victories: 2
Pole Positions: 17
Previous teams: Minardi (2001), Renault (2002-2006), McLaren (2007), Renault (2008)
Quote source: www.mediapoint.press.net
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