Alonso bombshell: opens door to his retirement from F1

As soon as possible Lewis Hamilton announced his surprise signing for Ferrari in 2025, the name of Fernando Alonso He was one of the first to be identified as a possible replacement for the British in Mercedes, one of the best teams in F1. Mercedes lost a 7-time champion, and if those Brackley They want to respond to that movement by signing another great champion, they will have only two options. One of the Verstappen This is ruled out on its own because he has a contract until 2028 and drives a dominant car. Only one left: Fernando Alonsowhose contract will definitely end this year. Jenson pressed, who is a teammate of the Asturian, minutes after Hamilton’s announcement, already put Alonso’s name on the table as his great candidate. Jacques Villeneuve did the same.

However, Alonso always said last year that his intention was to renew for Aston Martin. And it remains to be seen whether Toto Wolff prefers a lower profile driver to hand the leadership of the team to Russell. And in the sea of ​​rumors, Alonso spoke at the press conference to present the new Aston Martin of 2024, the AMR24, a telematic appearance where MD is present.

And there, when everyone was thinking about Aston Martin or Mercedes as Fernando Alonso’s options for 2025, the Asturian was surprised to add another variable to the equation: it is not clear whether he will continue in Formula 1 in 2025. Yes, then signed 8 podiums this year Last year, after having one of his best seasons in F1 and wowing everyone at the age of 42, he left many of his fans gasping by saying that he needed to think about whether to continue in F1. Not because I can’t.

In fact, the Asturian ensured that, after some changes in his nutrition advised by the new Aston Martin nutritionist, and after intense preparation, he achieved his best results ever in many physical tests, even reaching his best version on muscle strength data. , a field that in recent years has been less affected by his age. His decision depends solely and exclusively on whether he wants to dedicate himself to F1 and his team, leaving all other aspects of his life, for more years. He didn’t want to continue at half throttle. If he continues, it’s giving it his all, as he always does. It is 120%.

“I think that will be the question in the first months of the year… (laughs)”, he answered with a laugh after being asked if he could refuse an offer from Mercedes. But he was very clear about it.

“First, I have a lot of things to go through. First, I had to decide for myself what I wanted to do in the future. If I want to dedicate my life again in a few years for this sport I love. I like to drive. I drive different cars all winter: DTM, carcross, Kart, rally car… I like F1, but in general I love to drive. So if I don’t drive in F1 I will find a way to be happy in motorsport. And maybe there will be more time for my private life, which is also very important in this part of my life or at this age,” he declared in his first reflection.

And he continued: “But this is a decision that I have to make myself, I have to think and be committed to the team in case I am sure that I understand that the next years of my life will be in a team, dedicating 100% of my time here. My time”.

If you decide to continue: “the priority will be Aston Martin”

If Fernando Alonso decides to continue, the next step is to talk to Aston Martin first. That there is no one else. “Once I’ve done this and made my decision, I’ll sit down at Aston Martin and say, ‘Ok, I’ve made this decision and I want to continue with this project.’ Because I think we made a big step forward last year, we built a lot of things together, we have everything to be successful in the future and I believe in this project”.

“When I decide whether or not I want to continue driving in the future, firstly, the only conversation I will have initially is with Aston Martin, because that is my only priority.”he clarified.

And if he fails to renew at Aston Martin and wants to move on then it’s time to look elsewhere.

“But if we don’t agree and I want to commit to racing in F1, I know I have a privileged position. “Maybe I am attractive to other teams because of the performance they saw last year and my commitment, and there are only 3 world champions on the grid (Hamilton, Verstappen and Alonso) and there is only one available (referring to Himself)”said the man from Oviedo, who will be 43 on July 29.

“TO CONTINUE OR NOT? 50 TO 50”

To clarify how close Alonso is to the option of retiring or continuing in F1, the Spaniard was asked if there was something inside him that told him this could be his last season in F1, or if, on the contrary, his inner self. he feels he will continue with the ‘Great Circus’. That’s when he alerted his fans to his warning.

