Dennis open to Fernando Alonso making McLaren return - MotorSportsTalk

Ron Dennis has said that he would have no problem with Fernando Alonso returning to McLaren despite their acrimonious year together back in 2007, which will only act to fuel rumors the Spaniard could be set to leave Ferrari.

However, Dennis did concede that the team needs to improve if it is to lure the two-time world champion away.

“I would have no problem,” he told Spanish publication Marca. “But we need a competitive package before we are able to attract drivers like Fernando.”

The McLaren CEO returned to the day-to-day running of the Formula 1 team at the end of last year after its worst campaign in thirty years, replacing Martin Whitmarsh. He has since looked to revamp the team with the arrival of young driver Kevin Magnussen, and a deal with Honda has already been struck that will see the Japanese manufacturer power McLaren in 2015.

Alonso’s one year stint with McLaren in 2007 was a story of success and conflict. The Spaniard expected to be the number one driver at the team alongside then-rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton, but tensions grew when the Briton challenged him. The season was also marred by the spygate scandal, which resulted in the team being excluded from the constructors’ championship and fined $100m. Ultimately, Alonso and Hamilton finished level on 109 points, one behind eventual champion Kimi Raikkonen.

At the end of the year, Alonso walked away and returned to Renault, with whom he won his world titles in 2005 and 2006. Upon joining Ferrari in 2010, a new era of success for both the driver and the team was expected, but the car has rarely given him a chance of winning the title despite coming close in 2010 and 2012.

Last summer, Alonso sparked rumors that he might be on the lookout for a seat elsewhere when he was quoted as saying that he wanted “someone else’s car” for his birthday. Despite him since insisting that he will remain at Ferrari, by opening the door, Dennis could yet tempt him to come back to Woking upon Honda’s return.

Should Alonso indeed make the move, it would most probably result in Jenson Button’s contract not being renewed, and given that he is in the final few years of his career, it could force him into retirement.

The move would also have implications for McLaren junior Stoffel Vandoorne, who is widely acknowledged as being Button’s natural successor, and is thought of very highly by the team.

However, as Dennis said, so long as McLaren remains fighting for the small points, it will take a lot to tempt Alonso away from Maranello. This rumor is only set to rumble on for the rest of the season, though.

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Vicki Golden has earned a career worthy of a thousand stories and 805 Beer tells at least one of them, as “Inverted Perspective” premiered March 30 on the company’s website and YouTube channel.

Golden did more to break the glass ceiling in SuperMotocross than she ever thought possible. She knows this because riders have never felt the need to explain any of her accomplishments with the disclaimer, “for a girl”.

At this point in Golden’s career, she’s been the first woman to finish top 10 in AMA Arenacross Lites, the first woman to qualify in the Fast 40 in Monster Energy AMA Supercross and the first woman to compete in freestyle Moto X competition, earning a bronze medal by doing so.

Her love for moto came from childhood while she watched her dad and brother ride. By seven she was on her bike and making waves throughout Southern California.

Golden, 30, is still madly in love with the sport and has no plans on moving away but her career is already one to talk about. 805 Beer’s film series wanted to do exactly that.

“I’m taken aback by it all,” Golden told NBC Sports about the documentary. “It’s just crazy to see your story, it’s one thing to live your life and battle everything that comes about but it’s another to just sit there and talk about it.”

805 approached Golden about the feature by asking, “Do you even realize that what you do, and your story is special?”

Golden took the question as a blank canvas to map out the highs and lows of her career and life.

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The title “Inverted Perspective” came from a brainstorming session with Dominick Russo and it highlights Golden’s outlook on the sport of SuperMotocross and her life in general.

“My whole life, my whole career was thinking differently and looking at things that shouldn’t be done and aren’t there, while being able to make a place for myself, where no one thought there should be a place,” Golden said. “It’s inspiring someone to think in different ways. It sums up my life.”

*Vicki Golden is not “fast for a girl”; she’s just fast. – 805 Beer*

While Golden is no stranger to the spotlight, this was the first time she’s been fully involved with the storytelling and creation of a feature about herself.

“It’s not like a full new experience,” Golden said. “Obviously, you get your standard questions about your upbringing and accomplishments, but I’ve never really put into perspective things that happened in my past with my dad and putting that to light. Also, certain other things that maybe got overlooked in previous interviews or films. I wanted to touch on these and Dom wanted to create a story. It’s just cool to see it come to light, it’s a nearly impossible thing to tell somebody’s life story in 40 minutes.”

Golden’s father was left paralyzed after an ATV accident, robbing him the opportunity to ride again. This happened a few months before the father-daughter duo was set to compete in the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur Nationals when Vicki was 12. While she might have been unable to grasp the severity at the time, it’s something she carries with her. Golden continues to ride in his honor.

Years later, an accident in 2018 nearly sidelined the then 25-year-old Vicki when a freestyle accident almost resulted in the amputation of her lower leg.

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Golden 805 Beer — *Vicki Golden has ridden a variety of disciplines in SuperMotocross, which gives her a unique perspective. – 805 Beer*

“Inverted Perspective” highlights her father’s diligence in helping Vicki continue with her career and the kindness and strength he carried while fighting his own battle.

“My dad was the entire reason that I started riding in the first place,” Golden said. “So, to honor his memory and to honor what we went through and how hard he pushed to keep our dream alive and keep everything going – in that sense then, it was really special to be able to honor him and talk about him.”

The 40-minute feature was filmed entirely in black and white, a stark contrast from the oversaturated world of motocross where the brighter the suit the easier it is for fans to find their rider and follow him in the race. By filming in monochrome Russo and Golden had the chance to focus on the race and track from a different perspective.

“It was cool to be able to film it differently,” Golden said. “It created a challenge in the sense of what was going to be more visually impactful for the film.

“I couldn’t be here without the companies that back me but at the same time, it’s not like the logos or colors disappeared, it’s just different lights shed on different spots. It’s just a cool way to do it and to take color away and still be impactful. When you think of black and white, you think of old school, the OG way of doing things.”

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