Alonso not ruling out F1 return when McLaren is ‘stronger’

Fernando Alonso has suggested he could return to race in Formula 1 again in the future, providing McLaren “come back stronger and better”.

McLaren announced on Tuesday Alonso will quit F1 at the end of the 2018 season with the two-time world champion continuing to grow disillusioned with the sport, following years of frustration and a lack of competitiveness at the Woking based squad in the V6 turbo era.

But Alonso, who revealed he made his decision months ago, hinted his F1 career might not be over, though he added he would be “exploring new adventures and challenges.”

“I want to thank everyone at McLaren. My heart is with the team forever,” Alonso said. “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,” he added.

“I made this decision some months ago and it was a firm one. Nevertheless, I would like to sincerely thank Chase Carey and Liberty Media for the efforts made to change my mind and everyone who has contacted me during this time.”

McLaren allowed Alonso to pursue his goal of winning the unofficial Triple Crown of motorsport, with the Spaniard completing the second leg of the feat earlier this year by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Toyota as part of his dual campaign in the World Endurance Championship.

The final hurdle standing in Alonso’s way is triumphing at the Indy 500. An engine failure brought his debut at the Brickyard to a premature end in 2017, while he has been strongly linked with a full-time switch into the IndyCar Series for next year.