Alonso and Ferrari: The Dream Couple on the verge of separation

Alonso has been frustrated by his time at Ferrari

It’s quite a statement to say that Fernando Alonso has been the best driver in Formula 1 over the last four years, despite not having lifted the world title since 2006.

In 2010 Ferrari snapped up the double world champion away from, a then uncompetitive, Renault to replace Kimi Raikkonen.  And in the intervening period the Spaniard has missed out during the final race twice and has been provided with an uncompetitive car for the last three seasons.  No addition to his world title haul and now a bust up with the Ferrari boss, is the match made in heaven about to break up?

His career with the Maranello outfit started as well as it can with victory on his debut and four more wins followed leaving him leading the championship going into the final race.  Alonso only needed to finish fourth at Abu Dhabi to claim the title in his first season for Ferrari and the team’s first since Raikkonen in 2007.  A mix-up in strategy, from the team, cost him and he finished seventh handing the title to Sebastian Vettel.  

A year later and it was no better, only one win at the British Grand Prix, and a fourth place finish in the standings in a disappointing season for Ferrari, as Vettel again triumphed.

Then came 2012 and maybe the hope that the cars in red could finally turn their fortunes around and deliver a world title for the Spaniard.  But early season signs were not good, the Ferrari was off the pace and struggling to stay competitive against the Red Bulls and McLarens.  Most pundits had written off Alonso’s title challenge before the season started.

Alonso has tasted victory 11 times for Ferrari

However, Alonso refused to go away and somehow claimed victory at the second race in Malaysia and led the championship despite having one the most uncompetitive cars on the circuit.  He also managed to claim tow more victories in that season but a late surge from Vettel denied Alonso yet again.

And it seems 2013 is going to hold more of the same for the Spanish and Italian combination.  Despite winning his home Grand Prix in Spain and in China, Alonso trails Vettel by 39 points and there have been hints he maybe on his way out of Ferrari.

After finishing fifth at last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix, Alonso insisted to the press that he was “very happy” at Ferrari despite rumours of him moving to Red Bull.  He was also admonished by Ferrari president Luca Di Montezemolo for comments made about the Ferrari car last weekend.

It’s been a slightly turbulent time at Ferrari for Alonso and is he starting to lose patience with the team?  The man has carried the Ferrari team for years and has somehow put up two fantastic title challenges in below par machinery, so how will the relationship between Ferrari and Alonso survive this latest setback?