Alonso quits with McClaren after stormy year 02/11/2007 00:00

2 November 2007

MADRID - (AFP) - Fernando Alonso's stormy year with McLaren came to a shuddering halt on Friday with the announcement that the Spaniard was tearing up his contract.

Alonso's spokesman, Luis Garcia-Abad, told the RNE radio station that the deposed world champion would leave the British team immediately even though his current contract had two years to run.

He would not, however, have to pay a financial penalty for breaking the contract and was free to join another team of his choosing.

The 2005 and 2006 Formula One king has been involved in intense contract negotiations with the team in England over the last two days, but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement for next season.

The 26-year-old Spaniard has had a controversial year with McLaren after joining them from Renault, the French team with whom he won his two world titles.

He has been consistently at loggerheads with team chief Ron Dennis and co-driver Lewis Hamilton over his role and position in the team for much of the season and it had been widely expected he would move on.

His former employers at Renault have expressed their interest in taking him back, but Spanish sports daily Marca said Alonso might prefer to sign up for a smaller team with a view to eventually finding an opening at Ferrari.

Alonso saw his hopes of winning a hat-trick of world titles vanish in the final Grand Prix of the season in Brazil last month with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen snatching the prize away from him and team-mate Hamilton.

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Subject: Spanish new