Fernando Alonso has said that he will retire when his spell with McLaren comes to a close, according to The Sun.
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The 33-year-old has a three-year partnership with the Woking based giants, but has decided on a date to draw the curtain on his long and successful career.
After making his debut with Minardi in 2001, he has decided against staying in the sport as a manager or a team boss.
“I started with a McLaren-Honda replica built by my father when I was three years old and I will finish with a McLaren-Honda, but the real one in Formula One,” he said.
“It completed the circle and that will be one third of my life with a great experience, with great memories, great friendships.
“But the normal life will start the day I retired and I don’t think I will see myself here as a manager or following the sport.
“I think after 15, or 16, or 17 years in Formula One is enough. It’s probably the same example as with Ferrari. I will close that part of my life.”
His luck in the sport has taken somewhat of a dip recently, after retiring from the Malaysian Grand Prix with technical problems, allowing his replacement, Sebastian Vettel, win the race for rivals Ferrari.
He also suffered a mysterious crash during pre-season testing in Barcelona, which eventually forced him to miss the Australian GP shortly after.
However, he has insisted that he holds no regrets about leaving Ferrari to join the under-performing McLaren.
“With Ferrari, I finished second [in the championship] three times and I didn’t really want to finish second a fourth time.
“Maybe, if they win the championship at the end of the year, I will have a different opinion, but, if they finish second, or finish third, I am happy with the decision [to leave].”
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