Fernando Alonso has hinted that 2026 could be his final season competing in Formula 1, but his decision hinges on the performance level of Aston Martin’s machinery.
The 2026 season will be the two-time World Champion’s 23rd in his esteemed Formula 1 career, with the Spaniard’s contract at Aston Martin due to expire at the end of next year’s campaign.
While Alonso has not won a race since 2013, and his two Drivers’ titles came with Renault back in 2005 and 2006, Aston Martin’s significant investment in its factory – plus the team’s hiring of design guru Adrian Newey – is geared towards challenging at the front of the grid once next season’s new regulations come into play.
However, in an interview with AS.com, Alonso has suggested that 2026 could be his final campaign in Formula 1 should Aston Martin’s car perform.
Speaking in his native Spanish, Alonso said: “It depends on how I feel next year, how I feel physically and mentally. But I don’t know. I don’t have a clear idea right now. If the car goes well, there’s a good chance it will be my last year.”
Asked if he would prefer to end on a positive note rather than extend his career with a competitive car, he responded: “Yes. I know I have a better chance of doing well in 2027 or 2028, when there’s stability in the team we have now with Adrian Newey and the others.
“They might do well in the first year, but by the second or third, they’re guaranteed to do well. But I have to consider it myself. If the car goes badly, there’s a good chance I’ll stay for another year to finish on a positive note. If the car goes well, 2026 will probably be my last year.”
The 2026 season will mark two decades since Alonso’s most recent Drivers’ title, and will be raced to a completely new set of technical regulations, with significant changes on both the power unit and chassis sides. With the potential for a shakeup in the order similar to 2009 when Brawn GP (now Mercedes) and Red Bull became the teams to beat, Alonso explained how the changes are providing him with additional motivation for a final push.
“I know it’s my last chance,” he said. “It’s the differentiating factor. I saw the other rule changes simply as a change, hoping it would go well and my team would interpret the rules correctly and have a fast car.
“But this one is different because it’s the last rule change I’ll experience, and it’s the last chance to try to win another Grand Prix, enjoy the good times, get on the podium, and fight for a championship.
“There are a lot of hopes pinned on the 2026 change. Although it’s neither more nor less powerful than other previous rule changes, for me emotionally it’s a very important change.”