Massa exit may open Ferrari door for Alonso

Lewis Hamilron's controversial McLaren teammate, double world champion Fernando Alonso, may jump ship next season to join the British team's fiercest rivals, Ferrari.

Alonso, a virtual outcast at McLaren after his evidence underpinned Ferrari's successful case against the British team in the Spygate scandal, is devoted to spending the last three races of the season trying to prevent Hamilton from creating Formula One history by climaxing his rookie season with the world championship.

Yet the Spaniard, who trails Hamilton by two points as the action moves to Japan next weekend, is also engaged in devising an exit strategy from McLaren.

And suddenly, an unexpected opportunity could be about to arise at Ferrari after Felipe Massa opened preliminary negotiations with Toyota last weekend.

Massa is acutely aware that if Jean Todt, as expected, loses an impending internal power struggle within Ferrari, he will be instantly vulnerable as he is managed by the Frenchman's son, Nicholas.

And Alonso, surely, would relish nothing better than to end his unhappy days at McLaren, where he is in permanent dispute with Hamilton, and not on speaking terms with team principal Ron Dennis, by announcing that he is to switch his allegiance for 2008 to the enemy camp.

One stumbling block exists, however. Would Ferrari be willing to buy out the remainder of Alonso's contract with McLaren, believed to be worth at least £10 million?

Dennis is guaranteed to play hard-ball with the Italian team, whose pursuit of McLaren through motor-racing's court run by the FIA, the sport's governing body, led 10 days ago to a £50m fine and the loss of the team's points in the constructors' championship.

Alonso's position within McLaren is untenable beyond the last three races, but neither the Spaniard nor Dennis will want to yield in what will be potentially explosive negotiations once the season ends in Brazil next month.