Three or maybe four weeks ago, it wouldd have been fine to say that the illustrious McLaren team had the key to this year’s ongoing ‘silly season’.
The momentum has rapidly shifted now towards one individual, who on the eve of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend lashed out at the Italian media for their cynical words, despite treating them on many an occasion to personal lunches and dinners.
Fernando Alonso, like it or not, holds the key to the silly season for the 2015 season now.
His decision will be what shapes the grid for the next season or the season after that, whether he gives one final chance to the dwindling Scuderia Ferrari, or hail to the call of the many teams he’s been linked too.
While McLaren remain as a key stakeholder, with them keeping an eye out on the ‘best drivers available’, they may not be the top priority for the 33-year-old at this point.
In recent weeks, there were rumours coming out of Germany from the Bild newspaper that there would be a straight swap between Alonso and his championship rival for the past four years Sebastian Vettel, which would see Vettel’s dream to drive for Ferrari fulfilled and Alonso’s quest for a superior machine done also.
Lotus have also come into the frame as a place for Alonso to head back to. Those were supposedly the words of former Team Principal Flavio Briatore, who was until 2009 at the helm of the Enstone-based team.
Despite there being places on the grid that will be open to the two-time world champion, persistence and faith will colour his decision most.
Many have mooted that Alonso should stay at Ferrari, however after the many reshuffles that have occurred within the team this year, including the departure of President Luca di Montezemolo, people inside the Scuderia state that ‘for the moment’ Alonso is the man they need.
That does not guarantee the future, or even next year.
The next race on the calendar for the 2014 season is the Japanese Grand Prix and McLaren will be sending an extra team of engineers over to the Suzuka circuit to visit the Honda research and development facility at Tochigi.
It has been speculated that the British team may drop hints on their future driver line-up after meeting with Honda management in Japan, but again there is nothing concrete to take away from that.
In the world of fact, Alonso has two years left on his contract with Ferrari and it is assumed his is a contract without any opt-out clauses. So the dual championship-winning driver will come at a hefty cost for any team with serious intention on taking him into their stable as soon as next year.
Do teams like Red Bull, Lotus or McLaren desperately want Alonso, despite one of them still coming back up after the financial troubles of last year and the other still lacking a title sponsor?
The ball is definitely now in Fernando’s court. He has to decide whether to stay put with Ferrari and put his faith into a James Allison-designed chassis, or shift to another home for his final few years in Formula One.
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