Fernando Alonso: ‘I should have left F1 earlier than 2018’

Fernando Alonso says he regrets waiting until 2018 to leave Formula One and pursue other opportunities.

Alonso, a two-time World Champion, was unable to add to his titles from 2005 and 2006 during subsequent stays with McLaren, Renault, and Ferrari.

After that, Alonso returned to McLaren for 2015, but it was a challenging year as the team’s new engine supplier, Honda, failed to deliver both performance and reliability.

Alonso failed to finish on the podium in his four years at McLaren, including the Renault-powered 2018 season, and left the series at the end of that season.

Alonso then went on to compete in IndyCar, the World Endurance Championship, and the Dakar Rally, among other motorsport categories.

As a result, his only professional regret is that he should have retired from Formula One sooner.

Asked for any career regrets, Alonso replied: “Nothing. Zero regrets. Zero.

“Perhaps there is one – that I left too late. I should have left Formula 1 earlier. It’s easy to say now, but I shouldn’t have waited until 2018.

“I should have left in 2015 or 2016, two years earlier, to try Dakar and endurance. I already had it in mind in 2015 but it took a while to mature. Maybe too long.”

Since his departure from Formula One, rumors of Alonso’s return have been swirling, and they were confirmed in 2021 when he signed with Alpine, the team that previously guided him to two championships when they were known as Renault.

Originally, he wanted to return for Formula 1’s new era with radically revised cars, but due to the delay of those until 2022, Alonso and Alpine have used 2021 as a sort of preparatory year.

Despite the fact that he has yet to finish on the podium, Alonso is delighted to be back, although he has had several run-ins with the stewards.

He’s even stated that the driver’s nationality influences his decisions.

However, Alonso claims that his desire to resist something he believes is wrong is not a new trait.

“I have always tried to fight against injustices,” he said. “That is not new, it was the same in the past.

“There have always been inconsistencies based on nationalities, either with penalties or enforcement of a rule.

“I remember when I was fighting for the title against Red Bull, we knew they had a very flexible front wing and they won five or six races before it was banned.

“I lost the championship in 2012 by three points.”

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