Alonso: Lack of track action is why I quit Formula 1

The McLaren F1 driver wearing his Toyota Gazoo Racing gear and inevitable Kimoa cap told reporters at Silverstone why he decided to quit the top flight,

Speaking about his departure from Formula 1, Alonso did not mince his words, “The action on track is not the one I dreamed of when I joined F1, or when I was in different series or the racing action that I experienced in other years."

"I stopped because the action on track in my opinion I feel is very poor. In fact, what we talk about more in F1, is off track. We talk about polemics. We talk about radio messages. We talk about all these things, and when we talk so many times about those things, it is a bad sign."

"It is because the on-track action was very poor on that weekend, and that is what I feel in F1 now, and I think there are other series that maybe offer better action, more joy and more happiness, so that is what I try to find.”

The Spaniard believes that the sport at the highest level has become too predictable, “When I was in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011, I was not winning [many] races in those years. But it was difficult to predict [then] what could happen in Spa or Monza."

“Now, we can write down what is going to happen at Spa and Monza. We can put the first 15 positions with maybe one or two mistakes. So how predictable everything became is tough."

"We go to Barcelona and we test the first day of winter testing and you know what you will do until November in Abu Dhabi and it is tough. For me, it is not too much of a problem because after 18 years, as I said before, I achieved more than what I dreamed of."

“But for young drivers or different drivers, it is tough because they just hope that next year the team does an unbelievable step or they receive a call from one or two teams. It became difficult for ambitious drivers.[For] a driver with some kind of ambition, it will be tough for the future if things don’t change.”

With WEC commitments until June next year and an Indycar programme in the making, in his F1 quit announcement Alonso hinted that a return is an option, “I think the door open is more because I think I am driving at the best level of my career now. And why to close doors if anything could happen in the future?"

“I am still young. I am not 45 years old. I feel strong and I am doing this year 27 races, so my thinking is to stop. And that is why I stop. But who knows? That is the reason why.”