Where could Alonso go after Formula One?

It’s been a difficult few months for Fernando Alonso.

Returning to McLaren eight years after his original 12-month stint, the two-time world champion has endured an exasperating first half of the season as Honda take on the arduous mission of developing a competitive power unit.

The unreliability of the fledgling engine has contributed to the Spaniard retiring from five out of nine races so far, the McLaren often struggling to keep up with even the back markers as Mercedes and Ferrari set the pace way out in front.

That said, there are signs McLaren are slowly beginning to make the gains they so desperately need. Alonso described his fifth place finish in Hungary at the weekend as a “little present”, claiming he has “huge motivation” within the McLaren-Honda partnership he adored as a boy.

And despite not winning another championship for nearly a decade now, Alonso remains the best-paid driver on the F1 grid, raking in a reported €35m per annum. Based on today’s salaries, that sum could employ compatriot Roberto Merhi for 700 years.

Such remuneration is for good reason though. Alonso has a reputation for dragging astonishing results out of uncompetitive cars, and would be a five-time world champion if he hadn’t fallen short by nine measly points spread over 2007, 2010 and 2012.

His result at the Hungaroring, worth ten points in the drivers’ standings, puts that statistic into perspective. Agonising or what?

“I don’t want to. Already I have big problems now. Driving with this, looking like amateurs!”

Alonso on fuel saving in Canada

But if McLaren don't get towards the front of the grid, Alonso may decide that he has endured enough frustration in Formula One. As well as putting up with a painfully underpowered car, Alonso has said that only being two or three seconds faster than a GP2 car shows F1 is not “as exciting as it was in the past”.

But if he were to switch disciplines, where would he go? Here are a few alternatives...

Having come close to racing in Le Mans only recently, a drive at Circuit de la Sarthe and potentially the rest of the WEC would surely be the most likely option for Fernando.

Endurance racing is increasing in popularity, and the involvement of several huge manufacturers means the sport is pushing all sorts of boundaries in the pursuit of speed and efficiency.

"Yes, I considered to race in Le Mans.... maybe next year."

Alonso on the WEC

Former Red Bull driver Mark Webber made the move to Porsche at the end of 2013, and Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg created yet more interest by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the German manufacturer alongside Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber last month.

The day-long spectacle remains one of motorsport’s most prestigious events, with many arguing that it has a greater pedigree than F1 at the present time.

With the opportunity to prove himself in a different field and the apparent desire to make it stick, surely we’ll see Alonso behind the wheel of an LMP1 before long?

A less likely option, although the idea of a Formula One driver transferring to NASCAR is far from unprecedented.

Former teammates Nelson Piquet Jr and Kimi Raikkonen both have experience in stock car racing, with the Brazilian driver even clocking up some wins along the way.

"We're so ******* ****, it's unbelievable!”

Kimi Raikkonen during his only NASCAR drive

Jacques Villeneuve is another F1 world champion to have tried his hand at NASCAR - registering a number of impressive podiums - though former Williams and McLaren driver Juan Pablo Montoya is arguably the most successful of the F1 graduates to date.

The Colombian finished eighth overall in the Sprint Cup Series while driving for Earnhardt Ganassi Racing in 2009, and has previously described the sport as “underrated” compared to other categories.

“People in F1 are very selfish, they think there is nothing better out there,” says Montoya. “From technology-wise, there's not, but [in NASCAR] the actual racing is exciting.”

A move to IndyCar also seems improbable from Alonso, although Montoya is once again proving that success is possible across multiple classes.

The 39-year-old currently sits top of the standings – 42 points ahead of second-placed Graham Rahal – and is the most recent winner of the Indianapolis 500 having claimed the chequered flag in May.

The really big incentive for Alonso might come were he to one day win at Circuit de la Sarthe, as it would leave him just one race win short of completing motorsport’s Triple Crown.

Graham Hill stands alone as the only man to have won the Monaco Grand Prix (or an F1 title, depending on definition) the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indy 500: could the Spaniard be tempted to join him if the chance presented itself?

Stranger things have happened. Not very often, mind, but let’s gloss over that for a moment.

The new electric formula is packed with ex-F1 drivers, six of whom finished in the top ten in the inaugural 11-round season. Nelson Piquet Jr took part in this series as well, wrapping up the maiden championship at the final meet in Battersea Park last month.

Formula E represents the future of racing technology for some, although it’ll take some time before it generates authentic prestige.

The limitations of the batteries forces drivers to swap cars half way through each race, and there’s something about quietly driving around a German airport that doesn’t quite replicate the atmosphere of, say, race day in Monte Carlo.

Still, Alonso could pick and choose races as he wished, and a one-off appearance would make much more sense than a commitment to a full term.

Picture the scene: after several exhausting years in Formula One, you decide to hang up your overalls and retire to the countryside. You settle in peaceful Colorado, and ease into the relaxed pace of life among the trees and hills.

Then once a year – just for old times sake – you roll up to the foot of the nearest mountain in whichever set of wheels take your fancy, and then blast up to the top with the wind in your face and the clouds in your helmet.

“At least the beard would keep him warm near the summit...”

TG.com Editor Sam Philip on Alonso and hill climbing

As racing retirements go it sounds eminently appealing, although we’d question whether someone of Alonso’s calibre is ready for life in the slow lane just yet.

Sebastien Loeb – a triple winner at the Race of Champions – holds the course record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, having set the benchmark at 8 minutes 13.878 seconds in 2013.

Fernando Alonso is 34 today: if he ever wants to take on this particular peak, he’d best not wait until he’s over the hill...