Former Renault team principal Flavio Briatore claims that Fernando Alonso was already keen on leaving Ferrari for more than a year before he actually did so last month.
Ferrari has struggled in recent Formula One recents, failing to provide competitive vehicles to challenge the likes of Mercedes and Red Bull, and according to Briatore, that sealed the deal for the Spanish driver.
“It was a gentlemen’s agreement with (Luca di) Montezemolo,” he said. “‘If the (2014) car is not up to it, adios’. All it needed was a handshake.
“Fernando was tired of the usual refrain: ‘You’ll see, the next one will be a winning car’. The problem in 2013,” Briatore explained, “was clearly the aerodynamics, as regards the engine we (Ferrari) were right there with the competition.
“So there was this leap in the dark taken with the engine. (Alonso) also felt the efforts made in the recruitment of technical staff was insufficient — that Ferrari should be wooing the No. 1, not the number 25!” he added.
With Fernando Alonso departing, Ferrari moved to secure the signature of Sebastian Vettel, who will be racing alongside Kimi Raikonnen next year.
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