Did Fernando Alonso have any doubts on his career choice after seeing Ferrari win the Malaysian Grand Prix, while his 'new' team failed to reach the chequered flag?
If you ask the double World Champion, the answer is quite positive: he has the utmost confidence in McLaren and its engine supplier Honda, even if the situation is difficult at the moment. And if the final answer turns out be negative in a few years from now, Alonso will not be the first high-calibre driver to have signed the wrong contract. Think of Jean Alesi, who joined Ferrari instead of Williams in 1991, just as the latter was about to accumulate titles over the following years. Nigel Mansell attempted a return with McLaren in 1995, but the relationship was impossible and the Briton bowed out after competing in two races. Jacques Villeneuve chose to participate in the BAR adventure starting in 1999, but the team was never really competitive. Emerson Fittipaldi went through the same thing when he tried to help his brother build up an eponymous team during the 1970s. Teams can make mistakes as well: in 1978, McLaren preferred hiring Patrick Tambay rather than another up-and-coming driver, Gilles Villeneuve.
Alonso himself made career choices that seemed promising at the start. Crowned twice with Renault, he joined McLaren in 2007; internal tensions were so high that the contract was torn apart by mutual agreement the same year. Back at Renault for two somewhat competitive seasons, Alonso arrived at Ferrari in 2010 and everyone was waiting for something spectacular. He fought twice for the championship, without success. Betting on McLaren-Honda After five years in red, Alonso has now returned to McLaren - something, which was previously considered unthinkable - as Honda, returns to F1 as the team's exclusive engine supplier. Despite its potential, this great project bears many risks due to the high number of unknown factors. Before taking the decision to leave Ferrari, Alonso surely had access to the same information that the driver who eventually replaced him, Sebastian Vettel, had. It was probably clear that the major restructuring going on at Ferrari would bear fruit before the McLaren-Honda project gained speed. However, Alonso is betting on the long term. He did not want a team that “copies” Mercedes, but a team that wants to do things differently and better (it remains to be seen what that means). McLaren is a very professional business with very competent personnel, led by Ron Dennis whose management style borders on the obsessive. Furthermore, the team recruited new talent, notably Race Director Eric Boullier and the chief engineer of the design department, Peter Prodromou. They had previously proven themselves at Lotus and Red Bull, respectively. Add to the mix a very close partnership with Honda, who returns to F1 to restore its reputation. The Japanese company has every intention of reconquering titles as it used to... Just like a certain Spanish driver. And there is another aspect to consider: Fernando Alonso will be 34 years old this year. It is therefore probable that McLaren will be his last Formula 1 team. And knowing how much he is adamant on winning a third title, the decision was all the more crucial to him. “When we arrive to the points, or a podium position, we will look at each other and say this has been a very exciting trip”, he declared during the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend. And when that moment happens, Alonso will know he made the right choice.
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