Abu Dhabi: Retirement-bound Fernando Alonso qualified 15th on Saturday for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and then hinted that it may not be his last Formula One race.
The two-time world champion, who will be succeeded at McLaren next season by fellow Spaniard Carlos Sainz, announced earlier this season that he was leaving Formula One, claiming the sport was too predictable. But buoyed by an encouraging qualifying run for McLaren, the 37-year-old suggested he might take a break and return to F1 in the future.
“We’ve been very competitive this weekend and were pessimistic for Q1. We somehow managed to go to Q2 and that’s good,’ he said. ‘My priorities are to finish the race and to see the chequered flag. If we can be in the points, that will be in the dream. We are five places away now.”
Asked about his future, he said: “I needed a break and I need to find something else to do. But I’m open after that maybe I do another F1 season, or somewhere else.”
Alonso will race for McLaren in the United States next season when he bids to win the Indianapolis 500 and complete a rare treble of triumphs in that event, the Monaco Grand Prix and the Le Mans 24-Hours race.