Brown: Alonso "undoubtedly an F1 great"

McLaren CEO Zak Brown has paid tribute to Fernando Alonso after the McLaren driver announced his impending retirement at the end of the 2018 Formula One season.

Alonso announced his planned retirement from F1 in a press conference yesterday, with the possibility of him making the jump to IndyCar to complete the Triple Crown an overwhelming possibility.

After the announcement, Brown told media that Alonso was one of the best drivers of his generation.

“Fernando is not only an outstanding ambassador for McLaren but also for Formula 1. His 17 years in the sport, as arguably the pre-eminent driver of his generation and undoubtedly an F1 great, have added another layer to Formula 1’s rich history.

“There is a time for everyone to make a change and Fernando has decided the end of this season to be his. We respect his decision, even if we believe he is in the finest form of his career. Our open dialogue with Fernando has meant we could plan for this eventuality.

“While evaluating his future during the past months, Fernando’s competitiveness has been undimmed. He has continued to perform at the highest level throughout, as we know he will do in the remaining nine races of this year’s championship.

“I know that the entire team joins me in paying tribute to Fernando’s enormous contribution to McLaren; he is a legend both for the championship and for the team. Fernando is an important part of our story and will join an illustrious line of McLaren drivers. On behalf of Shaikh Mohammed, Mansour and our entire board, we wish Fernando every success in the future.”

Alonso is set to retire from F1 with just two world championships to his name. Despite not being an easy feat in any case, two world titles seem to do little justice to just how great Alonso is behind the wheel of an F1 car.