Tag: Fernando Alonso

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fernando Alonso en route to Malaysia

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso could be back on track at the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend after undergoing recent tests at Cambridge University. The tests conducted measured his short and long term memory as well as his reflexes.

Alonso’s adviser, Luis Garcia Abad, was circumspect in regards to the recent health checks, but did say he expects the dual world champion will be going to Sepang.

“It is private so I cannot confirm or deny it, but I have no doubts he will go to Malaysia as planned,” he said.

It’s understood Alonso will be subjected to a final round of tests by the FIA once he has arrived in Malaysia. Assuming he passes he should be given the all clear to return to competition.

The 33-year-old Spaniard has been recovering from concussion after crashing his McLaren-Honda MP4-30 during testing in Jerez on 22 February.

[Source: BBC]

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fernando Alonso to miss Australian Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso

McLaren has confirmed Fernando Alonso will miss the Australian Grand Prix as he continues to recover from his testing accident in Barcelona last month.

According to a team statement (available in full after the break) Alonso’s doctors say, “that they see no evidence whatsoever of any injury; and that they therefore describe him as entirely healthy from neurological and cardiac perspectives alike.”

However, as a precautionary measure. “Fernando’s doctors have recommended to him that … for the time being he should seek to limit as far as is possible any environmental risk factors that could potentially result in his sustaining another concussion so soon after his previous one.

“In order to limit those environmental risk factors, specifically, his doctors have advised that he should not compete in the imminent Australian Grand Prix.”

Alonso has recommenced full physical training and is expected to be declared fit to race in time for the Malaysian Grand Prix (27–29 March). His car will be driven by reserve driver Kevin Magnussen in Melbourne.

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fernando Alonso to sit out final Barcelona test

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso has been released from hospital following his testing accident on Sunday and will continue his recovery at his home in Spain.

McLaren has confirmed Alonso will be absent from the final four days of pre-season testing, which start in Barcelona later today. Reserve driver Kevin Magnussen will step into Alonso’s role.

An earlier statement, which can be read in full after the break, said Alonso’s accident was “caused by the unpredictably gusty winds at that part of the circuit [Turn 3] at that time”.

The statement continues: “We can categorically state that there is no evidence that indicates that Fernando’s car suffered mechanical failure of any kind. We can also confirm that absolutely no loss of aerodynamic pressure was recorded, which fact indicates that the car did not suffer any aerodynamic loss, despite the fact that it was subjected to a significant level of g-force. Finally, we can also disclose that no electrical discharge or irregularity of any kind occurred in the car’s ERS system, either before, during or after the incident.”

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fernando Alonso airlifted to hospital

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso crashed his McLaren-Honda MP4-30 during Formula 1 testing in Barcelona overnight. He was taken to the on-course medical centre and where he conscious and speaking to doctors.

He was airlifted to hospital for precautionary scans and despite suffering no serious injury he remained in care overnight.

“Fernando’s accident was just one of those things that happens in testing,” said Eric Boullier, McLaren Racing director. “Fortunately, he’s fine, but was concussed during the accident, which therefore required an overnight stay in hospital as a precaution. That’s normal practice after a concussion.

“Inevitably, some media reports have sought to exaggerate the severity of the incident—it was just a normal testing accident.”

Statements from McLaren can be read below.

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Formula 1 Honda McLaren

2015 McLaren MP4-30 revealed

2015 McLaren-Honda MP4-30

McLaren luanched its 2015 Formula 1 car overnight, the MP4-30. The biggest development, of course, is the use of the Honda RA615H Hybrid power unit.

McLaren-Honda, there’s a lot of great memories in those two names. Cigarette sponsorship gave those cars from the late 1980s and early 1990s an evocative red and white livery. The marketing spin says the 2015 livery is an “evolved colour scheme that firmly contextualises McLaren’s brand in the 21st century.”

We don’t like it at all.

McLaren had a great opportunity to really leverage of the enormous goodwill from its first partnership with Honda by creating a new and unique livery that not only looked great but also stood out on the grid.

