In this week's F1 Report, The Sun's Ben Hunt and Sky F1's Marc Priestley join Natalie Pinkham to discuss Fernando Alonso's future amid McLaren-Honda's latest series of setbacks
Thursday 6 April 2017 10:27, UK
Fernando Alonso could contemplate a return to Ferrari for 2018 in order to get himself back in a winning car, according to this week's F1 Report show.
Alonso's future has already become a hot topic of debate in the paddock following McLaren's disastrous start to the year with the team themselves warning that this weekend's Chinese GP, exclusively live on Sky Sports F1, is only likely to highlight the weaknesses of their Honda engine.
It's possible that vacancies will emerge at both Mercedes and Ferrari at the end of the year after Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen signed single-year deals with the Silver Arrows and Scuderia respectively, while Alonso himself has already entered the third and final year of the contract he signed to rejoin McLaren for 2015.
That decision, with Ferrari victorious at the season-opening Australian GP a week ago and the Spaniard warning McLaren "should be last", increasingly looks like a career-mothballing mistake.
So having shocked F1 three years ago with his return to McLaren, could Alonso pull off another astonishing U-turn at the end of 2018 by reuniting with Ferrari if, as widely expected, Raikkonen departs?
During this week's F1 Report, The Sun's Ben Hunt said: "I think we're in Kimi's last year, there probably would be availability there, it's whether he [Alonso] wants to go back.
"I don't know with Fernando, every time he seems a make a choice, it seems to be the wrong choice. We were joking before, if you want F1 advice, just do the opposite to what Fernando's done in his career! But I don't know whether he'll go back there. Never say never...he could do."
Fellow guest Marc Priestley said the two-time champion Spaniard should be racing for F1's top honours but his options beyond McLaren were slim.
"You know we were talking about after Australia, how we've got this big battle with Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, the big players in the sport," Priestley said. "We're missing one because Fernando should be up there, for his career, which is coming towards the end period, he's had a big chunk of that career where he's ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time and this is it.
"I know he's very frustrated, he's not a happy bunny at the moment but he's not got not many options until the end of the season or beginning of next."
They also spoke about speculation that Alonso could look to move to Mercedes, with Bottas having signed only a one-year contract this season. Sky F1's Priestley explained: "There is potentially a seat up at Mercedes and one at Ferrari so Fernando is going to want to be in a competitive car and for him he'll brush aside any of this emotional stuff with Lewis, and I'm sure Lewis would do the same but from a Mercedes point of view, I suspect they'd be worried about fireworks happening."
Hunt revealed last week that Honda, McLaren's beleaguered engine partners, have opened talks with Sauber about becoming the Swiss outfit's engine suppliers. It's unclear whether the proposed tie-up would see Sauber become Honda's exclusive customers or if the Japanese manufacturers intend to supply both McLaren and Sauber.
"It would be good news for Sauber and it would be good news for McLaren, if they were to stay with Honda," said Hunt.
"The fact is Honda have got one team to power these engines and test them, you're only getting two cars, so if you double that pool you're going to do more fact finding and it's going to be more beneficial for your long-term engine project."
Watch the Chinese GP live only on Sky Sports F1 and in incredible Ultra HD! The race begins at 7am on Sunday April 9. Check out all the ways to watch F1 on Sky Sports for subscribers and non-subscribers - including a NOW TV day pass for £6.99!
Sky customers can now upgrade to Sky Sports and get 12 months for just £18 per month. Upgrade now!
