Former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber believes Fernando Alonso could quit mid-season if McLaren and engine partner Honda show no signs of improvement, following two difficult seasons and many false promises.
The third year of McLaren and Honda's partnership was billed as the season they would challenge for podiums at minimum, but once again Alonso and team-mate Stoffel Vandoorne have found themselves struggling, fighting backmarkers and not knowing if they'll even see the checkered flag.
Alonso, who Webber described as "frustrated as hell" with the situation, has repeatedly insisted his commitment to the project and to F1, but Webber believes the two-time champion could call it a day before the end of the season.
"Maybe Fernando won't be there the whole year. Maybe Stoffel will have a different team-mate at some point," Webber told Belgium's Sporza.
"Fernando might not do the whole year, you never know. He's frustrated like hell. He doesn't want to finish even seventh or sixth.Fernando mentally is a long way away from where he wants to be.
"It's not like that for Stoffel, where maybe points for him is quite nice. Fernando is not interested in points, he wants to fight for the podium."
Webber says the situation for Vandoorne isn't as bad and won't be damaging to his career, at least not in the short-term, as he can still learn a lot despite having a slow and unreliable car.
"He [Vandoorne] can still learn in the background, so it's not such a bad scenario for him, because the focus is not really on him," added Webber.
"The focus is on the team, the politics and the problems with Honda."
