From eurosport.com :

David Coulthard believes Fernando Alonso made the wrong move in quitting McLaren and will be hard-pushed to challenge for next year's Formula One world title as a result. Spaniard Alonso, 26, quit the team last month after only one season due to personal differences with boss Ron Dennis, whom he felt had not treated him in a manner befitting a double world champion such as himself. But British veteran Coulthard, 36, who raced for McLaren for nine seasons before switching to his current home at Red Bull, thinks Alonso has made a mistake, with both seats at world champions Ferrari already taken and no obvious front-line vacancies elsewhere. "If Fernando feels like he'll be winning more races by leaving McLaren, he's made the wrong move," said Coulthard. "I understand he's felt the need to leave for personal reasons, but it's a very strange tactic for sure." Alonso, who was "uncomfortable" at McLaren alongside British superstar Lewis Hamilton, is rumoured to have spoken to Toyota, Red Bull and Honda about a drive for next year, but a return to Renault, for whom he won the 2005 and 2006 titles looks most likely. But even re-uniting him with his old team will be no guarantee of success, according to Coulthard. "It's just so hard to get in a team where you know you'll be running up front, and if you're not, you're not gonna win anything," he added. "McLaren and Ferrari were the only cars that could win a race last year and I don't see that changing. "Even if you do, you might only get one or two chances to win in a year. Based on that, Fernando will have to make a step backwards because, despite how good he is as a driver." Coulthard suggested that Alonso would be better off taking a sabbatical year rather than drive an uncompetitive car next season, and would have no problem in following in the footsteps of Frenchman Alain Prost, who did just that before winning the title in his comeback season 14 years ago. "It's certainly an option for him," Coulthard added. "[Alain] Prost did it in 1992 when there were no good cars left, and he came back the following year with Williams and won the title." "Fernando is a great driver. He could certainly do it." Jamie O'Leary / Eurosport

I fully agree with David Coulthard here - A real man would stand up the the rookie challenge and say something like : "OK, kid, you got lucky this year but next year I'll be back with a vengeance" and prove everybody who's the boss.

He could pretty well have ruined his career now. There are too many good drivers out there who are capable of winning races as soon as they get the right seat. If Massa can finish 4th just because he is driving a Ferrari, then there are a few others who can do the same