Alonso: Only one is happy here this year which is Hamilton

But as always the Spaniard denies the claims by pointing out that only one driver is happy at the end of any given season is happy, and that many have been unhappy for a long time.

Alonso told reporters at Yas Marina Circuit, "In Formula 1 there is always one winning and all the others are not winning. Only one is happy here this year which is Lewis Hamilton

"To finish second, seventh, 12th, it's the same. I won two championships, 97 podiums and I have mates here with a lot of talent like Nico Hulkenberg, zero podiums."

"Sebastian [Vettel] a lot of years now not winning. Verstappen, a great talent, zero titles. Ricciardo, a great talent, zero titles."

"They are all unlucky? Probably, but this is the way it is in sport and Formula 1. With all those things, coming from the north of Spain, go-karting guy, two-times world champion, no regrets on anything."

"In my career I feel extremely proud to have driven for Renault, McLaren and Ferrari," he said. "They are the three teams that I spent 17 years of my career and probably, arguably, are the three teams with more wins and success in Formula 1."

"Now recently Mercedes has been dominating, but from my time I'm extremely proud of those three families I joined.

"I have been unlucky in some of the places that I have raced but without a crystal ball, it's probably difficult to make decisions. After you finish your chapter it's easy to say, but when I joined Ferrari in 2010, I think 10 of 10 would have joined Ferrari in 2010, not another team.

"When I joined McLaren-Honda in 2015, all of 2014 I had been hearing it was a very good decision because the turbo engine from Ferrari was not good, we were fighting to be in Q3, and McLaren-Honda had one year of development for free. They were not racing in 2014 and that was a mega decision. So I was hearing that and so 9 of 10 were going into the direction."

"I don't regret many things, I'm happy with the decisions," insisted Alonso on what is penned down to be his 315th and final grand prix start, although the 37-year-old has left the door open for a possible return.

Tomorrow the Spaniard will line-up a5th on the grid for his final Formula 1 race, for now...