“Of course I would like to have a driver like Hamilton, like Alonso. But that will be in another life, because in this life I have Michael, Kimi and Felipe. Maybe in two years I will tell you something different, but at the moment I am very, very happy,” Di Montezemolo was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper AS.
More, the Italian revealed that Fernando was actually of great interest to Ferrari a few years ago, when driving for Minardi. However, the Spaniard then chose to go to Renault – thus refusing to become Schumacher's lieutenant at Ferrari – and has been out of the Scuderia's reach ever since.
“I regard Fernando Alonso as a great driver, a genuine team leader and a nice chap. He's a fantastic driver, no question. I like him. Particularly in Japan he drove a great race. I could have taken him under contract when he was still sitting in the Minardi, but life is long,” continued the Ferrari CEO.
Alonso has recently signed an extension to his deal with Renault, keeping him with the French manufacturer team for the next 2 years. However, with Flavio Briatore announcing his retirement in two years time – given the close relationship between the two – it's a very high chance of Alonso considering leaving for a more competitive team afterwards.
Alonso's future switch to Ferrari might also happen due to additional reasons. Flavio Briatore is known to be a close friend of the Scuderia and, after parting ways with Renault, might lead protege Alonso to the Maranello-based team in the near future.
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