Two-time world champion and former Scuderia Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso announced on Tuesday that he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season after his recent struggles with underachieving McLaren. The 37-year-old Spaniard — who has 32 Grand Prix wins to his credit in 17 seasons — has become increasingly disenchanted with Formula One as the once all-powerful McLaren team have fallen way off the pace.
Fernando Alonso, whose first win came in the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix but who hasn’t won since the Spanish Grand Prix five years ago when he was racing for the Maranello team, says new challenges await. The former Ferrari star is known to be keen to complete the ‘Triple Crown’ of world Formula One champion, winning the 24 Hour Le Mans race and the Indy500 — he has achieved the first two of those aims: “Let’s see what the future brings; new exciting challenges are around the corner” – said Fernando Alonso.
While many fans, pundits and fellow drivers have taken to social media to laud Fernando Alonso, former Scuderia Ferrari driver Jody Scheckter, who won the Formula One Drivers’ Championship back in 1979 with the Maranello team, feels “people overrate him” and doesn’t agree he’s in the same category as Michael Schumacher: “I think people overrate him. He seems to upset the teams and that’s not the way to win World Championships.” – Jody Scheckter said, as reported earlier today by BBC Radio 5 Live.
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