Fernando Alonso does not plan a sabbatical year in 2015
Uncertainty still hangs over the future of Fernando Alonso, who claimed there was no "great risk" of him not being in F1 next year. The question remains about his destination.
The future of Fernando Alonso remains uncertain following the announcement of Sebastian Vettel’s departure from Red Bull, presumably to join Scuderia Ferrari.
The Spaniard, linked for several months with McLaren Honda, has actually made Mercedes his preferred target. However, Nico Rosberg already extended his contract this summer, and Lewis Hamilton has not hidden his desire to do the same at the end of the season.
McLaren, despite its resources and the price Honda is willing to pay to recruit the double World Champion, represents a risk because there is uncertainty about the performance level of the Japanese engine, which will enter the premier discipline a year after the introduction of a hybrid turbo technology that has already trapped the most successful engine manufacturer of the atmospheric V8 era, Renault.
So, is there no risk of Fernando Alonso taking a sabbatical year in 2015? Probably not a big risk, the person concerned replied when the question was posed to him by journalists in Sochi. I am not in a hurry [to make an announcement about my future]. As I said in Suzuka, I understand the curiosity and I understand the fans, and the news that may exist around the future, but don’t worry. Relax, enjoy, and when the time comes, you’ll know.
He declares that his choice will appear obvious when it is announced: « As I said in Suzuka, my decision has been made for two or three months now, and you will understand that what I will do is very obvious. I will do what’s best for my future, what’s best for Ferrari’s future as well, because that has been my priority for years. So my decision on and off the track is to help this fantastic team, and I am always happy with the things I have in my hands, » he explained to Autosport.
A departure from Ferrari seems a very likely scenario, however, he denies having a clause allowing him to leave: « Well, I didn’t say that, and Ferrari didn’t say that, so it’s just another rumor. »
Finally, in the Sochi paddock, the Spaniard also indicated that he would probably not have a Mercedes engine in 2015.
