Official: Alonso will leave Scuderia Ferrari at the end of the 2014 season
The Scuderia Ferrari has officially announced what has been in the air for several weeks now, the departure of Fernando Alonso at the end of the season.
Ferrari announced on its website that Fernando Alonso will leave the team by mutual agreement at the end of the 2014 Formula 1 season. The Spaniard leaves the Maranello team after five years of collaboration, where he never managed to secure a long-awaited third world championship title.
Marco Mattiacci, appointed team director of Scuderia mid-season, made sure to acknowledge the career of the Spanish driver: On the wall of legends of Scuderia Ferrari drivers, Fernando Alonso will always hold a special place. We offer him our sincere thanks for what has been an extraordinary adventure with Scuderia, as in these last five years, he has been close to winning the world championship twice. I am certain that a great driver like Fernando will always keep the Prancing Horse in his heart, and I also expect Ferrari fans to continue holding him in high regard for his future projects.
Alonso explained that the decision was not easy to make: “Today is not an easy day for me, because even if I always look to the future with great enthusiasm and determination, at the end of this season my adventure as a Ferrari driver will come to an end. It has been a difficult decision to make, but one that has been well thought out and, from start to finish, my love for Ferrari has been a primary consideration.”
The Spanish driver did not fail to thank the Ferrari team for the 5 years spent together: « I am very proud of what we have achieved together. Thank you for all the efforts of the men and women of Maranello, during the three occasions where we finished 2nd in the F1 World Championship, fighting twice for the title until and during the last race, with notably a few laps in a position to win the championship. Without a doubt, these five years have produced some of the finest moments of my career and I also feel that, in leaving the team, I am leaving behind a family more than friends. »
With one race remaining for Ferrari, the Spaniard already has impressive statistics for the 5 years spent in Red:
- 95 Grand Prix contested
- 11 victories
- 44 podiums
- 1,186 points scored
- 4 pole positions
- 8 fastest laps
Even though nothing has been officially announced for the future as of now, Fernando Alonso is expected to join McLaren-Honda from next season.
