Alonso: Retiring from F1 at the end of the season.

[Starr]

For someone as competitive as him he seems to have been able to accept not winning, or even been on the pace, far too easily yet he has also never appeared to give up and race for the money in the way Nelson Piquet did at Lotus. I think a lot of the troubles that Mclaren are going thru now started to come about as a result of the '07 season and all the turmoil and fallout that occurred.

Hi Daveyman,

In a way, his going back to McLaren was, in my opinion "race for the money". Looking back, his racing career looks a lot like Piquet Sr ones.

Regards,

Starr

[daveyman]

Yeah but Nelson didn't try at lotus. For all the things you can say about Alonso, you can't say he coasted at Mclaren.

[indycals]

Alonso did something at Indy that he did very few times ever in F1 - he RACED! And he raced about 20 cars that could win... and he had FUN! Being in the best ride in F1 wouldn't give him that even if he won every race. He was 19 laps and one blown engine away from being only the second driver to win the QUADRUPLE Crown (Let's call it what it REALLY is): Indy, LeMans, Monaco,and the World Championship. He wants that.

[Dino]

Hate to see Alonso go. Not good for Liberty Media to lose another big personality, it's the kind of thing that has hurt NASCAR.

On the other hand, it's a seat open for some possible new star to fill.

[Eagle]

All that's being said is no F1 for 2019- that leaves 2020 open for a comeback and several big contracts will be up then.

[JamesB]

OK boys I finshed my yawn!
Nice to see seasoned debate. You should see the spanish media commments...
Well, the comparison with Nelson (or Emmo?) easily springs to mind. Buuuuut... honestly ttimes were so different. We (yes we were there) crucified Nelson for being uncompetitive...two years!! only 2 years after being WC!! I think Alonso case is upscaled, as probably talent also is.
Not usre if Lenson coasted with the Lotus (well, most surely in '89) but then he pobably also won the '87 WC while, a bit, coasting.
Surely Alonso holds the record for "staying" after his last championship win.
AS I said, Emmo's case is probably more similar, though characters seem to differ so much.
Yes, most probably in Indycar he can land on a not so conditioned and restrained driver market, have a competitive car and why not challenge and win the Indy title.
And yes, Michael, have fun.
Undoubtedly there are two facts: him spoiling quite a few opprtunities, and F1 losing such a talent are tw big problems. And it's quite obvious that driver and the series managements are both responsible of that. Or F1 is too big a tanker to turn, as Barnard says.

Nevertheless, Carey missing him? just the opposite, he got rid of the elephant in the room.

Back in F1, he might try, with an Indycar title under the belt, but result will be the same as now, I suspect.

PS: some say people's true value comes to light by the things people say in their funeral. In Sport, that cmes in retirement..
http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/243 ... ndo-alonso

[stubeck]

I'll read the entire article later, but there has definitely been a change this year with Alonso's treatment by the press. He was masterful in never actually saying his car was terrible, but always doing slight digs to why he was an underdog (Renault - slow engine, McLaren - Team against him, Renualt - Small budget, Ferrari - competing only against Newey and not Vettel, McLaren - Honda engine) and why he was the best. This created a lot of the lore about him. Frankly, I think he has great raw speed, but drives considerably differently from anyone else, which is partially why his teammates get shaded so much when the team is designing for him.

This year seems to have exposed his grandiose statement, and the press isn't lapping it up as much as they were. He is one of the greats of the last 20 years, but most of the reason he only has 2 championships is on him. Blowing up at McLaren in 07 forcing him to go to Renault the following year is just one example.

I will defend him for going to McLaren for the money. I would put that on McLaren and not him! Ferrari, Red Bull and Mercedes all said no to him in 2015, and McLaren at the time was a risk but still the best option. For some reason someone at McLaren figured they needed to give him $30 mil a year despite having no bargaining power! I guess this could be a by product of the large sponsorships which Alonso brings along with him though too, it was worth something like $30-50 mil a year during his McLaren and Ferrari time frame.

[JamesB]

I agree with the historical review, stu!
Only point, he does not bring sponsorship now. Santander long ago preferred to part ways (they stayed at Ferrari), and the rest...
In fact, let's not forget Kimoa actually belongs to Alonso, which makes him in fact a (at least partially) pay driver.
Anyway, Sigh...
I guess everyone of us passed thru these sustainned situation where a chain of things goes wrong, and yet you say "I had no option".
I'd say that apart of his personality, Alonso's big mistakes are:
1-Yep, blowing it up at McLaren so he could not stay in 2008 and further.. and starting the teams merry-go-round.
2-Not staying at Ferrari for 2015 (or avoiding to get sacked) or, as an option, having moved before, when Mercedes was still an option
3-MAking mistakes (YES) that cost him 2010 and 2012 titles. Who would have guessed at Brazil '12 GP that this was to be his last ever chance, but then who would have guessed same for Massa in 2008 or Wattie in 1982. Life's tough
Most of big career mistakes are before his final (2012) chance, so he even had two, so you could say he was even lucky despite career mistakes.
And then yes,, press has lost him some respect this year, he had it coming, honestly. I have also seen an atitude in him, kinda spanish expression "para lo que me queda en el convento, me c*go dentro". Not hard to find out wat it means

[BMW]

Alonso was a great driver, there is no denying that.
But he was also his own greatest enemy.

He had a habit of "cutting the team in half" as Jody Scheckter put it, putting him self against his own team, starting controversy against his team mate (2007/2008) and being able to drive anything with wheels, completely negating the development of the car. Every team that he been with has dropped in standing from when he started to when he left. Even as late as last year, he was adamant the Honda engine was a GP2 engine, and the reason the McLaren did not perform, yet even with a new Renault, the car is still bad.

All great F1 drivers have a "bad" reputation (must be a prerequisite to winning; to be able to go where others do not go) but there is a reason he earned the nickname "Teflonso" from being involved, but not "caught" in the 2007 spygate case, to the crashgate - a win he still recognises and holds the trophy for.

[Eagle50]

... People are speculating about whether he'll do ... the Tour de France ...

Funny! I got a good laugh out of that! LOL

But jokes aside, I was sad to read this headline here. Still, Alonso's a highly motivated guy. I'm sure he'll do well, where ever he goes.

Cheers, Chris