Get email updates with the day's biggest stories Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. Sign up Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Double Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has retired from the sport. Current team McLaren have confirmed he will not race in 2019 after 32 wins, The 37-year-old has competed in 17 seasons in F1 - gaining 22 pole positions times with 97 podiums. Alonso said: “After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it’s time for me to make a change and move on. "I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to make them all so special. “There are still several Grands Prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever. (Image: Getty Images Europe) “Let’s see what the future brings; 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. “I want to thank everyone at McLaren. My heart is with the team forever. I know they will come back stronger and better in the future and it could be the right moment for me to be back in the series; that would make me really happy. "I have built so many great relationships with many fantastic people at McLaren, and they have given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and race in other categories. I feel I am a more complete driver now than ever." (Image: Mark Thompson) (Image: AFP) Alonso was F1 champion in 2005 and 2006 while he was with Renault, with his first championship ending a five-year dominance by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. He went on to join McLaren in 2007 before returning to Renault in 2008. Alonso then made the switch to Ferrari two years later and stayed with the Italian marque for four years, before rejoining McLaren once again.<doc-sep>McLaren driver Fernando Alonso will retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season. Despite being considered to be one of the best drivers to ever grace an F1 cockpit, the 37-year-old has not won an F1 race in five years and the Drivers' World Championship in over a decade. "After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it's time for me to make a change and move on," said Alonso. Alonso to quit F1: The reaction 'Alonso not in F1 in 2019': How McLaren broke the news By moving Stateside, Alonso will be able to pursue his ambition of completing motorsport's 'triple crown' having seemingly given up hope of landing a front-running driver in F1 again either at McLaren, with whom he has spent the last four years at the wrong end of the grid, or with the sport's current dominant forces - Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. Only last week, Red Bull ruled out signing Alonso as a replacement for the Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo. "He's tended to cause a bit of chaos wherever he's gone," explained team boss Christian Horner. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂!!! definitely one of the best things ever!!! Summer hit !!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂. #fromlastweekNothanks https://t.co/IaFD3tIMh4 — Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) August 9, 2018 Although McLaren have improved this season following their switch from Honda power to Renault, Alonso, who has out-qualified team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne in every session this season, has not finished on the podium since rejoining the team from Ferrari four years ago. "I made this decision some months ago and it was a firm one," confirmed Alonso. McLaren boss Zak Brown added: "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. Our open dialogue with Fernando has meant we could plan for this eventuality." McLaren have not yet said who will replace Alonso in 2019. Where did Alonso go wrong? Alonso's two world championships were secured in 2005 and 2006 when he drove for Renault. Few would have predicted then that he would fail to win another. After spending a single turbulent season at McLaren in 2007 after leaving Renault, Alonso returned to the Enstone outfit for two more years before switching to Ferrari where he twice narrowly missed out on winning the Drivers' World Championship. While Alonso's career is riddled with unwise choices, it has also been saddled with several near-misses: in 2007, he lost out on the drivers' title by a single point; in 2010, he missed out by just four; and in 2012, he once again lost out to Sebastian Vettel by a mere three points. Ricciardo quits Red Bull for Renault The Formula 1 Gossip column Find out more about Sky Sports F1 His decision to quit Ferrari for the McLaren-Honda 'project' proved, in retrospect, to be a critical mistake and will be seen as having taken his career up a dead end. Despite high hopes the reforged partnership would take the fight to Mercedes, only the now-defunct Manor team finished below McLaren-Honda in 2015. Although 2016 brought a modest improvement, McLaren slumped again in 2017, finishing ninth out of ten in the Constructors' Championship - triggering their split with Honda. By that time, Alonso's attention had already begun to turn to alternative motorsport series and the prospect of achieving the 'triple crown' - consisting of winning Le Mans, the Indy 500 and the Monaco GP, which he first won a decade ago. With McLaren's permission, he missed last season's Monaco GP to compete in the Indy 500 and won Le Mans at the first attempt with Toyota three months ago. In hindsight, McLaren's union with Renault amounted to the last throw of the dice for Alonso's F1 career. Although Alonso has excelled again this term, scoring 44 of McLaren's 52 points so far, it hasn't proved enough to keep his F1 fire burning. I’ll miss Fernando’s fiery character and relentless speed. Unfulfilled potential yet still huge achievements in F1. Needed somebody stronger than him around to control the destructive moments which prevented him being first choice for any team, but not sure such a person exists https://t.co/qaYcK4PVyr — Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) August 14, 2018 Get Sky Sports F1 - the home of every race weekend LIVE in 2018.