Alonso has decided to quit RenaultWorld champion Fernando Alonso will quit Renault once he has defended his Formula One title next season after accepting a "too good to miss" offer to drive for McLaren from 2007.
The British-based team`s announcement that it has secured the services of the hottest property in motor sport came just days after McLaren revealed that they are to be backed by mobile phone giant Vodafone from January 2007.
Alonso said: "To become part of a team with such a desire to succeed and passion for performance is a dream come true for any Formula One driver. It will be a new beginning for me and a tremendous challenge and from what I have heard about this exciting new partnership there is something to look forward to."
"Obviously I will be sad to leave Renault but sometimes possibilities come along which are just too good to miss. I`m pleased that we are able to make this announcement already now as it will allow my current team and I to focus 100 percent on defending the world championships next year."
McLaren boss Ron Dennis added: "Its great that our strong belief in the strength and competitiveness of the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes package has been further endorsed by the world champion."
Vodafone withdrew from their 23-million-pound-a-year deal with Ferrari this year and will back McLaren from 2007.
"We always make it clear that we want to be the best and the only way of achieving this objective is by attracting the best people, the best drivers and the best sponsors."
McLaren`s announcement means that they will have to part company with one of their two current drivers, Kimi Raikkonen and Juan Pablo Montoya.
Dennis said he had begun talks with both drivers about what would happen once Alonso arrives and hinted that they will effectively be racing for their jobs next season.
Fernando, Kimi and Juan Pablo...
"Our aim for next year remains absolutely clear to everybody within the team -- we want to win races and be in a position where we might have two Formula One world champions driving for Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in 2007," Dennis said.
Alonso`s seven Grand Prix wins made him the youngest driver at 24 to win the Formula One world championship this year and broke the Ferrari and Michael Schumacher monopoly.
Renault also wrapped up the constructors` title depriving the Italian powerhouse of the crown it had made its own since 1999.
Raikkonen also won seven Grands Prix for McLaren in 2005 but McLaren have not won the world title since Mika Hakkinen`s second championship in 1999.
They won three world titles with Ayrton Senna and three with Alain Prost when they dominated Formula One from 1985 to 1991.
They also won the world title with Niki Lauda, Emerson Fittipaldi and James Hunt.
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