Alonso joins Ferrari with new three-year deal

The worst kept-secret regarding Fernando Alonso joining the Scuderia has been finally confirmed. The Spaniard will replace Kimi Raikkonen at Ferrari from 2010, signing a new three-year deal.

The double world champion’s move from Renault has been anticipated for many months, and will see him paired with Felipe Massa in the Italian race team.

“We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to date,” said Ferrari team boss Stefano Domenicali.

Alonso’s arrival means Raikkonen is likely to make a return to his former team McLaren with Lewis Hamilton as his new team-mate next season.

The Finn delivered the world championship for the Scuderia in his first season with the team back in 2007, but his results have declined since and he will leave the squad a year before his contract had been set to expire.

“Of course, we wish to thank Kimi for everything he has done during his time with Ferrari,” said Domenicali. “In his first year with us, he managed to win the drivers’ title, thus making his contribution to Ferrari’s history and he played a vital role in our taking of the constructors’ title in 2007 and 2008.

“Even during a difficult season like this one, he has demonstrated his great talent, with several good results, including a great win in Spa and we are sure that we can share more good times together in the final three races of this season.”

Raikkonen underlined that his departure from Ferrari had been by mutual consent.

“With common consent, we have agreed to terminate the contract binding me to Ferrari to the end of 2010, one year ahead of schedule,” he said.

“I am very sad to be leaving a team with which I have spent three fantastic years, during which time I won plenty of races.

“Together, we have won 50 per cent of the world titles in that period and I managed to take the drivers’ title in 2007, thus achieving the target I had set myself at the start of my career. I have always felt at home with everyone here and I will have many happy memories of my time with the team.”

Alonso’s confirmation at Ferrari will trigger off a series of driver announcements over the coming days for the 2010 season.

7 thoughts to “Alonso joins Ferrari with new three-year deal”

  1. Fernando Alonso has revealed that he already had a 2011 Ferrari deal in place before arranging to join the team a year earlier than originally intended.

    It had long been thought that Alonso was destined to eventually join Ferrari, but when the Italian team extended Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen’s contracts through 2010, it appeared that 2011 would be the soonest he could arrive – and Alonso confirmed that this was the initial plan.

    But Ferrari recently began negotiating to end Raikkonen’s deal a year early to make room for Alonso, and today the team announced that the Spaniard would join its line-up for three years from 2010.

    “We already had an agreement this summer starting in 2011, but then, [in] the last days, the picture changed and we decided to anticipate my arrival in Maranello by one year,” said Alonso.

    Team boss Stefano Domenicali confirmed that Alonso’s arrival had been brought forward.

    “With Fernando we started talking about a prospective [drive] for 2011, but then there were the conditions to anticipate the start of our relationship already as of the upcoming championship,” he said. “We preferred to take the opportunity.”

    Alonso added that he was achieving a long-held ambition by joining the legendary team.

    “I’m very happy and very proud to become a Ferrari driver,” he said.

    “Driving a single-seater from the Prancing Horse is everybody’s dream in this sport and today I have the opportunity to make this dream come true. Above all I want to thank Ferrari chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who really wanted this three-year contract.

    “I’m sure that, together with Felipe, we’ll offer Ferrari and the fans from all over the world some great satisfaction. I can’t wait to start working with my new team.”

    He also paid tribute to Renault, which took him to the 2005 and 2006 world championships, and where he returned in 2008 after his unhappy year at McLaren.

    “The years at Renault were fantastic,” said Alonso. “I wish the team all the best and let’s hope we gain some good results in the last races this year.”

    Source: Autosport.com

  2. McLaren says it is yet to decide the identity of Lewis Hamilton’s 2010 team-mate.

    Today’s confirmation that Fernando Alonso would make his long-anticipated move to Ferrari in 2010 has led to suggestions that McLaren will soon announce that Kimi Raikkonen will be returning to the Woking squad after a three-year absence to partner Hamilton next season.

    But McLaren insisted that its second seat remained open at present.

    “As is already in the public domain, Lewis Hamilton is contracted until the end of the 2012 season,” said a McLaren spokesman.

    “As regards the identity of our other driver for 2010 and beyond, we have not yet made a decision.”

    Hamilton’s current team-mate Heikki Kovalainen has had a disappointing 2009 season, struggling to match the world champion for race pace in particular.

    Sources have suggested to AUTOSPORT that Raikkonen is close to deal to take Kovalainen’s place. Raikkonen previously drove for McLaren from 2002 to 2006 – winning nine races and coming close to two world championships during this period – before leaving for Ferrari.

    Source: Autosport.com

  3. Ferrari finally confirmed on Wednesday (September 30th) that Fernando Alonso will race for the team next season, replacing Kimi Raikkonen as Felipe Massa’s team mate. Giancarlo Fischella will continue in the role of reserve driver.

    Alonso, who has spent the bulk of his Formula One career with Renault, has signed a three-year agreement with Ferrari, starting in 2010.

    “I’m very happy and very proud to become a Ferrari driver,” said the Spaniard. “Driving a single-seater from the Prancing Horse is everybody’s dream in this sport and today I have the opportunity to make this dream come true. Above all I want to thank Ferrari Chairman Luca di Montezemolo, who really wanted this three-year contract.

    “We already had an agreement this summer starting in 2011, but then, the last days, the picture changed and we decided to anticipate my arrival in Maranello by one year. The years at Renault were fantastic: together we won four world titles (two drivers’ and as many constructors’ championships), and until this day, 21 Grands Prix.

    “I wish the team all the best and let’s hope we gain some good results in the last races this year. After this season I will put all my effort in the next season: I’m sure that, together with Felipe, we’ll offer Ferrari and the fans from all over the world some great satisfaction. I can’t wait to start working with my new team.”

    Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali added: “We are very proud to welcome to our team another winning driver, who has demonstrated his amazing talent by winning two world championships in his career to date.”

    Alonso made his Formula One debut in 2001 with Minardi, before becoming Renault’s official test driver the following season. In 2003 he was promoted to a race seat and became F1 racing’s youngest Grand Prix winner with victory. By the end of 2005 he was also its youngest champion.

    He successfully defended his title in 2006, fending off a resurgent Michael Schumacher in the latter half of the season, before taking his number one with him to McLaren for 2007, where he endured a tempestuous year alongside Lewis Hamilton.

    Alonso returned to Renault for 2008, scoring two race wins, despite a less than competitive car. This season the team have been off the pace once more, with Alonso taking just one podium to date, at the last round in Singapore.

    He will become only the second Spanish driver to compete for Ferrari, following in the footsteps of Alfonso de Portago, who raced for the team in 1956 and 1957.

    Raikkonen has yet to confirm his plans for 2010.

    Source: Formula1.com

  4. Fernando Alonso says he wants Ferrari to be the last team he drives for in Formula 1 after it was confirmed the Spaniard would move to the Maranello squad in 2010.

    The two-time champion will replace Kimi Raikkonen at the historic Italian team, having signed a three-year contract with an option to continue until the end of 2014.

    Alonso, 28, said on Thursday he is hoping Ferrari will be his last F1 team.

    “Hopefully I can continue as long as I want and I can finish my career here with a lot of wins,” Alonso told reporters at Suzuka.

    “I really think that Ferrari will be my last team, as I said, leaving Ferrari to change teams is a step backwards. Ferrari is more than a team and I want to finish my career there.”

    The Renault driver, who was originally planning to join the team in 2011, admitted driving for Ferrari was a dream come true for him.

    “Very special, no doubts,” he said. “All the drivers dream one day of driving for the Scuderia Ferrari and this dream has come true for me and I’m extremely happy and I’m ready for the challenge in 2010.”

    The Spanish driver, world champion in 2005 and 2006, added that he would like to emulate Michael Schumacher’s achievements at Ferrari.

    Seven-time champion Schumacher made history at the Italian team, taking five consecutive titles.

    “It will obviously not be easy and I would like to do the same as Michael, by winning many championships, but I think that it will be very difficult,” Alonso said.

    “I will go there to be in the best team possible for my career and Ferrari and I share many things together, such as the passion for competition and to give 100 per cent every race. I think that this is the best destination of my career.”

    He added: “Hopefully I can give to them the maximum performance in the car, from a driving point of view and outside the car I can be part of the team and be as professional as possible and to try and help the team produce the best car and give the best performance. I think all the drivers try to do this and sometimes you succeed.

    “I would be extremely happy, winning a championship is something special and winning with Ferrari would be more special, but I cannot tell you now as I haven’t yet experienced it.”

    Read the interview via this Autosport link:
    http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/79080

  5. McLaren have yet to officially announce the driver line-up for 2010 featuring Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton but the Finn has admitted he might consider leaving Formula One. Read on for the full story courtesy from Autosport.com.

    Kimi Raikkonen says he is yet to decide if he will continue racing in Formula 1 next year after it was announced he will not be at Ferrari.

    The former world champion, who joined Ferrari in 2007 and went on to win the title, will be replaced by Fernando Alonso from next year, despite having a contract that run out at the end of 2010.

    Although Raikkonen has been linked with a return to McLaren, the Finn admitted he is still thinking about whether he wants to race on in F1 or not.

    “So far I have not talked too much about what I will do next, as I still have time to make my decision and I will let you know when I have,” Raikkonen said ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.

    “For the moment, I haven’t decided what I want to do next, whether I want to continue racing or not. I had a contract for next year, but now I don’t, so that changes things. So maybe I race, maybe I do not.”

    He said switching to the World Rally Championship was a possibility.

    “Yes, there’s a chance to do that, but there’s as much of a chance that I continue in Formula 1. I will decide before the start of next year for sure! If I do decide to stay in Formula 1, I wouldn’t go to any of the small teams, where I would not have the chance to fight for the championship.

    “If I race next year, that would be my goal, otherwise there is no reason to be in Formula 1. I achieved what I wanted, but if I race, then of course, I want to win more races and championship titles.”

    Raikkonen said there were many factors for his decision to agree to terminate his contract early, and insisted he was pleased with his call.

    “There are many reasons why this has happened,” said the Finn ahead of the Japanese GP. “In F1, even if you have a contract, there can always be different options in life. There is not just one reason why this happened and we all reached the same decision.

    “I’m still happy with what I have done in making this decision and I think I will still have a good future. Usually when you make a contract, you stick with it to the end, but there were reasons why it did not work out, but I’m okay with how things have turned out.”

    He added: “I have nothing bad to say about them as we always had a good relationship. I don’t think anyone expected Ferrari to have this sort of season, which turned out to be so difficult. But this can happen in F1 sometimes, when you don’t deliver a car capable of always being at the front, but this is just one year and we will wait and see what happens next.

    “I would not have done anything different: of course I would like to win more races, but in terms of decisions about my life, I would not do anything differently to the way I have done it. I am happy with what I have achieved, even if whenever you look back, you think you might have done things differently, but that’s easy to say when you look back.

    “But in terms of contracts and so on, I would not do anything different. With Ferrari, I have achieved what I set out to do in winning the title.

    “We had good times and sometimes more difficult times, but that’s part of this business and you just have to get through those moments. We won many championships, one for me, two for the team and I have happy memories.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *