Fernando Alonso Reveals Real Reason For Quitting F1

Fernando Alonso confirmed in August he will leave Formula 1 at the end of the 2018 season as he seeks a new challenge in a different form of motorsport.

The Spaniard, who has won two Drivers’ championships during his time in F1, has struggled in the last four seasons. He joined McLaren from Ferrari with hopes of taking them back to winning ways and challenging for the title.

But it turned out to be the wrong move as the Woking-based team have struggled at the wrong end of the grid since their switch to Honda in 2015. After three seasons with the Japanese manufacturer they switched to Renault, but the results have not changed as they continue to battle the midfield runners at best.

After Alonso announced his departure from the sport there has been constant speculation the Spaniard is leaving the sport after failing to land a competitive drive for the upcoming campaign. He is keen to win races and challenge for titles which is something that F1 will not be able to offer him owing to McLaren’s current plight.

The former Renault and Ferrari driver, however, has refuted those claims and set the record straight with regards to the reason for his departure from F1 at the end of the current campaign. The Spanish racer made it clear he has nothing more to achieve in the sport, hence he decided to call it quits and try his other forms of motorsport.

"No, I could have had a competitive car, I'm not stopping because I don't have a competitive car," Alonso said, as quoted on F1i.com. "I've been saying the same thing since August: I'm stopping because I did everything I wanted in Formula 1. ... I arrived in Formula 1, I won Grands Prix in Formula 1, I won world championships in Formula 1, I break records in Formula 1. I drove for McLaren, for Renault, for Ferrari -- I am 37 years old, and I cannot do more in Formula 1."

"All the things that I dreamt of in Formula 1 are done. There are new things in motorsport that are bigger than Formula 1,” he explained. "From August, it's been the same thing: 'It's a shame, and Formula 1 should look that Fernando has to stop and so on...”

"There's the truth and there is your opinion, the general opinion. I stop because I want, not because I've been forced to stop."

The IndyCar Series was mooted as an option for Alonso, but he recently revealed he was not interested in doing a full season in the American motor racing series. But, he will have another go at winning the famed Indy500 race as conquering the Triple Crown is high on his agenda especially with only one box left to tick after conquering the Monaco Grand Prix and the LeMans 24-hours race.