Alonso stays at Ferrari until 2016

May 19, 2011, 8:29 GMT

Maranello, Italy - Former world champion Fernando Alonso has renewed his contract with Ferrari until 2016 and says he plans to end his Formula One career with the team.

Ferrari said Thursday the partnership would continue for an additional four years after his original deal at the Italian team was until 2012.

Considered arguably the most complete active driver in the sport, Alonso, 29, came to Ferrari last year from Renault and narrowly missed out on the 2010 world title against Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the final race.

'I am very happy to have reached this agreement. I immediately felt comfortable within Ferrari and now it feels to me like a second family,' Alonso said in a team statement.

'I have the utmost faith in the men and women who work in Maranello and in those who lead them: it is therefore natural for me to decide to extend my relationship in the long term like this, with a team at which I will no doubt end my Formula 1 career one day.'

The announcement came ahead of Alonso's Spanish home Grand Prix in Barcelona which is set for Sunday. Alonso currently ranks fifth in the championship with 41 points from four races, 52 behind the dominant Vettel.

'It is a great pleasure to have renewed our agreement with a driver who has always demonstrated a winning mentality even in the most difficult circumstances,' said Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo said.

'Fernando has all the required qualities, both technically and personally to play a leading role in the history of Ferrari and I hope he will be enriching it with further wins very soon.'

Alonso started his F1 career in 2001 at Minardi and competed in a first term at Renault 2003-2006 after a year as test driver there. He won the first of now 26 races 2003 in Hungary and back-to-back world titles 2005 and 2006.

He returned to Renault in 2008 after an ill-fated 2007 campaign at McLaren before moving on to Ferrari last year.

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