Fernando Alonso is not yet planning to retire – according to his own statement, he still feels good enough to continue driving in the premier class
Fernando Alonso celebrates his 45th birthday in July, making him currently the oldest driver in the Formula 1 field. And if the Spaniard himself has his way, he will still be behind the wheel of a racing car at the age of 46.
“I love what I do. I love racing,“ he revealed during the Historic Monaco Grand Prix and explained: ”I drove my first race when I was three years old and now I’m 44. So I’ve been behind the wheel for 41 years of my life.“
”So if I have to stop racing at some point, it will be a very difficult decision,“ said Alonso, explaining: ”Time will tell. I will feel it. At the moment, I don’t have the feeling that it’s time yet.“
”I’m ambitious, I’m motivated, I’m happy when I’m driving. So hopefully it’s not the last season,” said the Spaniard, who drove his first Formula 1 race in March 2001 – more than a quarter of a century ago.
Alonso’s most successful seasons were also two decades ago. He became world champion twice with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and his last Grand Prix victory to date came in 2013 for Ferrari at his home race in Barcelona.
At the end of 2025, Alonso explained in an interview with the Spanish newspaper AS that the new Formula 1 regulations in 2026 would probably be his “last chance” to attack at the front of the premier class once again.
“This is the last rule change I will experience and the last opportunity to win another Grand Prix, celebrate podiums and fight for a world championship,” explained the two-time world champion.
“If the car is good, there are many signs that it will be my last year,” said Alonso at the time. However, that didn’t happen, as Aston Martin is actually in eleventh and last place after the first three races of the 2026 season with no points in the championship.
Although he has only been lagging behind this year, the Spaniard does not yet seem to have lost his appetite for the premier class. He took a break from Formula 1 after the 2018 season, but returned to the series in 2021.