Fernando Alonso returned to McLaren to make up for 2007 F1 season

Fernando Alonso says that he has returned to McLaren to finish the job he started in 2007, having described that year as the lowest point of his Formula 1 career.
The two-time world champion has rejoined the team he left in acrimonious circumstances seven years ago, and he says that the disappointment of that campaign is part of the reason behind him wanting to return for 2015.
"It was not the best feeling in 2007," Alonso said at the McLaren Technology Centre on Thursday.
"But in all the years since, inside I only had one thing remaining in Formula 1 to do.
"I was happy with everything I have done apart from 2007. I didn't achieve or deliver the best of myself.
"So now, some years later, you are more mature, you learn things, you understand things you didn't know at 25 years old.
"Now I arrive to finish the job that I started in 2007. This was the first and the main priority to come back."
McLaren boss Ron Dennis, who was at the centre of the storm with Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in 2007, said that the passing of time had relieved any tension from that year.
"In Formula 1 seven weeks is a lifetime - seven years is a huge amount of time," he said.
"I know the media will be looking for any kind of fracture in any part of the team's relationship, and especially Fernando and I.
"But I can tell you you'll be wasting your time. It isn't an issue.
"You always have challenges between drivers - I had them with Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna several times - but this one [2007] got away from us.
"I look back on my contribution to that with exactly the same emotion that Fernando expressed.
"You regret the mistakes you make in your life and sometimes you can't change what's happened.

"So could I have engineered a way out of it? I probably could have dealt with it better."
HAMILTON'S ROLE IN 2007
Dennis added that he believes Hamilton was a key player in the problems at McLaren escalating in 2007, rather than Alonso being solely to blame.
"To go back to that period, you look at this young guy, understandably perceived by many people as the chosen one," he said.
"But [he was] also someone who had immaturity, and really, who struck the first blow?
"I would say Lewis had his role to play in starting this process which escalated."
Alonso added: "As long as you are honest with yourself and you learn from the things you did, it's time to think of the future.
"This is not any more 2007 McLaren-Mercedes, this is McLaren-Honda which is a completely different thing in my opinion.
"Jenson [Button] is not Lewis, and I am not the same as in 2007.
"I am sitting here ready for this challenge because I see no problems at all and I see this as a winning project."

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone 'disappointed' in Sebastian Vettel

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says he is disappointed in Sebastian Vettel for the way he behaved during his difficult 2014 campaign.
Ecclestone, who has been a long-time supporter of Vettel, believes the German adopted the wrong approach in getting frustrated by the troubles he had with poor reliability and a down-on-power Renault engine.
"I'm a super supporter of Sebastian, but I'm a little bit disappointed with his attitude, which I think has changed," said Ecclestone, in the foreword to the official Formula 1 season review.
"He's acting like a defeated guy, and he isn't - that's not his mentality.
"He's a competitive guy. He doesn't like losing at backgammon. Unfortunately, when he plays me, he does."
Ecclestone also suggests that Fernando Alonso could have acted better during a troubled second half to the season that resulted in him parting ways with Ferrari.
"Ferrari was very disappointing, getting lost somewhere," added Ecclestone.
"Fernando got a little bit like Sebastian halfway through, so I'm a little disappointed in him, too."

MERCEDES BATTLE SAVED SEASON
Ecclestone reckons, on the back of Mercedes' dominance, 2014 could have been a terrible season if the Brackley-based outfit had not let its drivers race against each other.
"If we hadn't been lucky with Nico [Rosberg] and Lewis [Hamilton] racing each other and one of them had got away and been dominant, the season would have been over by Silverstone," he said.
"I thought perhaps Ferrari or Red Bull or one of the other teams would catch up halfway through the season and make up a few points at the end
"We've been extremely lucky with what happened, these two guys have been racing each other and it's good that Mercedes allowed them to do that.
"If not, we would have had a really lousy championship."