<doc-sep>Last updated on .From the section Formula 1 Why is Fernando Alonso retiring from F1? Spanish two-time world champion Fernando Alonso has announced he is to retire from Formula 1 at the end of the season. The McLaren driver will end a career that began with a debut for Minardi at the Australian Grand Prix of 2001. Alonso, 37, who is competing in his 17th F1 season, won the 2005 and 2006 championships when racing for Renault. "After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport it's time for me to make a change and move on," he said. "I made this decision some months ago and it was a firm one. There are still several grands prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever," he added. "Let's see what the future brings; 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." Alonso has in recent years branched out into other series and in June he won the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race at his first attempt. He joined Toyota's World Endurance Championship (WEC) programme this season with the aim of winning Le Mans, and has dovetailed it with F1. Alonso is in his fifth season with McLaren That victory provided him with the second part of motorsport's 'triple crown'. Twice a Monaco Grand Prix winner, he is only missing Indianapolis 500 success. He competed in the Indy 500 for the only time to date in May 2017, retiring towards the end of the race with engine failure, having run strongly throughout and led for a total of 27 laps. Only Englishman Graham Hill has won all three classic races in the history of motorsport. Alonso ended Michael Schumacher's five-year dominance of the drivers' championship when he won the first of his titles in 2005. At the time, he became the youngster ever driver to win the title. He has also finished championship runner-up three times, and to date has achieved 32 wins, 22 pole positions and 97 podium finishes. In his statement confirming he would retire at the end of this season, he suggested there may be a chance of him one day returning. "I want to thank everyone at McLaren," he said. "My heart is with the team forever. "I know they will come back stronger and better in the future and it could be the right moment for me to be back in the series; that would make me really happy." 'Thank you, for being my life' Alonso tweeted a video 'letter' to F1 in which he said: You were not expecting me and I wasn't sure I wanted to get to know you. When I barely knew how to walk, I ran towards your noise, your circuits, without knowing anything about you, Alonso was 24 when he won his first championship We had very good times, some unforgettable, others really bad. We have played together, against incredible rivals. You played with me, and I learned how to play with you too. I have seen you changing, sometimes for good, sometimes in my opinion for bad. Every time i close the visor of my helmet I feel your warm embrace, your energy, there is nothing like it. But today I have some other bigger challenges than those you can offer me. And this year, while I am still driving at my best, is how I want to remember you. I can only be grateful to you and to the people that are part of you, for having introduced to me so many cultures, traditions, languages, wonderful people, for having been my life. I know you love me, be certain that I love you too.<doc-sep>Fernando Alonso will leave McLaren and "move on" from Formula One at the end of the season, the two-time former world champion has announced. The 37-year-old will finish the current season and will not race in Formula One in 2019. Alonso said in a statement: "After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it's time for me to make a change and move on. I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to make them all so special. "There are still several grands prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever. "Let's see what the future brings; 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." Alonso's current team, McLaren, said in a statement on their official website: "McLaren Racing today confirms that double F1 World Champion Fernando Alonso will not race in Formula 1 in 2019.<doc-sep>
DOUBLE world champion Fernando Alonso will retire from Formula One at the end of the season, he has announced. The 37-year-old Spaniard is competing in his 17th F1 season and his fifth with McLaren, and has been widely tipped to race in the Indianapolis 500 next year as he attempts to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Alonso, a double Monaco Grand Prix winner, won the Le Mans 24 Hours on his debut with Toyota in June this year and is currently ninth in the F1 drivers’ championship standings. Alonso said in a statement: “After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it’s time for me to make a change and move on. “I have enjoyed every single minute of those incredible seasons and I cannot thank enough the people who have contributed to make them all so special,” he said. “There are still several grands prix to go this season, and I will take part in them with more commitment and passion than ever. “Let’s see what the future brings; 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.” Alonso’s current team, McLaren confirmed the news on their official website. And McLaren Chief Executive Zak Brown said: “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.” Alonso was F1 champion in 2005 and 2006 while he was with Renault, with his first championship ending a five-year dominance by Michael Schumacher and Ferrari. He went on to join McLaren in 2007 before returning to Renault in 2008. Alonso then made the switch to Ferrari two years later and stayed with the Italian marque for four years, before rejoining McLaren once again. However, Alonso left the door open to a return to F1 — strongly hinting that this could be a hiatus rather than a retirement. He added: “I have built so many great relationships with many fantastic people at McLaren, and they have given me the opportunity to broaden my horizons and race in other categories. I feel I am a more complete driver now than ever.”