F1 a "weak show" - Why Alonso quit the sport...

As Fernando Alonso’s final race in F1 looms large, a long and fruitful career is coming to an end, and now Alonso has revealed the real reason he decided to end his long career in the sport.

The Spaniard made his debut in 2001 with Minardi and it wasn’t long before he was winning races, his first coming for Renault in Hungary in 2003.

Two titles in 2005 and 2006 followed, with many more expected, but it hasn’t quite gone the way he hoped it would and he has failed to add to that tally, spending the last five years with McLaren, where he has failed to even score a podium.

He needs one point to reach 1,900 in the sport in Abu Dhabi, and has revealed why he decided to quit F1.

Ahead of the Shanghai 6 hour WEC event, Alonso told Speedweek: “What happens now is not the Formula 1 that inspired me to be a race driver. I quit Formula 1 because I think it’s a weak show. We talk more about what happens off track than on track. We talk about politics and silly radio messages.”

“I could write down the results of the first 15 positions for the next race, maybe with a few misses. I find it hard to accept how predictable it has all become. I hope to find more racing satisfaction and enjoyment in other series.”

Alonso’s concerns are shared by plenty of others, and it is hoped that the new rules that are being phased in over the next few years will level the field and make F1 less predictable.