Fernando Alonso’s exit from F1 is sad, but expected

Watching Fernando Alonso drive is one of the most simultaneously relaxing and exciting things in all of sports. The current McLaren Formula One driver confirmed he plans to retire from the sport at the end of the 2018 season, ending his F1 career with a whimper rather than a title charge. And it’s through no fault of his own.

Alonso, one of the most gifted racing drivers on the planet, trusted that McLaren was heading in the right direction when he signed on with the team, but instead he was treated to some of the least-reliable and worst-performing cars of his career.

From the ill-fated deal to source new engines from Honda to the promises that switching back to Renault power units will give their lauded chassis a competitive edge, his team was wrong at every turn.

As it turns out, the chassis isn’t that good, and working conditions at McLaren don’t appear to be much better. There are some very talented and dedicated engineers and mechanics who are hamstrung by poor management above them. Many at McLaren wanted to give Alonso the best car, or at the very least a competitive one, but the goal was never realized.

He won F1 world championships in 2005 and 2006 with Renault, but hasn’t won a race in five years due to a car that simply isn’t competitive at all. He has been a runner-up in the championship race three times. His first championship was the one that ended five years of utter dominance by Michael Schumacher.

And instead of the joy and excitement F1 fans are supposed to get from watching Alonso drive, they saw a former champion and fan-favorite slowly erode away. He’s an unbelievably talented driver — arguably the best on the grid currently and definitely one of the best ever — and watching him struggle to get his car into even a points finish was just sad.

He also defended McLaren constantly, interspersed with poking fun at his team’s early struggles. He’s always been a character, and that’s why fans love him. He’s fun and quirky, but even he was basically broken by this season. He still has tried to defend McLaren and even after his announcement has thanked the team profusely, but his frustrations have been loud and obvious. He says he’s happy, and I hope that’s true, but he still deserved much, much better.

In F1, Alonso consistently beats his teammates and he gets every bit of performance out of what he’s given, and that’s a big sign that his best racing days could still be ahead of him.

On top of that, Alonso has been taking part in other racing series. He currently leads the 2018-19 WEC championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing, winning both the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. His team may not have won the latter race if not for an incredible night drive from Alonso. There is the remainder of the ongoing F1 season, but there aren’t many expectations for McLaren at this point, with the title primarily being contested by Mercedes and Ferrari.

He also raced in the 2017 Indy 500, and looked fantastic despite it being his first time competing in IndyCar. Alonso reportedly wasn’t sure what mode the car was supposed to be in seconds before that race started, yet he was on track for a high finish, potentially even a win, before his Honda car suffered a failure and he did not complete the race.

His raw talent was on display at the Indy 500, and many have speculated that Alonso could take a proper run at IndyCar next season, or even another racing series. It would be wonderful if a more competitive F1 team had a spot for him and if he’d be willing to go to that team, but that doesn’t appear to be an option. Either way, he’s not done driving completely, and that’s a huge relief because he’s too good to retire altogether.