Fernando's farewell fanfare can't conceal sense of wasted talent

Alonso bows out leaving feeling of unfulfilled potential

ABU DHABI - Fernando Alonso said goodbye to Formula One on Sunday amid a fanfare of crowd-pleasing donut spins, generous tributes and a handful of post-race penalties.

After walking through a guard of honor before the start of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Alonso pulled on his helmet and delivered a dogged drive that earned him an 11th-place finish in his final outing with McLaren.