Skip to main content

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Recommended for you

Watch live: Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers – Verstappen in action in Race 2

GT
Watch live: Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers – Verstappen in action in Race 2

Nurburgring 24h Qualifiers: Ferrari takes Pole as Verstappen lines up fifth

NLS
24H-Q1
Nurburgring 24h Qualifiers: Ferrari takes Pole as Verstappen lines up fifth

Why Sargeant is "desensitised to F1" ahead of WEC debut

WEC
Imola
Why Sargeant is "desensitised to F1" ahead of WEC debut

Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers: Aston Martin sets fastest time in second qualifying

NLS
24H-Q1
Nurburgring 24 Hours Qualifiers: Aston Martin sets fastest time in second qualifying

Supercars Christchurch: Payne completes Ford clean sweep with dominant win

Supercars
Christchurch Super 440
Supercars Christchurch: Payne completes Ford clean sweep with dominant win

Renger van der Zande and Meyer Shank Racing win Long Beach IMSA race

IMSA
Long Beach
Renger van der Zande and Meyer Shank Racing win Long Beach IMSA race

Driver dies following multi-car crash in Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers race

Endurance
Driver dies following multi-car crash in Nürburgring 24h Qualifiers race

What’s going on at Aston Martin – and how does the team find a way out of its hole?

Feature
Formula 1
What’s going on at Aston Martin – and how does the team find a way out of its hole?

Alonso says he is not interested in a return to McLaren F1 team

Fernando Alonso insists he is not interested in returning to McLaren, while adding that he bears no grudges from his turbulent 2007 season there

With McLaren evaluating potential replacements for Sergio Perez and considering a move for Alonso, the Spaniard downplayed the attraction of a return to the team.

He stressed that it was the team's philosophy of letting him and Lewis Hamilton fight for a 2007 title that Kimi Raikkonen ultimately pipped them to that he had a problem with.

Alonso hinted that the fact that Ron Dennis stood down from the team principal position in 2009 to focus on his role as executive chairman of McLaren Group removed a source of tension.

Alonso and McLaren: why it didn't work

But when asked whether team principal Martin Whitmarsh's positive comments about him made a return to McLaren in 2014 or '15 tempting, Alonso replied: "Not really. I repeat it more or less every weekend and I keep repeating it, I love Ferrari and I will stay at Ferrari until the end.

"It's nice to hear comments from all the team principals every year saying they respect my job and professionalism, especially McLaren.

"There were so many rumours that we had a lot of problems that year [2007] but I always said that there are no problems with anyone, it was just the philosophy of the team, especially one man in the team that is not there [anymore].

"It is good to have these comments but there is no intention. I have three more years with Ferrari and I hope many more to come if we can extend the contract and that would be my hope."

Alonso insists that he backs Ferrari's decision to recruit Raikkonen to partner him next season.

"Of course," he said when asked if he is happy to be paired with Raikkonen. "I was pushing a lot for that decision and finally they took Kimi.

"Together with Felipe [Massa], I have had four fantastic years and when the team decided to change Felipe, in the market Kimi, in my opinion, was the best option for next year.

"But what we need to do now is fight for the 2013 championship."

Previous article Singapore GP practice quotes: Mercedes
Next article Singapore GP practice quotes: Toro Rosso

Top Comments

Latest news