Fernando Alonso will leave F1 at the end of the season
As expected, Fernando Alonso officially announced that he will leave F1 at the end of the current season.
Fernando Alonso once again successfully managed his communication: two days ago, he posted a tweet with a countdown and the date of August 14. During this time of little news, it was the perfect way to focus all the media’s attention on him.
He prolonged the suspense by choosing the end of the day to reveal that he would be leaving McLaren and F1 at the end of the 2018 season: « After 17 wonderful years in this incredible sport, it is time for me to change and move forward. I have enjoyed every minute of these amazing seasons and I cannot thank enough all the people who have made them so special. There are still several races left this season and I will participate with more commitment and passion than ever. »
It’s anything but a surprise since McLaren’s level of competitiveness has still not improved despite Honda’s departure and the arrival of the Renault engine, which has triumphed with Red Bull. Without the possibility of joining one of the teams capable of winning the title, it was logical for him to focus on other disciplines.
He is currently in an ideal position to win the WEC World Championship, thanks to his victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota. He will therefore complete the rest of the season with the Japanese manufacturer, but this leaves him the possibility to participate in another category.
This should logically be the IndyCar since he is more than ever in pursuit of the Triple Crown. After his victories in Monaco and Le Mans, only the Indy 500 is still missing from his record. To maximize his chances, he might choose to commit full-time to the discipline to arrive with more knowledge for his second attempt.
This certainly opens up a seat within McLaren. One of the ideal candidates is Carlos Sainz, whose childhood hero is Fernando Alonso, as the Spaniard was not retained by Renault. It’s hard to see him coexisting again with Max Verstappen at Red Bull, given that their collaboration at Toro Rosso was somewhat electric.
But McLaren could take the risk of appointing Lando Norris, whom they have been nurturing for several seasons. The young Briton currently holds second place in the F2 championship.
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
Dear F1 ….. pic.twitter.com/G9ZzdMwgMn
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) 14 août 2018
