Fernando Alonso drops his biggest hint yet that he could leave Ferrari

As speculation about his Ferrari future intensifies, Fernando Alonso has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could leave the team. As speculation about his Ferrari future intensifies, Fernando Alonso has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could leave the team.

As speculation about his Ferrari future intensifies, Fernando Alonso has dropped his biggest hint yet that he could leave before his current contract expires.

Speaking at the Japanese GP on Thursday, the Spaniard said that no one person was bigger than the team and suggested that he would head elsewhere if it was in the best interests of both parties.

“If [speculation is] intensifying, I don’t really know the reason,” Alonso said. “I cannot imagine the reason but I always put the interests of the team and the interests of the Tifosi - this big brand Ferrari that is bigger than any of us - in front of my own interests.

“So if there’s some talk in the future and something better for Ferrari, I will do whatever.”

The subject of Alonso’s future whereabouts has, of course, become F1’s longest running soap opera in recent times, with McLaren and Red Bull seen as the most likely destinations should he leave Maranello.

He’s constantly pledged his loyalty to Ferrari, even though they’ve consistently failed to provide him with a good enough car since he joined them in 2010.

However, with Marco Mattiacci installed as team boss earlier this season and Sergio Marchionne Ferrari’s new President in place of Luca di Montezemolo, change is in the air. The question has long been whether Alonso might choose to stay on; now it seems just as pertinent to ask whether the new regime is as keen to keep the 33-year-old as was previously the case.

Alonso, whose current contract expires at the end of 2016, admits that there are now “options on the table”.

“As I said, at the moment the thing is to speak on the track and to help Ferrari on the track. As I said, the second priority – my future – we will see,” he added.

“I want to win and I’m ready to maximise the performance of this moment of my career that has been the best moment. I feel good, I feel fit, confident.

“I feel I’m in the best moment of my career and hopefully I can take the benefit of this in the coming years.”

But the shutters slammed shut again when Alonso was pressed to state categorically that he won’t join either McLaren or Red Bull in 2015 or 2016.

“This is a very difficult question to answer. And I will repeat the answer probably: I will do the best for Ferrari,” he responded

Grinning, he added: “You cannot do the question and answer for me!”

The 2014 Japanese GP is live on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. Extensive coverage of Race Day at Suzuka begins at 5.30am on Sunday with lights out at 7am.