Fernando Alonso refuses to rule out F1 return as he plans to quit Endurance racing this season
FERNANDO ALONSO has revealed that there is still a possibility he could return to Formula One in the future.
It comes after the Spaniard announced plans to quit the World Endurance Championship at the end of the season, as reported by BBC.
The 37-year-old left McLaren last year, ending 16 consecutive seasons in F1, as he turned his full attention on claiming the Triple Crown with Graham Hill the only man to do so.
The holy grail of motorsport includes winning the Monaco Grand Prix or the Formula One title – both of which he has completed – along with driving to victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Indy 500.
The WEC series ends on June 16, with only 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and Le Mans races left, while Alonso is set to compete in his second showing in Indianapolis at the end of May.
The two-time champion hopes to remain with Toyota in some capacity but is keeping his options open.
F1 RETURN STILL POSSIBLE
The Spaniard said: “My idea is not to come back [to F1]. When I said last year bye-bye, it was because I felt this chapter was already complete.
“Coming back is not in the plan.
“But if something happens and a great opportunity arrives, I will probably consider it. I don’t close any doors to anything in the future.”
This would be a boost to Spain’s chances of maintaining their Grand Prix in the F1 calendar, after it was revealed that it could be replaced by Holland next season.
Meanwhile, Alonso still has connections with McLaren, currently holding a advisory role with the Woking-based team while he will be driving under the team banner at Indy 500.
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And while his Formula One career may not be completely over, the Spaniard is focused on emulating Hill’s legendary feat after announcing he is leaving Toyota’s endurance racing team.
Alonso said: “Winning Le Mans is one of the highlights of my career as part of my Triple Crown challenge and I will always remember that victory, which we achieved together as a team last year.”
The Spaniard’s seat at Toyota will be taken by New Zealand’s Brendon Hartly – who spent last season at Toro Rosso, having already won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and World Endurance Championship in 2017.