Alonso explains McLaren, F1 exit

Fernando Alonso has explained that the predictable nature of modern Formula 1 is behind his decision to quit the series at the end of the year. Alonso has not won a grand prix since 2013, seeing a high-profile return to McLaren in 2015 fall flat as the team have struggled with both Honda and Renault power units.

A trip to IndyCar is thought to await for Alonso as he goes in search of the 'Triple Crown' by adding victory at the Indianapolis 500 to Monaco Grand Prix and Le Mans 24 Hours wins.

A clutch of fifth-place finishes have represented Alonso's best result since his McLaren comeback, which has coincided with Mercedes' and Lewis Hamilton's dominance of F1 that has been challenged by Ferrari in 2018.

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"The action on track is not the one I dreamed of when I joined F1, or when I was in different series, or the action on track that I experienced in other years," Alonso said at Silverstone, where he will compete in this weekend's World Endurance Championship round.

"I stopped because the action on track in my opinion I feel is very poor. In fact, what we talk about more in F1, is off track.

"We talk about polemics. We talk about radio messages. We talk about all these things, and when we talk so many times about those things, it is a bad sign.

"It is because the on-track action was very poor on that weekend, and that is what I feel in F1 now, and I think there are other series that maybe offer better action, more joy and more happiness, so that is what I try to find."

Alonso says his personal struggles are not the reason for his decision to quit.

"When I was in 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011, I was not winning [many] races in those years. But it was difficult to predict what could happen in Spa and Monza," he added.

"Now, we can write down what is going to happen at Spa and Monza. We can put the first 15 positions with maybe one or two mistakes. So how predictable everything became is tough.

"We go to Barcelona and we test the first day of winter testing and you know what you will do until November in Abu Dhabi and it is tough.

"For me, it is not too much of a problem because after 18 years, as I said before, I achieved more than what I dreamed of.

"But for young drivers or different drivers, it is tough because they just hope that next year the team does an unbelievable step or they receive a call from one or two teams. It became difficult for ambitious drivers.

"[For] a driver with some kind of ambition, it will be tough for the future if things don't change."