Fernando Alonso has managed to break all barriers and prove that age is nothing but a number. Alonso has been putting up top-level performances at the young age of 41. He has had a brilliant start to the 2023 Formula 1 season and has already achieved 5 podiums in the first 7 races. Now, it turns out that he is one of the prime targets of Audi, who are set to join Formula 1 in 2026.
Audi has made it very clear that they won’t be rocking up to the grid unprepared when they join Formula 1 in 2026. The German manufacturing giant has already tied up with Sauber and will use their help to step into the world of F1. Sauber is currently associated with Alfa Romeo, who is their title sponsor, but their contract ends after 2023.
As for Alonso, the Spaniard will be 45 by the time Audi enters Formula 1. When he joined Aston Martin in 2023 following the retirement of Sebastian Vettel, it was stated that he was joining the British team on a multi-year deal. This means he will be with the team until the end of 2024. Even though his future in Formula 1 is unclear after that, Aston Martin will definitely want to retain his services if he keeps performing at the level that he is performing now.
Fernando Alonso has made quite an impression in F1
During his McLaren days, Alonso was teamed up with Stoffel Vandoorne, who was managed by Italian lawyer and manager Alessandro Bravi. Bravi is currently the managing director of Sauber and is also the team representative for Alfa Romeo Sauber in Formula 1. The Italian has claimed that he was highly impressed by Alonso when they were at McLaren and will try to persuade Audi to sign Alonso even though he will be 45 by 2026.
Bravi told Mundo Deportivo, “I would always sign Fernando, even at 45 years or more. I was able to get to know him well at McLaren when I was the manager of Stoffel Vandoorne, who was his team-mate. I was able to see first-hand the work he can do on a day-to-day basis as a driver, his ability, his great determination.”
Bravi explained further that in his eyes, Alonso is a true champion. He claimed that one cannot win two Formula 1 titles if they don’t have specific unique characteristics about them. Alonso had won two back-to-back titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
Fernando Alonso’s future in Formula 1
Alonso has made it very clear that he is not going to give up on motorsports any time soon. In an interview with AS, Alonso mentioned that in 2018, he left Formula 1 because he was exhausted both mentally and physically. However, that is not the case anymore. He feels much fresher and is looking forward to carrying on in F1.
He explained, “I don’t know how long I will go on. I will never retire from motorsport, but from Formula 1 I will retire when it stops making me happy. At the moment, it’s the opposite.” Therefore it is quite evident that Alonso is not giving up F1 any time soon. However, whether or not he can carry on at this level till 2026, is a different story altogether.
There is also the fact that driving for Audi might not be an attractive enough prospect for Fernando Alonso. Audi had already failed to impress ex-Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto when they gave him a tour of their Neuburg factory in an attempt to sign him. The team will have to take huge strides forward if they want to impress a Formula 1 veteran like Alonso.
