Fernando Alonso has cast an impassioned career verdict ahead of the Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix amid growing speculation about his future.
Alonso, who is out of contract at the end of this season, is one of the key players in the F1 driver market that will decide the grid for 2027.
Several options are rumoured to be on the table for the 44-year-old, including switching teams or retiring from the sport.
But speaking on Media day in Austria, the Spaniard confirmed he has not yet made up his mind, and outlined when he will make this critical decision.
“I don’t need Mike [Krack] to tell me that I’m fast,” he said to media, including Motorsport Week.
“I feel it every lap that I do on track. And I’ve been feeling it always.
“And yeah, I mean, let’s see. I have not taken any decisions.”
“I will wait until probably summer break, which is August. And after summer is Zandvoort, Monza. I think around that time I will probably decide what to do next year.”
Alonso confirms motivation
Alonso then confirmed he will continue to race as long as he feels motivated, but did a give an indication he would continue to be associated with Aston Martin after he hangs up his helmet.
“I will keep racing because I’m feeling fast and I feel motivated and I love what I do,” he said.
“And I will not stop now, you know, because I don’t feel uncompetitive or I don’t feel that I enjoy racing. If I race in Formula 1 or not, that’s a different story.
“I need to enjoy the category. I need to enjoy the feeling of driving these power units and these regulations and this kind of thing. There are many factors to put in place.
And there are many options to race in the world of motorsport.
“But I still love Formula 1. I’m committed to this team also. So even if I don’t race, my commitment with the team and with the project is the same.
“And it’s still the same as what it has been for years now. We started this in a way together with some success in 2023 and with a lot of changes in the company and in the campus in Silverstone.
“Now with the partnership with Honda, with Aramco, with the new fuels. There are a lot of things that we built together in a way. And as I said many times, there are certain guarantees that this team will succeed and it will fight for the World Championships.
“We don’t know if that will be next year, in three years’ time or in eight years’ time. That’s probably my limitation behind the wheel. But I want to win a World Championship with Aston Martin, with or without driving.
“That’s still the same commitment in my case”.
Alonso’s very public backing of Aston Martin will go some way to address concerns that he is about to walk away from the sport. However, we will have to wait until after the summer break before we get a decision.
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