McLaren confirmed reports on Friday that Fernando Alonso has left the team at the end of an acrimonious season.
The Woking based team released a statement to the press explaining that both parties have “agreed to move on”.
26-year-old Alonso’s manager Luis Garcia Abad told Spanish media that no financial penalties or compensation are part of the split, and that the double world champion is free to join any other team in 2008.
Renault, Red Bull and Williams are reportedly front of the queue to receive the Spaniard next year before joining Ferrari in 2009, it has been speculated over recent days and weeks.
Alonso, explaining that he “never felt at home” at the British team, said in the McLaren statement: “Since I was a boy I had always wanted to drive for McLaren, but sometimes in life things do not work out.”
Team boss Ron Dennis added: “He is a great driver but for some reason the combination of McLaren-Mercedes and Fernando has not really worked out, and in the end we reached a stage where none of us could find a way to move forward.”
Williams’ Nico Rosberg and Heikki Kovalainen, who debuted for Renault in 2007, are favourites to replace Alonso at McLaren.
