Fernando Alonso to retire from F1 after the 2018 season

Sad news for Formula one fans as Fernando Alonso has announced that he will not be competing in the sport after the 2018 season. After racing 17 years in F1, the 37-year-old double world champion has decided to move on.

On his decision to step away from F1, Alonso said, “I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to make them all so special. There are still several Grands Prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever. Let’s see what the future brings; new exciting challenges are around the corner. I’m having one of the happiest times ever in my life but I need to go on exploring new adventures. I want to thank everyone at McLaren. My heart is with the team forever. 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.”

The Spaniard has yielded two F1 titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 and has been a championship runner up three times. Apart from that he has amassed 32 wins, 22 pole positions and 97 podiums till date. This year’s Canadian GP was Alonso’s 300^th F1 appearance, which made him join an elite club of drivers who have more than 300 appearances. The list includes Rubens Barrichello, Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher who have 326, 309 and 308 appearances in the sport. If all goes well for the McLaren driver in the remainder of the season, he will be second on this list surpassing Button as well as Schumacher.

Often known to extract the maximum from the car he drives and to push his limits, Alonso has provided F1 fans with some nerve-cracking entertainment over the years. So, thank you Fernando, for all that you have done for the sport!