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Alonso mocks Ferrari's 'Marlboro Man' shakeup

Fernando Alonso has wasted no time in strongly distancing himself from Ferrari, where he spent the past five seasons as the fabled team's 'number 1' driver.

GMM

Edited: Nov 26, 2014, 10:47 AM

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Fernando Alonso, Ferrari in the FIA Press Conference

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14-T

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14-T

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari F14-T

Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

Marco Mattiacci, Scuderia Ferrari and Fernando Alonso, Scuderia Ferrari

(L to R): Felipe Massa, Williams with Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

Sebastian Vettel

Pat Fry, Scuderia Ferrari, Technical Director and Sebastian Vettel

(L to R): Fernando Alonso, Ferrari with Andrea Stella, Ferrari Race Engineer on the grid

Marco Mattiacci, Ferrari Team Principal in the FIA Press Conference

(L to R): Carlos Sainz, with David Coulthard, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Advisor / BBC Television Commentator and Mark Webber, Porsche Team WEC Driver

Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari F14-T

On Tuesday, the Spaniard appeared to be openly laughing at the Maranello team's latest managerial shakeup, after Ferrari split with team boss Marco Mattiacci.

Alonso 'retweeted' a photo showing him grinning broadly as his friend Flavio Briatore posed with an unlit cigarette in his mouth and an open Marlboro packet as they dined in a restaurant.

It was obviously a reference to the 'Marlboro Man', as Mattiacci's successor is Mauruzio Arrivabene, until now a branding executive for Philip Morris.

Not only that, it seems that at some point after the chequered flag waved in Abu Dhabi last Sunday, Alonso symbolically 'unfollowed' the Ferrari team on Twitter.

Not informed

Meanwhile, although he was photographed in plain clothes in the Ferrari garage on Tuesday, Alonso's successor Sebastian Vettel was reportedly unhappy with the Italian team on his first day of work at the Abu Dhabi test.

That is because when asked by Germany's Sport Bild what he thought of Mattiacci's departure, Vettel appeared to have not been told the news first-hand.

"Is it true?" he asked the correspondent.

The report said Vettel reacted by telling Ferrari he was disappointed to have not been informed about the major shakeup.

Finally, when asked by Brazil's Globo if he will be accompanying Alonso from Ferrari to McLaren next year, the Spanish driver's race engineer Andrea Stella answered clearly: "Yes."

Ferrari's 2015 lineup

Former F1 driver David Coulthard admits he has some concerns about Ferrari's 2015 driver lineup, despite Vettel and Raikkonen's combined five career titles.

"Kimi Raikkonen's return to Ferrari was the worst season for one of their drivers since 1982," he told the Telegraph, adding that Vettel also "looked a shadow of himself" in 2014.

"The German did not like the new formula, he did not like the engines," Coulthard explained. "That is fair enough, but his mantra seemed to affect his ability to perform."

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