Fernando Alonso, who is extending his contract, doesn’t see himself stopping so”young”
Fernando Alonso has just extended his contract with Aston Martin. He talks about the reasons behind his decision to stay with the team headed by Lawrence Stroll.
Here to stay. Three words that mean a lot. The two-time F1 world champion (2005; 2006) puts an end to rumors suggesting a possible departure or even the end of his career in the top competition.
The Spanish driver signed a multi-year agreement with Aston Martin, after reflecting on his future options. An agreement that will include driving in F1 for at least the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Depending on whether Alonso wishes to continue or not, this agreement may be extended or converted into a non-driver role with the brand in what the Spaniard has called a lifelong project.
Fernando Alonso will be 45 years old during the 2026 season, and even if the two-time world champion doesn’t see any signs of slowing down anytime soon, he says he will be honest if he feels he is losing some of his dynamism. He explains that he will be the first to raise his hand if he feels he is losing his edge.
It’s true, I will be 45 years old or more and I will continue to run. If one day I feel that I am not motivated, that I am not in shape or that I am not fast… I think I have a very honest relationship with Aston, he declared to Autosport.
« I will be the first to raise my hand and say, you know, I may have lost here and there, and we will find solutions. But I don’t see that happening in the coming years. As I said in Japan, one of my best races of all time probably took place just five days ago, so I feel good. I don’t see any issue there. »
And Lewis will be 40 years old next year in January, so at least I won’t be the only one who is 40 years old and over that you will talk about, adds Alonso.
Alonso is not ready to retire.
Alonso, who stated that retiring from racing in general was never an option, explained that he took advantage of the eventful start of the season to wonder whether he wanted to continue his full commitment to the grueling F1 calendar with 24 races and its off-track activities. After the Australian Grand Prix, he made the decision to request an extension at Aston Martin because he felt that his love for F1 outweighed his concerns about the demanding lifestyle of the series.
« Obviously, Formula 1 takes up all your time or all your energy, you practically have to give up everything in life to keep on racing. I needed a few races or a few weeks to really think by myself if I was ready to commit for several years. »
« It wasn’t a racing factor, it was more about the journey, to be honest. Looking at this schedule, I was a little afraid it might be too heavy for me.
« There are all the pre-season commitments with all the photo shoots, videos, the launch of the car. All these kinds of things are quite demanding for the drivers, and for me especially at this stage of my career. So I said, let me go through this difficult period at the beginning of the year and this challenging period of travels, jet lag, big planes, and that kind of things.
« I felt that I love driving too much, that I can’t stop at the moment. And I think that the sacrifices you have to make are smaller than the joy of driving and the passion I have for driving. I breathe Formula 1, I live Formula 1, I train to be fit to drive Formula 1 cars, I eat to be in shape to drive Formula 1 cars.
He concludes by saying that: « I love what I do, so I wouldn’t be happy staying at home and watching Formula 1 races because right now, I always feel like I should be there.
