F1: Why Fernando Alonso should race in IndyCar

It will be a sad day when Fernando Alonso announces his departure from Formula 1 and that day could be very well soon.

Alonso would arguably stay in the motorsport for a few more years if it wasn't the terrible situation he is in.

The last few years have been more than disappointing for the Spaniard and it looks to not change direction any time soon.

When Alonso decided to leave Ferrari in 2014 to join McLaren after the British team decided to reunite with Honda and their engines, it looked to be a refreshed McLaren team with a big chance of fighting for race wins and championships again.

Instead, it was three years of hell for McLaren, Honda, and Alonso.

The two-time F1 world champion was persuaded to stay another season with McLaren after their new partnership deal with Renault but 2018 is looking to be another disappointing year.

Carlos Sainz Snr recently told the Express that the McLaren driver was not happy: “He is in a period when he would like to be in a different situation.

"He wants to fight for podiums and wins.

"When you’ve won before, and in his case he has won two world championships and fought for others, if you are not fighting for podiums, races, championships, it is logical that you are not happy. And it’s especially true if you are as experienced as he is and with the character that Fernando has.

"This year at McLaren the situation is a little bit better and let’s hope it improves more, but is true that maybe he and all of us who want the best for him were expecting something more."

If Alonso is to say goodbye to life in F1, what would be his reasons?

#5 Alonso's F1 situation is taking him nowhere

Alonso is one of the biggest names in the F1 driver's line-up.

But that doesn't leave him in a good situation at McLaren and the race series.

Even if Alonso was wanting to leave McLaren at the end of the season, then where else can he go in terms of continuing his career in F1.

The only real options the driver has is trying to get a contract at either Mercedes or Ferrari which is unrealistic.

Can you really see Alonso accepting a number two seat to Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel when he is still capable of winning races and possibly championships?

Plus the other teams on the grid wouldn't be able to afford his current wages and contract at McLaren.

It is believed the Spaniard earns around $30 million a year after agreeing to cut it from $40 million last year.

Only Mercedes or Ferrari could afford that and both teams already pay a similar amount to Hamilton and Vettel.

The Briton bags up to $31 million a year while his championship rival picks up $40 million.

#4 Alonso's racing talent is being wasted

Alonso is a double world champion but when it's been nearly 12 years since the Spaniard was the man to beat when racing for Renault, you can easily forget.

The 36-year-old was one of the very few drivers to have stopped the legendary Michael Schumacher winning more than seven world championships.

Both Alonso and Schumacher were championship rivals in 2005 and 2006 but the Renault driver came out on top.

But since 2006, Alonso has had close shaves from winning more championships but the likes of Kimi Raikkonen and Sebastian Vettel denied him that third world title.

Like many world champions, they never lose their touch.

Throughout the world championship drought of Alonso, we have seen some impressive racing.

He has made bad cars look good especially in the McLaren Honda days where he would pick up top ten finishes while his team mates struggle to get points.

And let's not forget his race starts where only a driver with his talent would overtake around two to four cars in the opening lap.

A good example is when he jumped to P8 at the 2016 Russian Grand Prix after starting in P14.

#3 Former team mate Button looks happy after leaving F1 for Super GT

2017 saw another world champion say goodbye to the Formula 1 community after 17 years of racing in the sport.

The last few years of Button and McLaren's partnership looked to be fading when the 2009 world champion was not given a race winning car.

Button joined McLaren in 2010 to team up with fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton after winning the driver's and constructors' championship with Brawn GP.

Button's last ever race win in F1 was at the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix just before the team would start to collapse.

The Briton lost his father, John Button, at the start of 2014 and said in an interview on ITV's This Morning in October that losing his Dad 'changed everything'.

When Button announced leaving he said he wouldn't miss F1: "Obviously I did the race in Monaco, the race we can forget about, but qualifying I loved. Driving these monsters in Monaco...and the other race that really stands out is this one, driving a 2017 car must be pretty special. But do I miss F1? No."

The 38 year old is now racing in Super GT which is a Japanese race series after agreeing to drive for Honda this year.

Judging from his social media posts, Button looks happy and refreshed to have joined a racing series he has never competed in before.

Maybe leaving F1 and joining another motorsport might be the solution for Mr Alonso?

#2 Alonso is 'not happy' racing in F1

As said earlier on in this piece, Alonso is not in the happiest moods with his current situation in Formula 1 according to Carlos Sainz Jnr's father, Carlos Sainz Snr.

Alonso is good friends with Carlos Sainz Jnr on and off the track especially with both being the only fellow Spaniards in F1.

Sainz's father announced Alonso's current feelings to the Express after last week's Monaco Grand Prix.

Whether or not the double world rally champion is saying the truth, his son is close friends with the 36 year old.

At the start of the season, Alonso was apparently promised by his boss Zak Brown and the McLaren team that he would be given a championship winning car.

Six races later, we can't even find a McLaren driver on the podium. Are you sure you've got this covered Mr Brown?

There are 15 races still remaining in the 2018 calendar but at the moment the McLaren pace can only just reach the top 10 if Alonso is behind the wheel.

Jenson Button had told Sky Sports that he was not happy with his former colleagues giving empty promises to the Spaniard.

He said: “They've made good steps, they're fourth in the constructors' standings, but because of what they said at the start of the year you say maybe it's not what we expected."

We have seen many occasions during Alonso's second spell at McLaren being rather frustrated with his engineers over the team radio.

Were these the early signs of Alonso being unhappy at a team that were once destined for winning championships?

#1 IndyCar looks a strong possibility for Alonso

2017 Indy 500 Presented by PennGrade Motor Oil — Alonso racing at Indy 500 last year

If this week's F1 gossip has taught us anything, it is Alonso being strongly linked to joining IndyCar for the 2019 season.

This week's news of the McLaren group looking to partner up with an IndyCar team is starting to show how strong the possibility is of Alonso quitting F1 later this year.

Let's not forget last year's Indy 500 when Alonso rose to the challenge of trying to win one of the biggest races on the calendar.

Alonso raced for McLaren Andretti Honda and was allowed to excuse the Monaco Grand Prix as the street race was taking place on the same weekend.

Throughout the race, Alonso was very competitive and was doing well until there was 22 laps to go and the Honda engine had packed up on him once again.