Fernando Alonso has rejected the long-standing perception that he divides Formula 1 teams, insisting he always supported Ferrari throughout five demanding seasons in Maranello. The two-time world champion also clarified that he has not yet decided when he will retire, saying his priority is to continue feeling fast and competitive.
Speaking in an extensive interview with Mundo Deportivo, Fernando Alonso addressed the speculation surrounding his future that had attracted considerable attention in Spain following his Thursday press conference in Barcelona. The Spaniard, whose remarkably long Formula 1 career has included two world championships and five seasons with Ferrari, made clear that no final retirement decision has been taken.
Fernando Alonso remains undecided about Formula 1 retirement
“For me, the important thing is to feel competitive and to feel fast. I still feel that way,” Fernando Alonso explained. “I have not yet decided when I will stop. I don’t know whether it will be this year, next year or in three years.”
His comments leave the timeframe open, with the decision apparently depending upon whether he continues to believe he can compete at the level he expects of himself.
Fernando Alonso rejects his team-breaker reputation
Fernando Alonso then sought to address an accusation that has followed him for several years: the suggestion that he can divide a team. That reputation has occasionally been portrayed as a factor that limited his career opportunities, but the Spanish driver believes his record tells a different story.
“If I look back at the three or four years with McLaren-Honda, we were at the back with a genuine power-unit problem,” Fernando Alonso said.
“It seems as though Fernando Alonso was the only one complaining about the engine because there was the famous team radio message at Suzuka. Jenson Button’s radio comments were like that every weekend, but they were not made public and remained inside the team, as mine should have done.”
The message Fernando Alonso referenced became one of the defining moments of his difficult McLaren-Honda period. However, he argued that the public response did not reflect the wider reality within the team or how other drivers discussed its performance problems over the radio.
Why Fernando Alonso says he always supported Ferrari
Fernando Alonso also used his Ferrari career as evidence that he has consistently stood behind the teams he represented, even during painful periods without championship success.
“I have not always won during my career,” Fernando Alonso said. “I spent five years with Ferrari and lost two world championships at the final race. I don’t think I ever said anything, did I? I always supported Ferrari, and we were a team. We were a united force, and thanks to that strength, we fought against Red Bull.”
Fernando Alonso raced for the Scuderia from 2010 to 2014 and entered the final round with a chance of winning the Drivers’ Championship in both 2010 and 2012. He has since described the latter as his best Formula 1 season, despite ultimately losing the title to Sebastian Vettel.
“After my entire career, it surprises me that people think I am only supporting the team now, because that is what I have always tried to do,” Fernando Alonso concluded.
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