Fernando Alonso admits leaving Ferrari F1 team was very difficult

Fernando Alonso says the decision to split with Ferrari and join Formula 1 rival McLaren next season was "very difficult".
McLaren has yet to officially confirm Alonso's deal to come back to Woking, while debate continues over whether Jenson Button or Kevin Magnussen should partner the Spaniard, but Alonso has finalised his own terms.
Although Alonso's relationship with Ferrari broke down over the summer, amid his overtures to rival teams and internal restructuring at Maranello, the double world champion said he was sad to be turning his back on the Scuderia after five seasons together.
"It is very difficult to close the door on Ferrari knowing that I will not work in this red colour next year," Alonso said following November's Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"That's a very, very difficult decision to make, but I guess that was the same for Felipe [Massa] last year - after a long relationship saying bye-bye to the team.
"But I miss being on the podium, I miss to celebrate with champagne, I miss to celebrate winning races, winning titles, and I think a new project for me will bring that possibility closer.
"Maybe not in one year's time, but in the future I have no doubts I will fight again."
Alonso said it would be tough for any team to topple the dominant Mercedes in 2015, but the Spaniard said he hoped his own results would be better after scoring just two podiums in 2014.
"I think with the Mercedes form this year, it is going to be tough for any team to recover that gap," Alonso added.
"But I hope to do better, and I hope to enjoy some battles, and podium positions, and a better performance."
NOT RULING OUT FERRARI RETURN
Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel will replace Alonso at Ferrari next year, but Alonso did not rule out returning to the Italian team in the future.
"I went from Renault to McLaren, and then I went back to Renault; I come to Ferrari, maybe I come back to the team," Alonso said.
"It seems the people who work with me give me one door open when it is normally the opposite of what I read - that I am very difficult to work with.
"At the end of the day, the teams I work with I can come back [to], so that is a good sign.
"At the moment it's not an option [to come back to Ferrari], because obviously if you say bye-bye you do not think five minutes later 'I will come back'."

Sergio Perez commits to "multi-year" deal with Force India F1 team

Sergio Perez will remain with the Force India Formula 1 team in 2015 after announcing a "multi-year contract" with the squad.
The Mexican joined the Silverstone-based team this season after a difficult season with McLaren last year.
Perez is currently 12th in the standings with 47 points and a best finish of third in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
Force India announced at the end of last month that it would also retain Nico Hulkenberg, meaning the team will have an unchanged line-up in 2015.
"I am delighted that Checo will continue with us," said team boss Vijay Mallya. "He's a true racer who has done a fantastic job for us this season. The whole team has been impressed with his speed and racecraft, as well as his role away from the track."
Perez added: "It's good to announce my plans. As soon as I joined Force India, I noticed the hunger and determination of everyone in the team, and I'm very proud to be part of that.
"I feel at home here and I'm fully committed. I'm enjoying my racing and we've already celebrated some special results together."
2015 F1 FIELD SO FAR:
Mercedes: Lewis Hamilton/Nico Rosberg
Red Bull-Renault: Daniel Ricciardo/Daniil Kvyat
Williams-Mercedes: Valtteri Bottas/Felipe Massa
Ferrari: Kimi Raikkonen/Sebastian Vettel
McLaren-Honda: Fernando Alonso (tbc)/Jenson Button or Kevin Magnussen (tbc)
Force India-Mercedes: Nico Hulkenberg/Sergio Perez
Toro Rosso-Renault: Max Verstappen/(tbc)
Lotus-Mercedes: Romain Grosjean/Pastor Maldonado
Sauber-Ferrari: Marcus Ericsson/Felipe Nasr

Abu Dhabi GP: Fernando Alonso hits out at Marco Mattiacci remarks

Fernando Alonso has hit out at Ferrari Formula 1 team boss Marco Mattiacci following the Italian's comments on Friday in Abu Dhabi.
Ferrari confirmed earlier this week that Alonso would leave the team after five years together and Mattiacci said during the FIA press conference that Ferrari decided to sign Sebastian Vettel because it wanted a driver with the "utmost motivation and commitment".
Mattiacci added: "I'm sure he will bring the phenomenal experience that he went through Red Bull and the enthusiasm needed to go through certain difficult moments that are waiting for us."
Speaking after qualifying at the Yas Marina circuit Alonso, who was beaten by team-mate Kimi Raikkonen for only the third time this season, suggested the Italian only hired Vettel after giving up on trying to retain him.
"I heard the comments and I don't think they were very good," said Alonso, who will start Sunday's race 10th, alongside Raikkonen on the fifth row.
"If he tried to mean that I was not motivated, he arrived at Ferrari too late.
"He's only been here for a few months and has not seen the five years that I've spent here and how I've fought every single race.
"Probably I was too old when he tried to renew me until the Monza race, and he kept pushing, and pushing and having talks, and even in the last moment we had a lot of phone calls and e-mails that I still have in my computer.
"Probably at that time I was not so old, but when I took my decision I guess he had to find another driver."