'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMYlhP8A/8QAIBAAAgIBAwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDEgAFERMhIlFh4f/aAAgBAQABPwCfVq6PSAzQRvIWWkzMhf2p8jOS/dQHfruB9z//xAAWEQADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAyH/2gAIAQIBAT8AZD//xAAYEQACAwAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQQRIf/aAAgBAwEBPwCPqo//2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Fernando Alonso has revealed that he could retire from F1 after 2026, contingent on the performance of Aston Martin's challenger in the new technical era beginning next season. The Lawrence Stroll-owned team's performance has tanked since mid-2023, with Top 10 finishes seeming like an uphill climb this season.
However, Aston Martin have a chance to flip the script in 2026, with F1's most successful designer, Adrian Newey, now leading the change in its technical department. The 2026 regulations reset will also be the last one Alonso witnesses as an active F1 driver, as he admitted recently.
In an interview with Spanish publication Diario AS during the 2025 Azerbaijan GP weekend, the 44-year-old spoke about his outlook on F1 retirement.
"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," the two-time F1 champion said.
Trending
When asked whether he'd prefer to retire on a high note instead of continuing to fight for wins and championships in a competitive car, Alonso replied:
"Yes. I know I have a better chance of doing well in 2027 or 2028, when there's a stability in the group 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 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."
2025 will be a write-off for Aston Martin. Fernando Alonso shared that there is a "fatigue" building in the team, with everybody already shifting focus to 2026.
Fernando Alonso shines a light on Adrian Newey's "mystical" method of work at Aston Martin
Adrian Newey began working for Aston Martin in 2025 after serving his gardening leave at Red Bull. As a result, he hasn't had much impact on the team's performance this F1 season. But 2026 will be where his impact is seen on the AMR challenger.
Fernando Alonso, who termed Newey "an artist more than an engineer", emphasized to Diario AS how unique the Briton's working style is.
"Yes, he's definitely up to the task. He's a different designer compared to anything I've seen before. Very methodical, but at the same time, mystical. Brilliant. He doesn't have a very defined roadmap; he's all inspiration, and that's very interesting from the outside. But he also combines that with the rigor inherent in Formula 1 in terms of timing, quality, and inspiration. So far, it's been enriching to work with him; we'll see next year," Alonso said.
Fernando Alonso has lost F1 championships to rivals in Adrian Newey-designed cars in the past. For the first time after the regulations reset in 2026, the duo could create history together.