Instead we get this bland half-arsed attempt to blend two looks that was never going to work.

Thankfully, the car itself looks okay, and that horrible nose from the MP4-29 has been removed. Fingers crossed for McLaren, for Honda and for everyone in Formula 1 that the MP4-30 has a great year ahead.

It’s great to have Honda back!

The other big move for McLaren is the return of Fernando Alonso. His first stint with the team was a bit of a disaster in terms of fitting in with the team’s strong personalities. Alonso is a damn good driver, let’s see if he’s a truly great driver.

Waiting for you after the break is a number of videos, more photos of the new car and a couple of press releases for you to download.

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Formula 1 McLaren Video

Jenson and Fernando ham it up

Back to the racetrack

Someone at McLaren has forced Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso to play it up on camera for a pre-season promo. At least we hope they were forced to take part in this Back to the Future spoof.

It’s a bit of harmless fun, of course, and let’s hope the McLaren-Honda partnership is more than a nostalgic memory. Also worth noting the black and silver clothing worn by the leading men.

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Formula 1 McLaren

Fernando loves Ayrton, Jenson loves Alain

Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button announced as McLaren drivers for 2015

It’s now official, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button will race for McLaren–Honda in 2015. Kevin Magnussen doesn’t totally miss out and will remain with McLaren in the role of reserve and test driver.

Reliving the glory days of the last time McLaren and Honda competed in Formula 1 Farnando Alonso has confirmed his love of Aytron Senna.

“I have never hidden my deep admiration for Ayrton Senna,” Alonso said. “My favourite driver, my idol on track, my reference.

“I still remember, as a kid, the posters in my wardrobe, my toy cars in which I dreamed I would one day emulate Ayrton, and the kart that my father built for my older sister, and that I ended up falling in love with. That kart had the livery of one of the most legendary partnerships in the history of Formula 1, McLaren-Honda, the car that Ayrton drove, the same partnership to which I am now honoured to join, to take part in the next Formula 1 world championship.

“I am joining this project with enormous enthusiasm and determination, knowing that it may require some time to achieve the results we are aiming for, which is no problem for me.”

Meanwhile Jenson Button said it was Alain Prost who inspired him to become a racing driver. And in doing so he just became a lot cooler.

“Like Fernando, I am certain that McLaren and Honda will achieve great things together,” Button said. “I feel sure that, working together, all of us will pull incredibly hard to create a brilliantly effective winning team.

“I admired Ayrton Senna enormously, but, for me, it was the exploits of his McLaren-Honda team-mate Alain Prost that inspired me most as a boy. The way he stroked those beautifully brutal red-and-white cars to grand prix wins and world championships was to my mind poetry in motion, and I have tried to emulate his driving style ever since.

“Being a part of new-look McLaren-Honda is a wonderful opportunity for all of us, and I am very pleased to have been invited to do my bit. In fact, I am absolutely raring to go.”

You can read the full statement from McLaren-Honda after the break.

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Formula 1 McLaren WEC

Fernando forced to shelve 2015 Le Mans plans

Fernando Alonso, starting the 24 Hours of Le Mans, 2014

We don’t know yet, officially, that Fernando Alonso will be racing for McLaren in 2015. We do know that Alonso wants to race at Le Mans.

Yet, if we’re to believe recent reports, McLaren has prevented Alonso from pursuing a drive at the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year, most likely to have been alongside fellow F1 alumni Nico Hulkenberg at Porsche.

As well as Ron Dennis’ controlling ways other factors likely to have contributed to scuppering Alonso’s plans include sponsorship clashes such as, Pirelli tyres (F1) v Michelin (WEC) and the more obvious clash of McLaren Automotive as a competitor to Porsche’s road cars.

[Source: Adam Cooper]

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Caterham F1 in pictures Ferrari Lotus McLaren Mercedes-Benz Red Bull Racing Toro Rosso

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in pictures

2014 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Another Formula 1 season has come and gone and, as usual, it’s been a hell of a ride. Lews Hamilton’s win in Abu Dhabi secured his second world crown and put the perfect exclamation mark on a season of dominance for Mercedes AMG.

