Love for Sport or Fear of Unknown: Why Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso Refuse to Quit, Rosberg Answers

Race of Chinese F1 GP at Shanghai circuit. In this picture, Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on the podium

In a sport that more often than not has shorter shelf-life for athletes, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton continue to shock the entire paddock by racing in their 40s. Alonso announced his contract extension with Aston Martin last year whilst the #44 driver made a multi-year deal with Ferrari for 2025 and beyond.

For 2016 F1 world champion Nico Rosberg, the motivations behind the duo’s prolonged F1 careers are simple. “Lewis [Hamilton] is driven by a deep love for the sport and a desire to continue to push himself beyond his limits,” explains Rosberg per La Gazzetta delo Sport.

For Alonso, however, it seems to be more denial than the love of competition per the German former driver. “Yes, it is very difficult. You go from an intense and structured lifestyle to having total freedom, which – incredibly – can seem overwhelming,” he adds to suggest that Alonso is fearful of life after F1.

After everything is said and done, the final aim for both these drivers is the same. Both Hamilton and Alonso have made it abundantly clear that they are not racing just for the sake of it but want to win the Drivers’ title again.

Can both Hamilton and Alonso get their hands on the Driver’s title again?

Considering that both Hamilton and Alonso are in their 40s, time is running out for both to pick up one more title. That said, Hamilton looks to be in a more favorable position than the 43-year-old Spaniard.

With Ferrari, the former Mercedes man has a clear pathway to his elusive eighth world championship. Alonso, on the other hand, has a rebuild to deal with at Aston Martin, which seems to be going well for 2026 with the advent of their state-of-the-art wind tunnel, the arrival of legendary aerodynamicist Adrian Newey, and a works Honda power unit deal.

And a lot will also be on the line for both teams. Aston Martin are searching for their first-ever championship in F1 whilst Ferrari look to break a 17-year-old title drought this season.

Post Edited By: Vidit Dhawan
Fernando Alonso Lewis Hamilton Nico Rosberg

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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