“Well… 50-50%… every year that I started in F1 I thought as if it was the last season. Of course. Because I don’t have a contract for next year right now and I don’t know what can happen. At the same time, everything I do and what I train and what I try to prepare with my finances and my family and everything, is to try to find the greatest efficiency when traveling, the most time spent at home, so that you can join me, that my family and friends can attend more races so, if I continue to run in the coming years, that all the sacrifices that you will make, that you will give up little in your life, so that they are not so great and that you can be close to you.”

HOW MUCH DOES YOU DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO CONTINUE IN F1?

“I look good at the moment, but I think after 3, 4 or 5 races and these first trips, it will be quite difficult, like Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Japan and China, which will be quite deadly, there ” I’m going to sit down with myself a little bit and say if it’s worth a few more years or one more year or whatever,” he revealed.

“We are very limited in terms of test days in Bahrain and I am not thinking too much about the future at the moment. I have to wait for a few races. I know my situation, which is very strange, because there are only three world champions in grid. And all three of us are world champions and fast on the track, because in the past there may have been other champions but not so focused on being fast. And probably only one will be available in 2025 (refers to itself). So I’m in a good position”argument.

ARE OTHER TEAMS INTERESTED?

When asked if any team called him or sent a message to inquire about his future situation, the player from Oviedo hesitated at first. “Any calls? Mmmm… (thinking). To me directly, no”, he commented. And continued: “But there is definitely an interest in general to know what my situation is and what my idea is for the future. But those who have shown the greatest interest so far and those who ask me weekly, let’s say, are always Aston Martin. So, let’s see…”

IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF AGE

Fernando Alonso wants to repeat that his doubts whether or not to continue in F1 have nothing to do with his performance on the track or his physical condition, because in both aspects he feels his best. Your decision depends on what you want to do in life.

“I feel good. I feel better than ever. The numbers I got in all the physical tests that we do every year are the best this year. This year, I trained a little bit differently. We added a nutritionist on the team that changed me a little bit in the way I look at things and how to prepare the body. I don’t know. Everything I do in life and what I’ve done these past few months is just to prepare myself better than ever for the long haul. And so, if I ever want to continue driving (in 2025), I can be better than before..

“For the next year or the next two years I have to prepare myself for that commitment. I’m not going to drive for a few more years in F1 just to drive and have fun. I’m not that kind of pilot. I’m not that kind of person. If I decide to continue driving (in F1) it will be because I know, starting with myself, that I can give 100% to the team on and off the track, in simulator work, marketing work, delivering results on the track … so I prepare that in case I want to continue driving. And if I continue, we will see what options we have,” he added.

“(After) My first priority was to sit down and have a chat with Aston Martin. They gave me an opportunity last year to join this organization., which I am very proud to be a part of, with the new factory and everything that is being done. There is a bright future in this team and I want to explore all the possibilities to continue driving here for many years,” he reiterated.

[+] This is Fernando Alonso’s new AMR24 pilot

And he commented that if it was for physical conditions, he could still drive until he was 50. “Years ago I would have told you that maybe 42 or 41 was the limit. Now, after seeing myself so motivated and performing well last year, you’d think you could keep driving for a few years. This winter, we’ve exceeded expectations a little bit in terms of all the physical tests and everything I’ve done. So I would say if you’re still motivated and want to make that commitment you can ride until you’re 48, 49, or 50. But at the same time, you have to give up everything in your life.”

“F1 needs your total dedication and this is my 24th season racing (21st in F1) and I have dedicated my life for 24 years to this sport, something I enjoy and good , and may continue to do so for several years. “There’s more, but I don’t know if I’ll continue to fight until I’m 50 because the schedule is so demanding. Not because of my ability, but because there are other things in life that make me curious.”

SHE HAS GOT HER BEST PHYSICAL RESULTS AND DRIVES HER, BUT…

“This is a winter with more time for me than I have been used to in previous years. I always have something to do in the winter, or I have marketing events, or I change teams and there are many things that need to be done in factory, like sitting etc. And this winter I had more time for myself, to drive other types of cars, etc., and it helped me reach the preseason that this is the best state of my life, I believe. And this logically encourages me to continue, but I am aware of the sacrifices I make when I give 100% as I always do in any project and I also have other curiosities in life to face in the future.”