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Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has announced he will not race in Formula 1 in the 2019 season.
Fernando Alonso has retired from Formula 1 and will quit McLaren at the end of the season.
Despite being considered to be one of the best drivers to ever grace an F1 cockpit, the 37-year-old has not won an F1 race in five years and the Drivers' World Championship in over a decade.
The two-time world champion is to make a full-time switch to the Indy Car series.
"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
(This post was last modified: 14-08-2018, 04:13 PM by
forzaferrari.)
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Good luck to him, think those Indy boys are in for a bit of a shock, remembering what our Nige did to them in his first season as a rookie, gives me a reason to watch even more motorsport.
"When a man holds you round the throat, I don't think he has come to apologise"
Ayrton Senna on Nigel Mansell, SPA 1987.
(This post was last modified: 14-08-2018, 04:24 PM by
PapaofGags.)
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Cant see it myself, but....
Fernando Alonso says he could return to Formula 1 after 2019 and has indicated his absence from the grid may only be temporary if McLaren's form improves.
The two-time world champion revealed on Tuesday that he will not be racing in F1 next season, but stopped short of declaring it a retirement.
He paid tribute to McLaren, who he rejoined in 2015 but has failed to compete for a podium due to a dismal three-year spell with Honda and McLaren's own struggles this year since switching to Renault.
Alonso suggested a McLaren revival could facilitate a return to F1.
"My heart is with the team forever," said Alonso. "I know they will come back stronger and better in the future and it could be the right moment for me to be back in the series; that would make me really happy.
"I have built so many great relationships with many fantastic people at McLaren, and they have given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and race in other categories. I feel I am a more complete driver now than ever."
"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
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I think this was to be expected he is obviously off to Indy car next season. I am with you Forza (amazing eh?) I think he is done and talk of a return to F1 in the future is ridiculous.
The sad thing about this is the guy could and probably should have won more than two WDC. Why he has not is well documented and even worse, certainly in the short term is that he will probably be remembered more for what he did not achieve and the things he said during his McLaren years more than the sensational driver he has been.
I wish him well for the future and will watch his Indy car exploits with interest, he is still a great driver and like him or not its hard to argue had he been in a Ferrari or Mercedes over the last 2/3 years he may well have added to his championships.
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No doubt Neil, awesome driver just unfortunately had the knack of being in the wrong car at the wrong time, looking forward to see how he performs over a season in Indy
"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
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Really disappointing news. Coupled with Lance Stroll getting his own team, this has to be one of the worst summer breaks. The sport is going to miss him, and suffer loosing his calibre. He deserved more, but that's the way she goes.
My previous sig was obsolete, McLaren ain't disappointing Heshy no more.
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Sad to see the big giant head move on but he was only going through the motions in an under performing team....it couldn't go on forever....I will say I have enjoyed watching him wring the neck of the Renault and the Ferarri and he has easily been one of the best drivers over the last 10 years....
On the flip side he has a self destruct nature that will not help him in the US...the one thing they are there are Team Players...there is no "I" in team but Fern will argue that there is a "ME"......I wish him well and hope he smokes some of the mediocre talent that drive there.
Sex, Drugs and Sausage Rolls.
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Wasn't going to post on this one, as everyone already knows my views on Alonso, but I notice sky have announced it as "retirement" - Heh, top quality scribing over there, as usual.
Putting a poitive spin on it, at least nobody will have to listen to the unfounded hype about him anymore. He should do very well over the pond, I mean look at the quality of the field!
Oh, and "the triple" means nothing to me so whilst I wish him well in hs quest for that small consolation it'll be met with a "Meh" here
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(14-08-2018, 07:09 PM)morini Wrote: Oh, and "the triple" means nothing to me so whilst I wish him well in hs quest for that small consolation it'll be met with a "Meh" here
I know you're not a fan, but "small consolation"???...A bit more than just that bud, come on! Credit where credit is due and all that!
"You live more for 5 minutes going fast on a bike than other people do in all of their life"....Marco Simoncelli
(This post was last modified: 14-08-2018, 08:44 PM by
forzaferrari.)