- Ferrari
Alonso has 'bigger priorities' than new contract
Fernando Alonso says he is so focused on doing what he can to put Ferrari into a winning position next year that he has given little thought to extending his contract beyond 2016.
Speculation linking Alonso away from Ferrari has never been far away in recent times, with the most recent rumours suggesting Ron Dennis is ready to offer the Spaniard a second chance at McLaren. Alonso can leave before his contract expires if he has an exit clause or another team buys him out of it but a new deal would end much of the speculation, though he insists his only focus at the moment is on the current campaign.
"I'm not thinking too much now longer term because there are bigger priorities at the moment," Alonso said. "I want to help the team to score as many points as possible this weekend and this year, because there is an interesting mix to the constructors' championship between finishing second and sixth or seventh - the margins are very small.
"We just need to concentrate and focus on scoring the points. The future after 2016 is something that at the moment is not the main priority, but we will try to see when it gets closer."
Alonso retains that focus because he feels the work he and Ferrari puts in for the rest of the current campaign will determine whether it can be a genuine contender again in 2015.
"There are three things we must do this year. One is to score points this year, if we don't score points this year and we finish sixth or seventh in the constructors' championship that will hurt the team for next year because there is an economic prize. That is the first thing.
"The second is to test, especially on Fridays, some parts for next year's car which are experimental and we need to learn about. Third is to work very closely with the team and Maranello. I'll go on Sunday evening to Maranello and spend all week in the simulator - there is no time now to relax, it is time to work.
"That is what the team needs and expects from my side and it's time to deliver. We need maximum effort, maximum concentration and maximum teamwork."
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