Fernando Alonso has said that Formula 1’s push to increase the length of the calendar could “drain his battery, not driving” and possibly cause him to leave the sport altogether.
At 42 years of age, Alonso is the oldest driver on the F1 grid and made his debut with Minardi way back in 2001 at the Australian Grand Prix, a month before Oscar Piastri was even born.
The two-time champion is one of the highest-regarded drivers in F1 history and Alonso was a rejuvenated figure with Aston Martin this year, scoring eight podiums.
However, despite remaining at the peak of his abilities, Alonso has cited next year’s 24-race calendar, which ends with a triple-header across Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi as a possible cause of an F1 exit, not a lack of driving talent.
“I said many times, even before in 2018, the day that I will stop racing is not because I feel not motivated for driving or I feel slow,” the Spaniard said.
“If I feel slow it will be noticeable and I will not be happy with my performance and I will be the first one to raise my hand and say ‘OK, this is time’.
“But I don’t think that time will arrive, in terms of feeling slow, because I have extreme self-confidence in my performance.
“But it could be with the calendar and the demanding schedule, one day I will feel it is time because there are other things in life.
“It has been a very demanding season only with 22 races and two cancellations.
“Next year with 24, a proper calendar, we have to see how it feels.
“Even Las Vegas, I saw today it is triple header. I don’t know why, I thought that Vegas was alone next year, and then Qatar and Abu Dhabi together.
“I just find out 10 minutes ago that its three races together. This type of thing will drain my battery, not driving.”
Alonso has walked away from F1 once before, but that decision came due to frustrations with an underperforming McLaren team with whom he raced at the time of his first F1 retirement at the end of 2018.
Now, his motivations for potentially leaving the sport again look very different and they are shared by current champion Max Verstappen.
Verstappen, 16 years Alonso’s junior, is contracted with Red Bull through 2028, but the Dutchman has mentioned on numerous occasions that he could walk away from F1 at the end of his current contract due to the demanding nature of the schedule.
“I feel the same way, to be honest,” added Alonso. “But you never know.
“I thought that way as well in 2006 or 7.
“I remember signing for McLaren in 2007 and it was like three years contract and I thought at that time that was my last contract.
“Here we are, so I can’t say anything for the future now.”
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