After intense rumours and speculation since the summer break that Ferrari and star driver Fernando Alonso were to split after 5 years, it now appears as the season heads into it's final races that their might be some substance to the rumours and Alonso will indeed leave at the end of this year.
After a very difficult 2014 season for Ferrari which has seen them only achieve 2 podiums all year, ironically both came thanks to Alonso, the team is clearly entering a transition phase with two key allies to Alonso leaving already this year in long standing team principal Stefano Domenicalli and president Luca Di Montezemolo.
This combined with poor results over the past few years have built up, with new team principal Marco Mattiacci and Ferrari parent company FIAT president Sergio Marchionne preaching a new era of restructuring for Ferrari.
The team have admitted a turnaround in their fortunes is likely to take 2 years or more to achieve, and in the mean time they have also preached they want a 100% commitment from everyone at the team to turn things around.
The open courting of Alonso by McLaren and his public difference of opinion with Di Montezemolo last year have led many to question whether he is still willing to commit himself 100% to rebuilding Ferrari. Alonso desperately wants a third world title yet at age 33 he now has to choose whether he's prepared to commit himself to the resurrection of Ferrari or whether to leave in search of a title winning car.
This morning a new development has been speculated with Autosport reporting their sources close to the situation have stated that the deal announcing the termination of Alonso current deal, which runs to the end of 2016, will be announced in the next few weeks.
This would theoretically leave him free to sign with McLaren, although they themselves are in a rebuilding move with their switch to Honda power next year, although it does seem likely at the moment that the McLaren-Honda partnership will come good quicker than Ferrari.
Speaking before the start of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix Alonso confirmed he will do what's best for Ferrari, although he also made clear his personal ambitions to win races and titles in the next few years " I want to win and I'm ready to maximise the performance of this moment of my career that has been the best moment and I feel good, I feel fit, I feel confident."
Alonso later also added "I've adapted the driving style to the new regulations every year, and I feel that I'm in the best moment of my career. Hopefully I can take the benefit of this in the next coming years and add some titles in the pocket and retire with more than two. "
Autosport later also revealed their sources believe that whilst Alonso's talks with McLaren are at an advanced stage, a deal has yet to be agreed with Alonso stating that his mind was "already set probably".
If Ferrari do let Alonso leave they have plenty of options for a replacement with Jules Bianchi being the obvious candidate. He is a Ferrari academy driver and has impressed in his two seasons with Marussia. Other more established candidates are Nico Hulkenberg or Romain Grosjean and would be an inexpensive option compared to Alonso alongside Kimi Raikkonen.
From here the next few weeks will be very interesting to this story, what are your thoughts on the potential split of Alonso and Ferrari?
Image: Ferrari
Engines, I might add, which at the time had already been successfully run for 6 years.
