Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin Performance Will Decide My F1 Future

Posted : 24 September 2025

Fernando Alonso has admitted that retiring from Formula 1 at the end of 2026 could be “very hard” if Aston Martin are not competitive next season. The two-time world champion, whose contract with the team expires at the end of next year, revealed he has “thought about” leaving the sport depending on the team’s performance.

“If things go well, I think it’s a very good moment to stop because I’ve been chasing a competitive car and competitive racing for many, many years, and if I have that I think it’s a very good way to close my career,” Alonso said in an interview released by Aston Martin. “Let’s say that if we are competitive, there is more chance that I stop. If we are not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again.”

Alonso won his two world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006 but has not claimed a race victory since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix for Ferrari. Despite being regarded as one of F1’s greatest drivers, the past decade of his career has been marked by near-misses and frustration. He narrowly lost the championship to Sebastian Vettel in 2010 and 2012 while driving less competitive Ferrari cars and finished runner-up three times over four seasons.

A move to McLaren in 2014 coincided with the team’s decline and the underperforming Honda engines. Alonso stepped away from F1 at the end of 2018, pursuing other motorsport challenges, including winning the Le Mans 24 Hours twice, the World Endurance Championship twice, and competing in the Indianapolis 500 and Dakar Rally. He returned to F1 in 2021 with Alpine before joining Aston Martin in 2023, enjoying an initial run of six podiums in the first eight races.

However, Aston Martin are struggling in the 2025 season, currently seventh in the constructors’ standings with seven races remaining. Alonso sits 14th in the drivers’ championship, trailing teammate Lance Stroll by two points, despite out-qualifying the Canadian 19 times out of 26 races.

Looking ahead to 2026, Alonso sees an opportunity as F1 introduces new regulations for engines and chassis. He has been impressed by Aston Martin’s technical progress under design legend Adrian Newey, who joined the team in March this year after leaving Red Bull. “He’s an incredible person and everyone in the team is learning from him,” Alonso said.

The 44-year-old believes Aston Martin have assembled the pieces needed to compete for a world title. “I’m pretty convinced about that. The only thing is when. That’s probably my only question mark from this project,” he said. “Driving in the last couple of years of my career, I obviously want to taste the success of the Aston Martin project. Everything takes time to glue all the pieces together. Aston Martin fighting for and winning the World Championship is more or less guaranteed in the future. To execute and win, you also need a little help from your competitors and a bit of luck.”

Fernando Alonso: Aston Martin Performance Will Decide My F1 Future

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