Fernando Alonso’s future has regularly been a source of speculation in Formula 1, particularly through 2017, when his immense talent was clearly wasted in an inferior car.
Alonso ultimately committed to McLaren off the back of its split with Honda, with the partnership falling apart after three seasons of sub-par reliability and performance.
McLaren regularly boasted of having a top-line chassis in recent campaigns, pinning its deficit on Honda, but its MCL33 – which features the same Renault power as Red Bull – has fallen short of expectations.
Alonso has made an unfortunate knack of failing to get in title-winning machinery in Formula 1, and it is one of the sport’s anomalies that he is without a title since 2006, and winless in five years.
Now aged 36, Alonso surely faces more tough decisions as he enters the twilight of his career while chasing the coveted triple-crown of motorsport. Therefore, what options are on the table?
Remaining in Formula 1
Alonso has a comfortable seat at McLaren, holding substantial sway within the team – his own clothing company adorns a prestigious sponsor spot on the rear wing of the car and on team apparel. But how long will it take McLaren to become competitive at the sharp end of the grid? Short-term, such aspirations appear fanciful.
Mercedes is happy with its current line-up and, even if it does not opt to retain Valtteri Bottas, it has options above Alonso in its own pecking order.
Ferrari? Alonso left on rocky ground in 2014, albeit with the caveat of the involvement of different management, who were keen to split ties in order to recruit Sebastian Vettel. Vettel is contracted through 2020 and is happy with Kimi Raikkonen, who is performing ably and can continue to do so until the team feels Charles Leclerc is ready.
Red Bull is not an option either due to their mantra of promoting from within – turning down the team in 2008, in hindsight, was not necessarily the best decision ever made…
And as for elsewhere? Renault would provide Alonso with a nice career symmetry but a driver of his prestige would place unnecessary pressure on a team still ostensibly in the midfield, with wage demands potentially too lofty.
Should he want to stay, it is likely to be with McLaren – unless he springs a surprise – but if he leaves F1, where else could he want to go?
IndyCar
It's safe to say Alonso enjoyed his time in Gasoline Alley in 2017, riding through on his skateboard with a huge smile on his face as enjoyed the freedom of the IndyCar paddock, and reveled in the entire experience of the Indianapolis 500.
While his efforts during the the race ended with an engine failure with just 19 laps to go, his exploits during practice, qualifying, and the race acted as a reminder of Alonso’s guile and adaptability, while the entire ‘journey’ captured the attention of millions.
His IndyCar rivals were impressed by the speed at which he adapted to the nuanced demands of the 500-miler, and relished going wheel-to-wheel with a Formula 1 champion.
Winning is what Alonso (and any driver)desires, and with IndyCar becoming an ever-tightening and competitive series, the lure of that battle for competition in a spec-series will surely be an attractive proposition.
McLaren recently hired Gil de Ferran as a consultant as it evaluates the possibility of a full-time IndyCar return, with Zak Brown confirmed it is “under review”. Even if a full-time entry does not happen, it is improbable that Alonso will not, at least, attempt the Indianapolis 500 in the future, especially as one motivating factor for not returning in 2018.
WEC
When it was announced that Alonso would form part of Toyota's line-up for the 2018-2019 WEC ‘Super Season’, it was something of a surprise.
Alonso had long been tipped to enter the Le Mans 24 Hours (he tried to persuade Ferrari pre-2014 and was in talks for Porsche’s 2015 before being denied), but the full WEC campaign was less mooted.
Even if he wins at Le Mans to add the second section of his Triple Crown dream, could his stay in the WEC be extended further?
Alonso relishes different challenges and is willing to showcase his ability in other series – a mindset that some other F1 drivers do not have.
With Toyota currently the only current manufacturer in the LMP1 category, remaining with the team would offer a clear advantage in his search for future success. Winning the 6 Hours of Spa with Sebastien Buemi and Kazuki Nakajima proved that.
A future in sportscars is certainly not something he would rule out, however, maintaining a factory seat to run at Le Mans is pivotal to success. Nico Hulkenberg’s 2015 win with Porsche, in a third car, was the exception, not the rule.
Summary
There are options available to Alonso should he wish to step away from F1 – though that would still come as a shock to many, even as he approaches the 300 Grands Prix mark.
Alonso remains a hugely competitive being, perhaps even more so off the back of his slim pickings in recent years.
For him to succeed elsewhere would cement his place in motorsport folklore, while simultaneously acting as a reminder of what he missed in Formula 1.
