Alonso keen to remain at Ferrari

Fernando Alonso has no intention of turning his back on Formula One
6 September 2013

Fernando Alonso is ready to end his career with Ferrari.

Double world champion Alonso was recently linked with the Red Bull seat due to be vacated by Mark Webber at the end of the year and which has since now been taken up by Daniel Ricciardo.

Alonso, however, has dismissed suggestions he attempted to engineer a move to one of Ferrari's bitter rivals and instead is willing to see out his current contract with the Maranello marque and beyond.

In delivering a positive, timely message to the Ferrari fans ahead of this weekend's Italian Grand Prix at Monza, Alonso said: "They were only rumours, a lot of rumours..

"There were rumours about Red Bull, there were rumours in Italy about a sabbatical year, there were so many rumours.

"I still have three and a half more years with Ferrari which I intend to respect, hopefully to increase a little, to finish my career with the best team in the world.

"At the moment we are not achieving the results we want, but we are working very hard.

"Next year we have completely new rules which obviously open the door for many teams to stop the domination Red Bull has had over the last couple of years, so we have high hopes for next year's challenge."

The suggestion this week, in taking up ownership of a cycling team - Euskaltel Euskadi - is that Alonso is slowly starting to divert his attention away from Formula One.

Given his love of cycling, Alonso has stepped in to rescue the cash-strapped Basque-based squad, which he concedes is an "ambitious project".

But he is adamant he can manage both the team and his career as he said: "I want to bring to Formula One the best things cycling has taught me in terms of sacrifice, determination, discipline, training.

"And I want to bring to my cycling team the best things of Formula One in terms of organisation, image marketing, professionalism.

"But to give up Formula One for a year to concentrate on my cycling team is not an option.

"I'm in the best moment of my career, with the best experience and performing at the best time. I will not miss any opportunity now.

"I know I'll still be in very good shape for maybe four, five more years, so I will give 100 per cent of my passion to motor sport and my career.

"After that I will see what condition I am in and if I'm performing well.

"If I'm not feeling good any more, maybe I will think about things, but as I've said, I will be 100 per cent committed for the next four or five years."

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