Fernando Alonso will quit McLaren if it doesn’t show winning form
Fernando Alonso has sown more doubts about his future at McLaren by saying that the team will have to prove by September that it can win races if he is to stay on.
His comments could also be seen as the latest ultimatum for Honda as the team considers its future with the Japanese manufacturer, amid rumors that it could switch back to Mercedes power.
“We have to win,” said Alonso. “You know, if we are winning before September or something like that I will make a decision and I will stay.”
When it was suggested that everyone knew that wasn’t going to happen he said: “You never know. You cannot be 100 percent now in June about a decision for next year that I don’t even start to consider.
“What we all want is to win and, related to the answer before, what Zak (Brown, McLaren F1 boss) commented yesterday and the Honda thing is probably what you will expect Zak to say. He wants to win; he wants to put McLaren again on a contender position for the championship. So, y’know, after three years we are not in that position.
“Things have to change, I guess, for the team. And the same with me. I want to win, and I joined this project because I wanted to be World Champion and we are not in that position. So, if you don’t see things changing and you are not in a competitive position, maybe you change projects. That’s the only think that I can say now, until I sit down with myself in September, October or whatever – after the summer as I always said, I cannot say 100 percent about anything now. The best decision I will take after summer.”
Alonso said his Indy 500 experience had not had any influence on his long-term plans.
“Not really," Alonso said. "I’ve said many times in F1, a third world championship is still my biggest priority. I think I developed my skills to drive F1 cars for the last 16 years, so it’s the best thing that I can drive. The best car that I can drive is still Formula One.
“It’s another time that I jump in any car in any categories with any tires, with any rules, that I go there and I’m competitive, so I’m not afraid of the future," he added. "If I cannot succeed here and win this third world championship, I’m still loving motor racing and I will race in any series. I know that I can win any series.”
