Fernando Alonso has always been considered one of the greatest racing talents to grace the sport of F1. His legend has only been enhanced by his consistent performances over the years and his being able to still deliver at the age of 43.
Given the right machinery, the two-time world champion is still considered a championship prospect – this speaks volumes about the longevity of his tenure in the sport. However, it appears that a date has been set when the #14 driver finally calls it quits on his Formula 1 career.
After a brief sabbatical, Alonso returned to the sport in 2021 with Alpine. In 2023, it seemed as though he had struck gold, with his move to Aston Martin coinciding with the Silverstone-based team perfecting its car design and challenging the likes of Red Bull and Ferrari at the beginning of the season.
However, since then, Aston Martin has been lapped by their rivals in terms of development. Despite the same, the 43-year-old recently signed a multi-year contract extension with the team, keeping him at Silverstone into at least 2026.
Fernando Alonso is likely to retire from F1 at the end of 2026, according to his manager Flavio Briatore.https://t.co/FruyZmFkE2#F1 #AstonMartin #FernandoAlonso pic.twitter.com/HjoV81AWqk
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) August 15, 2024
That being said, according to his manager Flavio Briatore, this will be his last F1 contract. Planet F1 has reported on X (formerly Twitter) that Alonso has decided to retire after the end of the 2026 season.
F1 predictability could force Alonso to retire once again
Alonso stepped away from the sport at the end of the 2018 season. His decision came against the backdrop of Mercedes’ continuous dominance during the turbo-hybrid era and his own four-year stint with McLaren which did not yield favorable results for either party.
GP Fans quoted Alonso as saying, “In 2018, when I stopped, I felt it was too predictable. The dominance of Mercedes was too much to really enjoy being part of the grid. We were just actors in Mercedes’ movie, unable to fight at any point.”
Alonso was asked by The Times about Max saying he won’t race into his forties:
️ “That’s what I was thinking when I was at Max’s age, I thought that it was my last season in 2018, thinking that it was enough for my career. I found, even when I decided to stop, I couldn’t.” pic.twitter.com/G1rv6yP2Ep
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) June 18, 2024
It is possible that Alonso may have made a similar decision now, considering that Red Bull has been dominating the sport. However, the 2026 regulations reset and a possible shakeup of the grid could change the #14 driver’s mind if he finds himself in a position to consistently fight for wins and perhaps even the championship.
