Honda team principal Ross Brawn has given the clearest signal yet that they are keen on securing the services of Fernando Alonso.
Honda team boss heaps praise upon Spaniard
Honda team principal Ross Brawn has given the clearest signal yet that they are keen on securing the services of Fernando Alonso by labelling the Spaniard Formula One's best driver.
The double World Champion is currently enduring a testing season upon his return to Renault from McLaren Mercedes, and currently lies a lowly eighth in the Drivers' Championship.
He is believed to have a get out clause in his contract should Renault not provide him with a car quick enough to suit his aspirations and, with the Regie currently mired in F1's midfield, the general assumption seems to be that Alonso will walk sooner rather than later.
Ferrari remain the best bet in the longer term, although drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa are both currently contracted until 2010 and the Scuderia have said they will honour those deals.
However, Honda are keen on securing Alonso's services for 2009, with Brawn saying they are quite content to give him all the time he needs to make a decision whether or not to stay with his current team.
"We are just waiting," Brawn told reporters at the Belgian Grand Prix. "My view is that he's the best driver in Formula One at the moment and we're happy to wait and hope that he makes a positive decision for us."
Renault currently lie fifth in the Constructors' Championship and have not won a race since Alonso won his second title with them in 2006.
However, Honda are faring even worse, standing eighth overall in the Constructors' Championship and with their only victory since returning to F1 as a works outfit coming courtesy of Jenson Button in Hungary two years ago.
Strong comeback
The Brackley-based team nevertheless have a big budget and are pinning their hopes on coming back strongly in 2009, when significant rules changes may provide teams looking to improve with a cleaner slate.
Warming to the theme - and neglecting to mention either Button or Honda team-mate Rubens Barrichello - the former Ferrari technical director continued: "The reason I think he's the best driver in Formula One is balance of experience and ability.
"To me there are three very quick drivers who have established themselves so far in Formula One. There's (McLaren's) Lewis (Hamilton), there's (Ferrari's) Kimi (Raikkonen) and Fernando. And (Ferrari's) Felipe (Massa) is coming up very quickly and closely behind.
"If you look at those three drivers for a team in our position, where we have a strong rebuilding process going on, then we need a driver with strong development capacity, experience and absolute speed. For me, Fernando has all of those things.
"So that's why I think he's the best driver in Formula One, because he has a combination of those things.
"Lewis is clearly very quick, a super guy but doesn't have the experience yet. Kimi doesn't have the reputation of being a person who can develop a car strongly but is very quick."
