Fernando Alonso is six years Sebastian Vettel’s senior, though it isn’t inconceivable that the latter may hang up his helmet sooner, for 2017 shapes as a decisive juncture in their respective futures.
Having endured an entire decade since his most recent title, Alonso is a tortured soul, yet his steadfast belief that a third crown remains within reach has enabled him to front for another campaign.
The Spaniard enters the final season of his contract with McLaren convinced that his patience will be rewarded, though anything less than tangible success – if not victory, certainly podium contention, in coming months is certain to deter the 35-year-old from extending his second tenure at Woking.
Dreams of another Maranello dynasty couldn’t appear further away for Vettel, whose impatience amid behind the scenes upheaval became abundant in his sophomore season at Ferrari.
The German similarly has a solitary season to run on his agreement, and with the personnel and ideological reset at the behest of Sergio Marchionne only starting to take effect, notions of imminent victories, much less titles and dynasties don’t appear as forthcoming as the 29-year-old envisaged.
The elephant in the room is the Mercedes carrot, on account of its decision to hire Valtteri Bottas for a single season, which begs inevitable questions concerning Stuttgart’s ulterior motive. It could yet come to pass that Lewis Hamilton follows Nico Rosberg’s lead and throws in the towel before his contract has run its course, though the Finn shapes as a pawn in the conspiracy.
» Every F1 race live on Foxtel
For any of this to be realised, Alonso and Vettel must possess the fire within. The offer to line up for the outfit which peerlessly seized the hybrid era appears simple in theory, yet there’s no telling where either’s desire levels may lie a few months down the road.
Should Red Bull steal a march on the Silver Arrows in phase two of the turbo chapter – an extremely realistic proposition if a rejuvenated Adrian Newey pioneers a concept for the umpteenth occasion, with incumbents Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen ostensibly secure for the foreseeable future, the incentive to race on elsewhere will surely diminish.
Alonso has persevered this long without recompense – his latest victory coming in 2013 and podium in 2014, while Vettel’s success is much fresher, and grander, having inflicted multiple championship near misses on the Spaniard throughout the course of his four consecutive titles.
Vettel boasts a young family, which is certain to have caused contemplation regarding his presence in their formative years, thus the German may be inclined to prematurely call it a day as his compatriot did, content with his already considerable achievements rather than committing to a long-term rebuild.
Convention would suggest that Alonso has lost a step in his advancing years, though the reality is that he’s produced some of his finest efforts across the previous three seasons, encompassing his forgettable final campaign at Maranello, which precipitated the revolution it remains in to this day.
The Spaniard has little to lose, as he would sooner have walked away from the sport had the candle fizzled out, rather than continuing admirably, sans glory, for the pure enjoyment.
The 35-year-old has made no secret that his future beyond 2017 is contingent on his appetite for the new regulations, coupled with McLaren’s fortunes, eyeing a switch to the World Endurance Championship. He could just as easily be enthused and have designs on continuing in the years to come, be it at Woking –having afforded sufficient time to convince him of the potential, or elsewhere – being Brackley, should they remain a force to be reckoned with.
His successor at Ferrari faces a tough decision process, commencing as early as next month. His own future appears predicated on whether the Prancing Horse’s talent can finally outweigh its ambition in the post-Schumacher-Brawn-Todt era.
As much as a Mercedes collaboration would be logical from a nationalistic standpoint, he is deeply passionate about emulating his mentor’s feats at Maranello, failure to do so may be enough to convince him there is nothing further to accomplish, having enjoyed so much fortune throughout his illustrious stint at Milton Keynes.
Time stands still for nobody, yet the Spaniard shapes as the timeless man whose unrelenting quest to realise at long last what many believed was a formality fuels his resolve. Vettel appears to be a man in a hurry, no sooner than breezing in and taking the world by storm, he could well be on his way out sooner than later.
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
Team Penske is under the same umbrella of ownership as the IndyCar Series itself, so it was imperative for to drop the hammer and protect their integrity—which, thankfully, they did.
Red Bull can’t rest on its laurels and if Perez can’t provide them with cover on the rare days that Verstappen is having trouble, it's time to look elsewhere.
The absolute vitriol against the Canadian that has come from the incident is beyond reprehensible.
The Long Beach Grand Prix is the Monaco of American motorsport, and this past weekend, the IndyCar Series reminded everyone exactly why. We witnessed…
New Zealand made a triumphant return to the Supercars championship calendar since the demise of the much-loved Pukekohe Park Raceway – as Taupō delivered…
It’s time that serious questions are asked of his Lance Stroll and his future in the team.
