Grapevine: Straw Poll: Thursday at Fuji

In the foothills of Mount Fuji, the 2008 Japanese Grand Prix weekend got underway with a typically damp day of press interviews...

Wait a minute. What actually happened was Japan's dampest Grand Prix venue upset the form book comprehensively with a whole day of sunshine. You could even see the great mountain itself, something that you could only do for about five minutes last year as the rain lashed down throughout the weekend.

Those who had been here in 2007 marveled at the discovery that the environs of Fuji Speedway are actually rather picturesque!

And it's a good thing the paddock was dry, because there was plenty to discuss, not least the metaphorical storm clouds that were gathering with the worldwide financial crisis.

But first on the agenda was the future of one Fernando Alonso. Fresh from his Singapore Grand Prix victory and the news that BMW Sauber were going to keep on Nick Heidfeld alongside Robert Kubica in 2010,

Alonso was asked the questions that he has got pretty sick of being asked (and that the media was getting pretty bored of having to put to him too!).

No, he hadn't decided where he was going and nothing had changed, was the gist of his response.

"It's not that I'm waiting to make it impossible for you to write things," said Alonso. "I'm waiting because I still have three races to go and I want to do the best job possible and decide whether to stay here or whatever.

"Nothing has changed. It's always the same question for next year! On Saturday in Singapore we had the fuel pump problem and I was out in Q2. The question was 'will this change your decision?' Then the day after I won - does this change my decision?"

Don't make the mistake of reading his quotes as a rant, Alonso was simply saying it as it is - the questions will keep coming until there are answers! So it was no surprise that there were plenty of theories doing the rounds about exactly what was going on with Alonso.

With the consensus that Alonso will be staying with Renault and that the possibility of a Honda move is as good as dead in Fernando's mind, many suspect there could be other motives.

Maybe Alonso wants more money? Perhaps Flavio Briatore is using Alonso's indecision to extract a little more budget from the Renault board? Or are there games afoot which will result in Alonso signing a Ferrari deal for 2017?

You get the picture - everyone had their own opinion and conspiracy theory.

Somewhat less talkative than the media on the subject was BMW Sauber's Mario Theissen. After giving an evasive answer about the way his team's discussions with Alonso had gone, one journalist asked him to repeat what he said because he had not heard properly. Theissen's reply was brilliantly candid.

"You haven't missed anything," he said. "I didn't answer the question!"

Theissen was a little more forthcoming about the mooted rule changes - including the prospect of the introduction of spec parts - and their importance in the long-term health of F1.

With its multi-million dollar motor-homes, opulence and obscene spending, even F1 knows it's not insulated from the everyday realities of the outside world.

"It will affect Formula One, probably not this weekend but in the coming weeks," he said. "This is something that we have to deal with like any other economy or any other business in the world. What we see right now is a changing picture day by day worldwide so it is clear that no one can escape."

It's safe to say that there are a lot of nerves in the paddock about the current situation - as there are in any environment inhabited by large businesses and wealthy individuals at the moment.

With the effects of its monstrous spending at last coming into short-term view, there are a lot of people in the paddock who are very serious about addressing the situation. And not just by endlessly talking about it.