Whitmarsh off to Madrid to 'cough' look at some art...

[Scott]

Or perhaps to begin a rather painful negotiation process in order to bring Alonso on board for 2015. 

Seems to make sense, but could it mean that it is Button's make or break year?

http://www.planet-f1.com/driver/3213/9056538/Alonso-linked-with-McLaren-return

I hope we aren't talking about which backmarker team Jenson might sign or has already signed with at this time next year, but I suppose unless Magnussen really disappoints, we just may be having that conversation. 

[Dare]

In hindsight Mclaren would have been better off
to cater to Alonso's whims and to have let  Lewis
walk.Alonso is still the best driver in F1 with Kimi a
close second[sorry Vint :-[]
 

[Scott]

In hindsight Mclaren would have been better off
to cater to Alonso's whims and to have let  Lewis
walk.Alonso is still the best driver in F1 with Kimi a
close second[sorry Vint :-[]

Yeah, that will be a decision they won't look back on with fondness, eh?  Agreed 100% about Alonso and Kimi (also sorry Vintly  )

[vintly]

Hey! Never apologise to me again about this sort of thing d'ya hear?!

It's the eternal question isn't it? Watching Alonso take a sub-standard car to second in the championship again and again is emphatic at the very least, amazing. What we don't know is whether Vettel could have done the same. I think he would out-qualify Alonso in the same car, and make life less hard for himself, but I would wouldn't I?

At least Kimi and Alonso are in the same car next year. Right now, this is the most exciting thing about next year. I can't see any outcome of that other than a very p*ssed off Fernando. I'll give him until Silverstone to properly throw his toys out. Maybe Whitmarsh is pre-empting that.

[John S]

I'm not so sure that Nando is really a better driver than Lewis. This is the age old question about comparing performances in different cars. Because the car adds so much to the equation it's nigh impossible, IMHO, to really compare so directly.

All I can point too in Lewis' defence is his WDC the year after Nando left McLaren. Now I know this is not conclusive as had they remained teammates it's likely they would again have taken points off each other and let Massa into the title.

I would argue as well that Nando has had a better car than Lewis in most of the last 4 years, although I will admit Lewis was thrown by Jenson's performance in 2010 and never seemed to recover to be top dog at Macca.

This for me is similar to Nando's failure to dominate Lewis in his first season in F1, surely a seasoned experienced WDC should not have got sucked into the ballyhoo that took place. His failure to properly out class Lewis on track in 2007 puts a big question mark over Nando's credentials for me.

 

 

[F1fanaticBD]

Sure McLaren is ready pounce if it smells a tiny crack in the Alonso-Ferrari's love affair, which in my opinion is bound to happen.