Racing
© Jonathan Borba
Fernando Alonso says he has not yet thought deeply about whether to continue in Formula 1 beyond his Aston Martin deal, but he expects to make that decision around the summer and insists he will keep racing even if he leaves the grand prix grid.
Speaking in Miami, Alonso said regular contact with Aston Martin has not yet turned into detailed talks about what comes next after his current contract. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin driver, said he has had conversations with Lawrence Stroll and the team, and that they met in Monaco the previous weekend for what he called "a very nice dinner," but "we never really discussed the future in depth." He added that "we are aligned on everything" and that the focus has been more on the present than on 2027.
What is clear to Alonso is the timing. He said "at some point this year, around the summer or just after it, I will have to make a decision," while stressing that he has still not started an internal reflection on it. Family will be central to that process. Alonso said he needs to decide "with my family, with my people," and is taking it calmly only a few weeks after becoming a father.
That calm comes from the fact he does not see this as a simple choice between staying in F1 and stopping altogether. Alonso made clear that leaving Formula 1 would not mean retiring from racing. He said he will "keep racing in one way or another" and that if he stops in F1, he knows he will do so "in another category." Dakar remains one option he has mentioned repeatedly, and Le Mans is also back on the radar after he recently drove Aston Martin’s Valkyrie hypercar and described the experience as "fantastic."
He said that means he is not overly worried about the moment he eventually steps away from Formula 1. Alonso even suggested he expects to remain tied to Aston Martin regardless, saying he would continue his link with the team in a different role in the future.
The other reason Alonso is not rushing the call is that he still believes he is performing at the level needed to stay. He said he is "at 100%," wants to leave the sport while feeling that way, and does not want to carry on until he feels slow, starts making mistakes, or is beaten by everyone. Asked whether the choice depends mostly on him, Alonso said there can never be absolute certainty, but that his level is still high enough to show the team he can deliver results "as long as the car is competitive."
That confidence also shapes his view of Aston Martin’s immediate future. Despite a difficult season, Alonso said that if he keeps racing, he expects next year to be better because it would be the second year of the current project. He has also urged patience with the Aston Martin-Honda partnership, saying he knows how hard Honda is working and that the team is trying to do everything it can to move forward together.
Alonso admitted he would prefer not to leave Formula 1 after a frustrating campaign. "Leaving the sport with a bad taste, it’s not always the best thing," he said, before adding that the timing of retirement is not always something a driver can choose. Even so, he said he is "very relaxed" and "very happy" with his career, describing his return to F1 in 2021 as "a gift" and making clear that his next decision will be driven less by pressure than by whether he still feels fast enough to keep going.