Fernando Alonso has delivered a major update on his Formula 1 future, indicating that next year might be his last in the sport.
The Spaniard is currently in his 23rd season in the sport, having made his debut in 2001, and in that time has cemented himself as one of his era’s greatest ever drivers.
After a two-year hiatus, the 43-year-old returned to the sport in 2021 with Alpine, and emphasised his ‘Renaissance man’ profile by switching to Aston Martin in 2023.
The Silverstone-based squad’s competitiveness has dropped across the last two years, with Alonso’s third-place in Sao Paulo in his maiden campaign his and the team’s last.
But it has ‘dark horse’ status for 2026, amid the impending introduction of brand-new technical regulations and the hiring of Adrian Newey as Managing Technical Partner.
Expectations are high for Newey to deliver a car that might be a match for Alonso’s seemingly evergreen talents, which is why, if a good car is produced, it might be his F1 swansong.
“It depends on how I feel next year, how I feel physically and mentally,” he told Spanish publication AS ahead of this weekend’s Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
“But I don’t know. I don’t have a clear idea right now. If the car goes well, there’s a good chance it will be my last year.
“Yes. I know I have a better chance of doing well in 2027 or 2028, when there’s stability in the group we have now with Adrian Newey and the others.
“They might do well in the first year, but by the second or third, they’re guaranteed to do well.
“But I have to consider it myself. If the car goes badly, there’s a chance I’ll stay for another year to finish on a positive note. If the car goes well, 2026 will probably be my last year.”
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