Fernando Alonso’s hopes of moving from McLaren Mercedes to Ferrari look to have been dashed with the announcement by the Scuderia yesterday that they are to retain the services of Felipe Massa until the end of 2010.

Given that Ferrari have Kimi Raikkonen on their books until the end of 2009, the decision appears to make it impossible for Alonso to switch from McLaren to the Italian team, either this winter or in 12 months’ time.

There had been speculation that the unhappy Spanish double world champion could have taken Massa’s place to drive alongside Raikkonen in 2009 after spending a year in a third team, either Renault or Toyota. The rumour mill suggested Alonso was in talks with Luca di Montezemolo, the president of Ferrari, but Ferrari denied yesterday that those talks took place and the team have given their backing to Massa, whose manager is Nicholas Todt, the son of Jean, the team principal.

The decision leaves Alonso with only two realistic options: either to stay at McLaren for what he has termed “another beautiful battle” with Lewis Hamilton, his championship rival, or to make a long-term move this winter back to Renault. Most paddock observers regard relations between Alonso and Ron Dennis, the McLaren team principal, as being so bad that there is little chance of a postseason reconciliation, whether or not Alonso wins the World Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix on Sunday. Thus a move to Renault two years before his contract expires with the Woking-based team looks likely.

The best guess is that Alonso will do a swap with Heikki Kovalainen, the Finnish rookie who drives for Renault, who will drive alongside Hamilton at McLaren. The big danger for Alonso is that, having burnt his bridges at McLaren, he will find himself in a team at Renault who may still be off the pace of the Ferraris and the McLarens next season, heralding a potentially barren spell for the champion.

The endorsement of Massa by Ferrari, meanwhile, will give the Brazilian a boost as he seeks a second consecutive win at his home race on the Interlagos circuit in São Paulo this weekend. However, he may well have to play a supporting role to Raikkonen as the battle for the title unfolds.

Hamilton goes into the race as favourite with a four-point lead over Alonso, but Raikkonen, who is three points farther back, is not out of it.