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The two time World champion, one of the best drivers ever to grace the Formula One cockpit Fernando Alonso Diaz has finally decided to bid adieu to his terrific F1 career and would probably move to IndyCar in the United States.
Although F1 's leadership tried to convince him to stay with the series, it has been confirmed by his present team, McLaren that the Spaniard will not return to F1 for the next season. It has been speculated that McLaren will enter IndyCar series along with Alonso where he drove a year ago and was in a winning position until his engine failed.
He stated "I made this decision some months ago and it was a firm one," Alonso said in a statement. Nevertheless, I would like to sincerely thank Chase Carey and Liberty Media for the efforts made to change my mind and everyone who has contacted me during this time."
Alonso has always been a part of top motorsport events and has made a statement that he would like to return to Indianapolis and add a win in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" to his resume. Along with 2 World Championships, he has 32 career wins, 22 pole positions, 23 fastest laps and 97 podiums to his credit. "Let's see what the future brings," Alonso said in a statement, "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." He broke out his decision through a video-
He also ran the Rolex 24 Daytona as a part of a warm-up for the 24 Hours of Le Man wherein he was a part of winning squad. Currently, he's in his 5th season for McLaren and many speculated that he would not be able to bring the 3rd World Title. Also, McLaren has not been very competitive during the last two seasons and Alonso is currently 9th in the standing had debated his future in the series.
Last May, he wasn't allowed to skip the Monaco GP to return to Indianapolis but received the permission to drive in the World Endurance Championship super season. It has been said that Fernando Alonso who has bagged 2 World titles and also a Le Man winner only needs to clinch victory at Indy 500 so as to complete Motorsports unofficial "Triple Crown."
CEO of McLaren, Zak Brwon stated "Fernando is not only an outstanding ambassador for McLaren but also for Formula 1. His 17 years in the sport, as arguably the pre-eminent driver of his generation and undoubtedly an F1 great, have added another layer to Formula 1's rich history. There is a time for everyone to make a change and Fernando has decided the end of this season to be his. We respect his decision, even if we believe he is in the finest form of his career."
Brown is also behind McLaren's Potential entry into the IndyCar series and it is believed that McLaren has courted tour-time IndyCar series champion, Scott Dixon, to be Alonso's teammate.
Now, irrespective of whatever the future brings, the Formula One fraternity along with all the fanatics across the globe will have hard times to bridge the void which has been created by Alonso's retirement in the sport.
