Fernando retirement rumours?

[Scott]

Keep in mind the source - Piquet Jr.  I would bet that if Piquet was really a close friend of Alonso's, he wouldn't be spilling a bombshell like this to the press, and if he's not a close friend, I doubt he is privy to what is going on in Alonso's mind.

33 is not over the hill for an F1 driver anymore, and he must have known even when he first looked at the Mclaren/Honda deal that he would need to commit for the long term to see any chance of a WDC.

My take on this is somebody asked Piquet what he thinks might be going on with Alonso at the moment and he simply gave his opinion.  Nobody knows better than us that the break between the season opening fly-aways and the European season always makes the journalists hungry.

That said, if Alonso is seriously giving up on F1 simply because he and his management have made horrendous choices over the years, well I won't remember him as possibly the most talented driver F1 has ever seen (as I think of him now), but as a quitter with poor judgement.  Put your head down, work hard and stick with Mclaren for at least a few years.  Then go and join RBR and try again.

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/32503163

[Jericoke]

Agreed on all counts

I do think that as much skill as Alonso has on track, he has a complete lack of it off track (compared to say Hamilton's ability to be at the right team at the right time).

I'm sure that spending a decade jumping from one awkward arrangement to the next has got to be taxing for an elite level athlete.  I would suspect that he did confide in Piquet Jr, but that it was more of a friendly chat than a genuine plan for the future.  We've all reminisced with old friends and said stuff that isn't really true or false, but just... thoughts about what could be.

[John S]

This talk of retirement is poppycock IMHO. Nando knew darn well that it would take at least a year, maybe two, for Macca to get on par with the leaders. Why else would he have signed a 3 year deal - don't say it's because it's all Ron  offered - he could've taken a sabbatical and then made a deal at any of the top teams again next year if he needed some R&R so much. 

[Scott]

Blah blah blah...and then Massa came to the mic.  I think Massa has even less insight into Alonso's thoughts, so this is even fluffier than the Piquet bit.  Maybe it's by the same reporter initially.

http://thisisf1.com/2015/05/01/alonso-could-quit-if-mclaren-honda-stagnates-massa/

[Irisado]

I don't buy any of this gossip.  Alonso knew that McLaren would not be competitive immediately, and so I don't think that he is contemplating retirement.  There hasn't been a great deal to talk about so far this season, so it seems to me that some people in the media are searching for a story.

[lkjohnson1950]

The McLaren-Honda has shown steady improvement every race so far. They should soon be solidly in the mid field. I think Alonso might have been disappointed at how far behind they were to start the season, but he should be pleased with the progress they have made. Why would he endure the bad times then retire when the car should be coming good?

[Scott]

Why would he endure the bad times then retire when the car should be coming good?

Hard habit to break...it's kind of what he does