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Fernando Alonso has wasted no time in strongly distancing himself from Ferrari, where he spent the past five seasons as the fabled team's 'number 1' driver. On Tuesday, the Spaniard appeared to be openly laughing at the Maranello team's latest managerial shakeup, after Ferrari split with team boss Marco Mattiacci.
Alonso 'retweeted' a photo showing him grinning broadly as his friend Flavio Briatore posed with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and an open Marlboro packet as they dined in a restaurant. It was obviously a reference to the 'Marlboro Man', as Mattiacci's successor is Mauruzio Arrivabene, until now a branding executive for Philip Morris. Not only that, it seems that at some point after the chequered flag waved in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, Alonso symbolically 'unfollowed' the Ferrari team on Twitter.
Meanwhile, although he was photographed in plain clothes in the Ferrari garage on Tuesday, Alonso's successor Sebastian Vettel was reportedly unhappy with the Italian team on his first day of work at the Abu Dhabi test. That is because when asked by Germany's Sport Bild what he thought of Mattiacci's departure, Vettel appeared to have not been told the news first-hand. "Is it true?" he asked the correspondent. The report said Vettel reacted by telling Ferrari he was disappointed to have not been informed about the major shakeup.
Finally, when asked by Brazil's Globo if he will be accompanying Alonso from Ferrari to McLaren next year, the Spanish driver's race engineer Andrea Stella answered clearly: "Yes."
Former F1 driver David Coulthard admits he has some concerns about Ferrari's 2015 driver lineup, despite Vettel and Raikkonen's combined five career titles. "Kimi Raikkonen's return to Ferrari was the worst season for one of their drivers since 1982," he told the Telegraph, adding that Vettel also "looked a shadow of himself" in 2014. "The German did not like the new formula, he did not like the engines," Coulthard explained. "That is fair enough, but his mantra seemed to affect his ability to perform." (GMM)
Grand Prix of Belgium
G. Zhou
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Replies (1)
Login to replyBtwnDitches
Posts: 204
A couple things here -
First, no one can fault Alonso for taking a minor jab or two at Ferrari on the way out, just to finally release some of the mounting frustration that he has carried for several years. Sure, they paid him and, for that, I'm sure he's grateful. But, the last several months with Mattiacci and 6th place in the final driver's standings must have been especially hard on Alonso.
Next, I am glad to have his confirmation that Stella is going with Alsonso to McLaren. Those teamings involve a lot of trust and are very important to a driver's performance and "staying centered" from race to race.
Lastly, the new Ferrari driving team will have alot to prove to the world next year. I was astounded by Kimi's ho-hum midfield driving almost all season, and Vettel's slow start, in the new cars. I'm not optimistic, and expect these two drivers to be under alot of new pressure right from the start of the 2015 season to either perform or be cut. Marchionne doesn't impress me with his patience.