Those back-to-back title in 2005 and 2006 seem a lifetime ago, and in terms of an F1 drivers career in many ways they were.

And while fans and many within the sport ponder whether Fernando Alonso will remain in F1 in 2019 for an eighteenth season or head to IndyCar or WEC, the Spaniard claims it is not having a title-winning or race-winning car that will help him make his decision but rather the direction he feels the sport is taking.

Currently joint eighth in the driver standings, courtesy of a string of points finishes, yet none of them higher than fifth, when asked how much longer he could continue knowing he was not in a position to fight for wins, the Spaniard replied: "I think it has been up and down...

"I think the last possibility of the last championship car we had was 2007," he continued, according to ESPN. "The rest has been always quite far off from the performance of the top and the winning team of that season.

"We're now eleven years after that moment, so I don't think it's a problem," he added, "but I think the biggest thing for me is to think about the direction Formula One is going and I don't think too much about how competitive we'll be next year as it is impossible to predict. It is just about the sport.

"When you see again the grid in Canada there were two Mercedes, two Ferraris, two Red Bulls, two Force Indias and two Renaults in Q3. It is a constructors' world championship and not a drivers' world championship so it is something I need to decide."

Asked if those two titles were enough to prove his talent, he replied: "No not really I think there are opportunities missed in the past, and we could have won probably four or five championships by I think seven points one time, and then three or something like that.

"But at the same time I feel extremely privileged to have these 18 years in F1 and I know there are drivers here that I race against, I see them on the track, I see their talent, I see their previous categories, and they've never even reached a podium.

"I see my teammate now, I see Nico, I see Carlos. I see a lot of talented drivers that they didn't score a podium. At the same time, we missed some opportunities as I said but I'm happy with the things that I've done."

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READERS COMMENTS

1. Posted by Spindoctor, 15/06/2018 12:08

"Alonso has really grown in stature recently as a 'Sportsman'. His comments are spot-on and the 'owners'of F1 would do well to listen. I'm sure they won't - what does a World Champion with 18 years experience know compared to a media tycoon?"

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2. Posted by imejl99, 15/06/2018 8:04

"Ever since Grosjean-took-him-out-at-Spa season it is opinions, sunbathing, going to the grandstands, Indy, Le Mans... anything but F1 relevance. Sad."

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3. Posted by YuppieScum, 14/06/2018 21:38

"GrahamG: Don't forget that Pirelli are making the tyres to the specification that FIA/FOM ask for, and FIA/FOM decide which compounds get used at each circuit.

It's also worth remembering that the "must use two types of tyre during a dry race" rule was demanded by BridgeStone when they became the sole tyre supplier, as otherwise they wouldn't get a mention during race commentary.

Pirelli are in an invidious situation - when they are told to make tyres that wear out quickly, they get the blame when drivers can't push. When they're told to make long-lasting tyres, they get the blame for dull races. When teams run the tyres at too-low pressure, or put them on backwards, and they go bang, they get the blame.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if Pirelli choose not to renew the contract for 2020. Don't forget they almost didn't sign for 2017-19.
"

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4. Posted by ESTM PRFT, 14/06/2018 19:51

"It's very interesting the three talented drivers that he specifically mentioned that have never had a podium [yet, I hope]."

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5. Posted by GrahamG, 14/06/2018 18:32

"Actually its a tyre makers championship - whoever manages to make the tyre work in spite of Pirelli's best efforts has an advantage"

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6. Posted by nonickname, 14/06/2018 17:06

"There was once a team who said,
The car is so good a monkey could win in it...."

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7. Posted by Liam III, 14/06/2018 16:14

"He hits the nail on the head. "its a constructors championship, not a drivers championship". The best team with the best "car" wins, simple. "

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Alonso fears direction F1 is taking

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