The wheels are now fully in motion regarding Fernando Alonso's seemingly inevitable departure from McLaren after Sunday's Brazilian grand prix.

It is reported by the German newspaper Bild-Zeitung that the executive board of the team's majority shareholder and carmaker partner Mercedes-Benz have ruled in Stuttgart that the Spaniard should not represent their brand in 2008.

26-year-old Alonso's current McLaren contract runs for another year, but following the tumultuous events of this season he had been linked with either a sabbatical or a move to another team.

Kai Ebel, the television presenter for Germany's RTL coverage of formula one, said Alonso's departure from McLaren is unlikely to be dependent on the outcome of the 2007 title climax in Sao Paulo.

"Win or not, he will leave anyway," he predicted.

In an interview with the Hamburg magazine 'Stern', Mercedes' competition director Norbert Haug did not deny the possibility of an early split with Alonso.

"If someone expresses his absolute resolve to not want to do something, then there are ways to manage that," the German said.

"We have a contract, and after the last race of the season we will see what the situation is," Haug added.

He dismissed speculation that McLaren could force Alonso to take a sabbatical next year.

"That is not our style," Haug insisted.

Source: GMM