– Whether Fernando Alonso wants to continue his Formula 1 career beyond the 2026 season will be decided in the summer. Because even though Aston Martin is currently hopelessly behind, the two-time world champion believes in upcoming progress and could imagine driving for Aston Martin in 2027 as well.
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However, he has not yet started thinking about the future or discussing it with his team: “To be honest, we talk more about the present than the future,” emphasizes the Spaniard. But he is on the same wavelength with team owner Lawrence Stroll: “We agree on everything,” he claims.
But Alonso knows that a decision must be made at some point – at the latest in the summer. “I have to talk to my people first and decide what I will do next year,” says Alonso, making it clear: “I am very relaxed about it.”
“If I continue, I think the project in the second year will have a better season than this one. If I stop, I know I will race in another series.”
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A complete career end is therefore not an option for the 44-year-old. Already after his first retirement from Formula 1, Alonso dedicated himself to other racing series: back then, the World Endurance Championship was his goal, including two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This time, he could be drawn to the desert.
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“As I have said many times, Dakar would be an option,” he says and has a new goal in mind after missing the Triple Crown of wins in Monaco, Le Mans, and the Indy 500: “If one day I could win in endurance racing, in Formula 1, and in cross-country rally, that would probably be unprecedented. That is something very appealing,” says Alonso.
“I am not too worried about the time after Formula 1. I will somehow keep racing and I will certainly remain connected to the team in the future in another role.”
Why Formula 1 still has priority
But for now, Formula 1 still has priority for him, even though during his break he realized that other racing series might offer better racing. “But there are moments in your life and career when you also need Formula 1,” he says.
“Because apart from driving and the adrenaline of Formula 1, you have the whole package. You have the attention, you have the sponsors, and you have various factors that tend to tip the scales towards Formula 1. Now, at this moment in my life, I can choose what makes me happier.”
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Whether Alonso is really happy just trailing behind in Formula 1 is another question, but for him it is clear that this will not be the case forever at Aston Martin. “100 percent, I have no doubt about that,” he says.
“I am quite sure that it will get better as the season goes on. When the improvements come, when we fix some problems with the power unit and all those things. I have no doubt that the project next year, in the second year, will be better prepared than it was this year.”
Alonso wants to leave the sport on his own terms
The question is only whether he will still be part of the team then. Because that does not depend only on him. The team must also be willing to continue working with the veteran, who will already be 45 years old in July.
“You can never be 100 percent sure about that,” he replies to the question of whether continuing his career depends on him. “But my performance is good enough to show the team that I can deliver results. If the car is competitive, I help the team as best I can. I think it could be more up to me.”
But Alonso also knows that his time will eventually run out, because he does not want to be simply pushed out of Formula 1: “I want to leave the sport one day when I feel fast,” he says.
“I don’t want to leave the sport when everyone beats me, when I feel slow, make mistakes and all those things. I know that I am at 100 percent now, and I also want to leave when I feel that way.”
And of course, he would like to retire on a high note and not currently as the backmarker in the field: “Leaving the sport with a bad taste is not always the best,” he knows. “You can’t choose when you stop racing. Only Rosberg did that.”
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