Alonso to return to F1 in 2021

[-westy-]

It doesn't make sense to give someone a chance when if you are much faster than them. Should Lewis leave now to give Ocon or another Merc driver a chance? He's not much younger than Fernando. What is the cut off? Perhaps F1 should have an age limit, or a career time limit. e.g. 15 years in the sport.

5 years younger is a fair amount when it comes to sport. He's also only been in the sport 13 years, so he's got a couple more to go by your proposal.

It's only in very modern times that the drivers have been so young. Mansell won a GP at 41. Hill didn't even start in until 31. It's not like F1 is that physically demanding compared to athletic sports like boxing, MMA etc.. two areas were you get champions well into their 30s and early 40s.

So all the drivers being in shape is just a coincidence? It's incredibly demanding.

EDIT: Another point on this. I would like to see a minimum age limit with the possibility of an exemption if mad-crazy talented. That would stop RedBull destroying all these young drivers.

How do you define "mad-crazy talented"? Compared to us mere mortals, even F3 drivers are extremely talented, where's the line?

 

[SonicSW20]

It's only in very modern times that the drivers have been so young. Mansell won a GP at 41. Hill didn't even start in until 31. It's not like F1 is that physically demanding compared to athletic sports like boxing, MMA etc.. two areas were you get champions well into their 30s and early 40s.

Do you follow F1 at all? I'm curious as to how someone who follows F1 could come to that conclusion.

 

[Kenai]

The primary thing people need to bear in mind is that bar the factory teams at the top who can sign off big money investments, a lot of teams on the grid are reliant on sponsorship income, which often comes with the drivers themselves.

If Alonso can bring £50m of Santander sponsorship (random example) and their other option was Max Verstappen Mk2, young exciting prospect, but he was only bringing £10m of MetroBank sponsorship, any team who is even slightly tight for budget is going to take Alonso.

It's the same reason why drivers like Maldonado (PDVSA backed) stay in the sport for so long versus their apparent performance.

Alonso if anything is the exception in that he's actually a good driver regardless of whether he's bringing good money or not but I can't imagine he's not well backed.

 

[Dup]

Then that needs to stop. Business decision to employee someone who is not gonna get anywhere near a podium on merit and be utterly petulant about it in the process.

We want hungry yet humble drivers who appreciate their position on the grid. As I posted before, the young guns we have now have quickly become fan favourites and they bring a lot to the sport and have kept it fresh during lockdown too. They're the ambassador's we want.

That said, Renault deserve him, they're an arrogant team and his entitled behaviour will fit in well with them. Hopefully Ocon will have settled in by next year and show him how it's done.

 

[Kenai]

Then that needs to stop.

If you stop the 'pay driver' phenomenon, you may as well pack up the sport entirely and go home, as half the grid probably wouldn't be able to carry on. Same goes for the lower formulas too, they're stacked out with drivers that are well backed rather than all being there on talent alone.

 

[.Lethal]

He knew what to expect. Or at least he should have

What we believe as fans and what they would have shown Daniel during negotiations are probably very different.

 

[413x]

What we believe as fans and what they would have shown Daniel during negotiations are probably very different.

I think it's more he wanted out and Renault were showing him a butt load of cash

 

[.Lethal]

I think it's more he wanted out and Renault were showing him a butt load of cash

Despite him saying in numerous interviews that it wasn't about the money but rather his ambition for a WDC?

 

[Glanza]

F1 retirements are turning into WWE retirements these days.

 

[.Lethal]

F1 retirements are turning into WWE retirements these days.

Alonso never said he was retiring.

 

[adam cool dude]

If Alonso is the fastest they have then why not pick him. There seems to be a lot of ageism in the work place and F1 is no different. I would say F1 talent pool is rather stunted as it is because you basically have to have a rich family to get in. Talent alone will not cut it anymore. Yes you need to be fit in F1 but for different reasons where age of your body is less critical.

It is not like football where real talent shines through above all else as financial funding is very low.

 

[englishpremier]

Do you follow F1 at all? I'm curious as to how someone who follows F1 could come to that conclusion.