It’s a big job for a sole contributor compiling a season’s worth of F1 images too. Apologies for the delay in getting these images to you, but I’m not scared to admit there’s a sense of relief in posting the last gallery of photos for the year.

Never fear, the lure of F1 is great and I’ll be back again in 2015, hope to see you here.

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Ferrari Formula 1 McLaren

Alonso set to push Button out of McLaren

Fernando Alonso

It’s hardly a surprise to learn that Fernando Alonso is getting closer to signing a deal with McLaren for the 2015 Formula 1 season. However, it’s now looking likely that it will be the 266-race veteran Jenson Button who will make way for Alonso.

The expectation is that 22-year-old Kevin Magnussen has done enough in his rookie year to keep his seat next season and will drive alongside the 33-year-old Spaniard. That will give McLaren another good blend of youth and experience as it reunites with Honda in 2015.

It’s understood Alonso had initially wanted to sign a single year deal with McLaren, in case a seat opened up at Mercedes in 2016. It’s now being reported that Alonso will sign a two-plus-one deal with McLaren which could secure him with the Woking-based team until the end of the 2017 season.

On pure performance, Button may seem miffed at being pushed out in favour of Magnussen. The young Dane leads Button nine–eight in qualifying, but the 2009 world champion has performed much better on race day, with 94 championship points compared with Magnussen’s 53 points.

If Button is pushed out then a switch to endurance racing is expected, with a high profile move to join Mark Webber at Porsche his most likely option.

[Source: BBC]

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Audi Formula 1

Audi denies rumours of Formula 1 entry

Audi F1 livery by Tim Holmes Design

Recent rumours have suggested Audi is planning to ditch both its dominant Le Mans/WEC program and its DTM participation in favour of a high-profile entry to Formula 1 in 2016. Audi Sport has used its Facebook page to scupper any such talk:

Audi‬ in Formula 1? These rumors keep appearing with regularity since years. It’s pure speculation again this time and without any foundation. We are committed to the FIA WEC, DTM and GT racing. In 2015 we will add the Audi Sport TT Cup to our program

Earlier speculation has linked Fernando Alonso to an Audi F1 entry, largely on the back of Audi signing Stefano Domenicali, former Ferrari Team Principal.

Two things are clear: as long as the sun rises in the morning a rumour about a Volkswgaen Group company entering F1 won’t be far away and that livery above by Tim Holmes Design looks first class!

[Thanks to Costa for the tip]

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Ferrari Formula 1

For liberty, Fernando

2014 Italian Grand Prix

Departing Ferrari president Luca di Montzemolo has confirmed what we already knew, that Fernando Alonso will leave Ferrari at the end of the 2014 Formula 1 season.

Speaking on Italian television di Montezemolo said: “Fernando is leaving for two reasons.

“One, he wants another environment. Two, because he is an age when he cannot wait to win again.”

The 33-year-old dual world champion joined Ferrari in 2010 and came close to winning the title that year and again in 2012. In his time with the Scuderia he has constantly impressed with his ability to extract maximum performance from the oft sub-par machinery he has been given.

It’s expected that Alonso will drive for McLaren in 2015, with rumours suggesting he may have signed a deal directly with Honda. There’s also a chance that he may sit out for the year with an eye on a Mercedes seat in 2016. Although, Alonso has previously said it’s “probably not a big risk” that he won’t be in F1 next year.

McLaren it is then and you’d think Jenson Button, who will be 35 when the 2015 season begins, could be the man to make way.

Of course, the other well known secret in F1 is that Alonso will be replaced by Sebastian Vettel. We can expect an official statement from Maranello very soon it would appear.

Vettel’s contract with Red Bull Racing expires five days after the final race, which therefore includes the post-season test in Bahrain. Red Bull will hold Vettel to the terms of his contract, denying him an opportunity to test with Ferrari before the year is out.

[Source: BBC]