Fernando Alonso Preps for F1 Retirement: 'It Will Be My Last Season'

Alex Harrington | Jan 5, 2025

Oct 20, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team driver Fernando Alonso (14) of Team Spain walks through the track entrance before the 2024 Formula One US Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Fernando Alonso, the two-time Formula One world champion, believes that the 2026 season might be his final year competing in F1. Alonso shared his thoughts on this possible end to his career during a conversation on the Chequered Flag podcast.

He also shared his excitement about working with Adrian Newey and Honda at Aston Martin, a collaboration set against the backdrop of recent rules changes in the sport. Alonso's plans revolve around his current contract, which extends until the end of 2026, and he admitted that it would most probably be his last season, setting a high level of expectation.

Fernando Alonso explained: "2026 will probably be my last F1 season."

The Spaniard, who has a massive presence on the grid given his extensive experience, holds the record as the only driver to participate in more than 400 Grands Prix. Despite being 43 years old, his extraordinary career includes an extended contract with Aston Martin, carrying through to the 2026 season, where key developments are anticipated with the team. Alonso's prior stint with Honda saw a rocky patch from 2015 to 20187 during his time at McLaren, where he openly criticized Honda's engine performance. However, his return to a partnership with Honda this time around is under more positive circumstances.

Elaborating on his outlook for 2026, Alonso admitted: "Probably – or at least to start with – it will be my last season in Formula 1 because my contract finishes at the end of 2026, so it’s the time of delivering and the time of truth. High expectations."

An aspect of Alonso’s motivation for the upcoming season is the involvement of Adrian Newey, a top car designer and engineer formerly with Red Bull, who is to join Aston Martin. This adds a layer of optimism for Alonso, as he hopes for the combination of Newey's engineering talents and Honda's engines to create a competitive machine, potentially helping him secure another championship title. The relationship with Honda has seen improvement, with both parties keen on building a successful collaboration once again, including reconciling past issues.

Among Fernando's post-retirement aspirations is an itch to compete in the Dakar Rally, following a previous attempt in which he didn't achieve the results he expected.

"I will start the season thinking like that, for sure, because I cannot think too much in the future. At the moment, my current contract is for two more years.

"With my age, my motivation, I don’t know how it’s going to be. If the 2026 season is running smoothly and we’re having a good time and there is a possibility to race one more year, I will be open, for sure.

"I will not close the door beforehand, but I will not start [the season] thinking that. I will take every race if it was my last race and I will enjoy every second."