It's an easy conclusion to come to especially when publications like Men's health and others have done tests on it. Pretty much any combat sports are more physically demanding than F1. I'm not saying F1 isn't physically demanding, just that there are athletic sports that are more so. That was the limit of comment.

As to following F1. I have been doing so since around 90-92, so not as long as some on here. Never even missed a live race until more recently.

5 years younger is a fair amount when it comes to sport. He's also only been in the sport 13 years, so he's got a couple more to go by your proposal.

So all the drivers being in shape is just a coincidence? It's incredibly demanding.

How do you define "mad-crazy talented"? Compared to us mere mortals, even F3 drivers are extremely talented, where's the line?

I don't have to define it, that would be up to the rule makers, the way it's up to the rule makers re the super licence. Kimi for instance was given an exemption.
Do you think it's right that drivers like Jaime Alguersuari are brought into the Red Bull camp then ditched effectively ending their careers? Red Bull have a history of it, and the drivers haven't even been bad. Both Kvyat and JEV went from RB to being Ferrari test drivers, so obviously had something to offer.

 

[-westy-]

I don't have to define it, that would be up to the rule makers, the way it's up to the rule makers re the super licence. Kimi for instance was given an exemption.
Do you think it's right that drivers like Jaime Alguersuari are brought into the Red Bull camp then ditched effectively ending their careers? Red Bull have a history of it, and the drivers haven't even been bad. Both Kvyat and JEV went from RB to being Ferrari test drivers, so obviously had something to offer.

I'm not asking you to define it, but if you're suggesting it then perhaps an example of how it could work would support your comment?

Red Bull have always been notoriously hard on their drivers - rightly or wrongly, these drivers know what they're getting into when they join.

 

[this_is_gav]

I don't have to define it, that would be up to the rule makers, the way it's up to the rule makers re the super licence. Kimi for instance was given an exemption.
Do you think it's right that drivers like Jaime Alguersuari are brought into the Red Bull camp then ditched effectively ending their careers? Red Bull have a history of it, and the drivers haven't even been bad. Both Kvyat and JEV went from RB to being Ferrari test drivers, so obviously had something to offer.

The super license was made to be earned because people (like Verstappen) were being brought in too young and with what was deemed too little experience - as Monaco 2015 (which could have been an aeroplane crash) perhaps showed.

It didn't harm him in the long run, quite the opposite, but he's turned out to be the exception rather than the norm.

 

[JBeck]

Love the fact Alonso is returning, still a great driver and looking forward to the various shenanigans and controversies he'll bring not just to the paddock but especially to this forum, as I feel we're all too friendly and don't have enough to argue about already

 

[Chojin]

Good to see him returning. Looking back I miss the 2005-2010 era of F1.

 

[Toothy1911]

I just really hope Renault have a good car for him next year. Would be terrible to see him down the back again. Would have been better joining McLaren again.

 

[413x]

More looking forward to him coming back

Probably nostalgia though.

Someone serve me some reality because I'm craving some fairytale right about now!

 

[Mr Jack]

That's exactly what the sport needs more fun and games. As for a waste of seat. There's only Lewis that can touch him.

Alonso is not getting younger. If he can win a race, he'll be the oldest driver in 27 years to have done that. If he was to win a championship he'd become both the 3rd youngest and 3rd oldest driver ever to win one. But you look at other recent drivers who have carried on into their 40s and its not been pretty. Sadly, I do not think that Alonso is likely to buck the trend.

Those screaming about youngsters aren't really making any sense. No-one is saying Messi and Ronaldo should retire to make way for youngsters.

Not remotely comparable. There are thousands of places for top tier footballers, and plentiful space for them to develop and get play in second tier teams. There are twenty F1 slots, and the series that feed into it don't let winning drivers stay on. In F1 either you get a seat in a window of two or three years or your career will never get there.

 

[Mr Jack]

Stroll has a seat for life as his dad owns the team.

True, but he comfortably earned a seat in F1 with his performance before F1 (although, frankly, I think it would have been better for him if he had gone to F2 for a season or two to develop further before joining the big league) and his first two seasons in F1 were pretty good. It was only last year that he really struggled, and was solidly beat by Perez. He needs to improve this season.