Ferrari’s announcement that Fernando Alonso will drive for them next season brightened the mood of Formula 1 impresario Bernie Ecclestone. After all the bad publicity from the Renault saga, the news that the Spaniard is in a fast car again is great for the sport.
After taking the driver’s title in 2005 and 2006, Alonso was expected to dominate the paddock in the aftermath of Michael Schumacher’s retirement. His move to McClaren didn’t work out though, as rookie Lewis Hamilton refused to play second fiddle. Alonso’s demand to be undisputed team leader fell on deaf ears in the notoriously robust McClaren team.
The double world champion took this as bias towards a British driver and took his skills to Renault after just one year. The Renault team proved to be a welcoming environment but in his absence the team went backwards.
In 2008 Alonso rung everything to be had from the car but couldn’t overcome its shortcomings. It’s been a similar story in 2009. His reputation as a driver hasn’t been eroded though and Ferrari see him as the man to lead the team.
Hamilton and Alonso are generally reckoned to be the two most talented drivers on the grid and the two world champions can lock horns again now in competitive cars. Their battle - with the edge from their year together at McClaren - should set things alight in 2010.
Neither driver is prepared to take second best- and both have a streak of determination and ruthlessness. If Jenson Button does land this year’s driver’s title he can expect the severest challenge to hold the crown.
The Ferrari team environment requires a flamboyant team leader. Kimi Raikkonen may have taken the title in 2006 but his reserved exterior and occasional quirky behaviour hasn’t endeared him to the Tifosi.
Alonso is a proven winner who can develop a car and inspire a team to pull together. He should dovetail well with the extremely popular Felipe Massa, if the Brazilian can make a comeback from his dreadful injuries.
Massa is the type of number two driver who can fit around a spiky team leader and keep harmony in the squad. He can also be extremely quick and nearly took the title himself in 2008. Alonso and Massa could be a dream pairing under the prancing horse logo.
Little is gained in Formula 1 from seeing the fastest drivers struggling in a slow car. With Fernando Alonso battling at the front again the fans will be eagerly anticipating the 2010 season even before the current one is over.
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