Bringing Fernando Alonso to Ferrari to partner world champion KimiRaikkonen would not be desirable, team president Luca di Montezemolo
said on Tuesday.
Alonso denied this month that he had an escape clause in his
contract with struggling Renault that might allow him to leave for
Ferrari at the end of the Formula One season.
However, Spain’s double world champion did say contracts were "very flexible" given his departure from McLaren last year.
Felipe Massa’s shaky start for world champions Ferrari this season increased the speculation.
However, Massa won in Bahrain and now Montezemolo has said Alonso would not be the ideal driver.
"To line up a Raikkonen-Alonso double act would mean wanting to
damage yourself. I want two equal drivers that work together," the
president told Tuesday’s Gazzetta dello Sport.
Di Montezemolo also said he would be devoting more time to Ferrari after stepping down as head of Italy’s industry body.
Alonso, meanwhile, told El Pais newspaper on Monday that his future at Renault would depend on the team providing him with a car capable of fighting on top.
"There are a lot of factors to evaluate," the Spaniard said. "My
first option is to stay with Renault if we manage to create a winning
car, and the truth is that we are moving forwards.
"But what I do want is a car with which I can win. There are
several, Williams, Toyota, BMW and Ferrari, of course, who are always
on top no matter what. I wouldn’t want to continue fighting to get into
Q3."
The FIA on Thursday launched the "Everyrace" campaign to send the
message "that discrimination and prejudice can have no place in sport
or in society".
The campaign was created in the wake of the outrage caused when
Lewis Hamilton was taunted with racist abuse during testing at
Barcelona earlier this year.
The governing body has encouraged motorsport fans to visit the campaign’s website to show their support.
In a statement released on Thursday, the FIA also said it had
received a comprehensive report on the Barcelona incidents by the
Spanish federation, and that no further action would be taken.
"The FIA is grateful to the RFEA and the Catalunyan circuit
authorities for their effective and efficient response to this
situation," the statement said.
"The FIA has monitored the measures recommended and implemented
since February and has noted that no further such incidents have
occurred.
"The FIA agrees with the RFEA assessment that the people involved in
these incidents were "not at all representative of the thousands of
people who enjoy a convivial atmosphere and the spectacle offered by
motor sport."
"The FIA and the RFEA are committed to the principle of sport open to all."
Well, this has been the third time that Ferrari have openly rejected ideas of Fernando Alonso joining their team and sadly for us fans, it seems we won’t ever see that awesome line up between the cool Iceman and the fiery Spaniard. Both drivers are at the top of their game but I always thought they would work extremely well together as they have a lot of respect for each other. Oh well, let’s enjoy what we can of this 2008 season. Kimi’s message in the everyrace website says:
started in motor racing I’ve worked with people from all over the
world. We are all here to go racing and prejudice will never play any
part in that."
And it’s about time that Formula One or the simply the FIA itself promote anti-racism within the sports. As it is ever the case, only action is taken when something bad happens and it had to happen to Lewis Hamilton of all people. The guy’s seriously talented and his success has had nothing to do with his skin colour. I’m all for the EveryRace campaign and I hope the fans of the sport can help increase it’s popularity by being indifferent to the nationality or background of a racing driver.
FUCK ISRAEL 