Fernando Alonso, a name that has become synonymous with resilience, talent, and a touch of tragedy in the world of Formula 1, is causing a stir with his potential retirement plans. The twist, however, is that this intention comes just as he has found a team capable of once again competing for a world championship—Aston Martin. After more than two decades of relentless dedication since his debut in 2001, Alonso has etched his name in F1 history with two consecutive world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006. But since then, his career has been clouded by a series of poor choices, persistent bad luck, and unsuccessful years with Ferrari. Now, at 44 years old, with Aston Martin on a powerful ascent, is this truly the right time for a legend like Alonso to say goodbye?

A Difficult Journey in Search of Glory

Since his last championship, Fernando Alonso has endured a challenging journey, striving to find a team that could help him return to the pinnacle of success. His last race win was over a decade ago, in 2013 with Ferrari. Although he secured a few podium finishes in 2023, Alonso has never truly had a car potent enough to fully unleash his innate talent. His stint at Ferrari in the early 2010s was the closest he came to another world championship after leaving Renault, but it was followed by a series of disappointments.

Refusing to surrender, Alonso even took a break from F1 to pursue the “Triple Crown” of motorsport, coming agonizingly close to victory at the Indy 500 and proving his exceptional talent with back-to-back wins at Le Mans. His return to F1 with Alpine was deemed a “doomed” decision; Alpine was not the same team that had led him to glory, and perhaps it never will be again. Alonso needed a team that matched his ambitions, and that’s when Aston Martin entered the picture.

Aston Martin: A New Ray of Hope

Initially not considered a championship contender, Aston Martin completely changed the game after Fernando Alonso joined, replacing the retiring Sebastian Vettel. With massive investment from owner Lawrence Stroll and the recruitment of some of F1’s most brilliant minds, including legendary designer Adrian Newey, Aston Martin is steadily establishing its position. The team is expected to become a genuine championship contender next season, especially in 2026 when new regulations for engines and chassis are introduced.

With this immense potential, Fernando Alonso seems to be on the verge of everything he has ever wanted. However, something unexpected has happened: the two-time world champion is planning to leave the sport if Aston Martin becomes a top team.

The Shocking Decision: “If Things Go Well, It’s a Good Moment to Stop”

Fernando Alonso’s contract with Aston Martin expires at the end of next year, and he has been candid about his retirement intentions, but with a surprising condition: “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 had that, I think it’s a very good way to close my career,” Alonso said in an interview released by the team. He added, “Let’s say that if we are competitive, there is more chance I stop. If we’re not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again.”

It seems that for Alonso, bringing a team to a championship-winning position is enough for him at this point in his career. He also has valid reasons for this thinking. When asked if his team is ready to win it all in Formula 1, he responded with a resounding “yes,” but added the caveat that winning a world championship isn’t always just up to you. There are numerous external factors that can affect one’s chances, and waiting for them all to align might take longer than Alonso is willing to wait.

“I hope so, I mean I’m pretty convinced about that. The only thing is when. That’s probably my only question mark for this project. In my case, driving in the last couple of years of my career, obviously I want to taste the success of the Aston Martin project, but I know that everything takes a little bit of time to glue all the pieces together and that’s my only question mark,” Alonso shared. He continued, “Aston Martin Aramco fighting for and winning the world championship is more or less guaranteed in the future. We have everything that is needed to fight for a world championship. Then to execute the job and to win it, you need some external factors as well. You need a little help from the competitors. You need a little bit of luck. You need to execute every weekend as well. But let’s say in preparation for 2026, we have everything in place.”

The Challenge of Age and Physical Pressure

Next season, Fernando Alonso will turn 45. To find a driver of that age who won a world title, one has to go back to the formative years of the F1 World Championship in the mid-1950s, when the indomitable Juan Manuel Fangio won his final title at 46. However, that was a completely different era. The physical toll that a modern F1 car takes on a driver’s body is incomparable to that of the 50s. Even current F3 cars reach higher top speeds than many of the cars from the early 50s. The biggest difference lies in cornering speeds. Additionally, there is the mental speed required to react to a current F1 car, something that becomes harder with age.

Besides, Alonso has dedicated over 20 years of his life to Formula 1. Perhaps he simply wants to try something else. Whether it is the physical effort of F1, the mental pressure it applies, or just the desire to try something new, Alonso is ready to leave F1, as long as he leaves his team in a good state.

Adrian Newey and the Honda Engine: The Decisive Advantage

To be fair to Alonso, Aston Martin should be in a very good state next year. Owner Lawrence Stroll has spent the past few years investing in the team with the hope of turning them into champions. Next year, they will produce their first car under the technical leadership of design legend Adrian Newey, who joined them in March of this year after resigning from Red Bull in April 2024. Alonso says he sees 2026, when F1 introduces new regulations for engines and chassis, as an opportunity and has been impressed by his first experiences working with Newey.

“He’s an incredible person and everyone in the team is learning from him,” Alonso said. “Everything Adrian does, you try to understand why he’s doing that, why he chose that direction or why he’s answering in that way because there is always something to learn from him. Even from a simple answer that he can give to you in response to a question, that simple answer can be so clear to him. But why is it not for others? There are moments when to be able to understand him, you need to use all your brain capacity. Even if Adrian only uses 5%, for us, for normal people, we need to use much more.”

Alongside Newey will be a brand new engine from Honda, which will be made exclusively for Aston Martin. This will also offer the team a big advantage. Aston Martin will be able to work with Honda to get the engine packaged in such a way that they can design their chassis and aerodynamics in whatever way they want.

Persistent Bad Luck: Factors Beyond Control

However, as mentioned earlier, success in F1 isn’t entirely down to those hunting it. How your opponents perform matters as much as your own luck. And when it comes to luck, Alonso hasn’t had much this season.

Fernando Alonso finished 15th in the Azerbaijan Grand Prix after qualifying 11th, which led the Aston Martin driver to bemoan his bad luck over the 2025 F1 season. He said unexpected occurrences that shake up the field only come along when the team is on form. The Spaniard qualified just outside the top 10 in Baku, ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari and three positions clear of teammate Lance Stroll. However, a false start from McLaren’s Oscar Piastri in front led Alonso to jump the gun as well, which saw him lose places off the line and pick up a 5-second time penalty. “In those moments, every movement that is happening in front of you, obviously sometimes you react, and unfortunately, I reacted to Oscar,” the 44-year-old explained after the race. “But yeah, I don’t think that it did change my race at all. We were at a very slow pace and the final position I think is exactly the same.”

The slow pace of the Aston Martin AMR25 in Azerbaijan was attributed to the layout of the Baku circuit, with Alonso claiming earlier in the weekend that the good downforce and low drag required to tie together a lap of the track was not their strength. Aston Martin has regularly struggled in these regulations despite their impressive performance at the start of 2023.

However, Alonso is right. His luck has been terrible this season. He has so far picked up four DNFs, with technical issues causing three of them: a brake failure in China, power unit issues in Monaco, and suspension damage in Italy. In Australia, however, the experienced campaigner spun off in drying conditions, initially blaming the crash on gravel on the track. His teammate, however, has suffered no retirements but did sit out the Spanish Grand Prix due to a wrist injury. Alonso was also caught out by the timing of a safety car in Zandvoort, as he’d already stopped for new rubber, and a virtual safety car in Imola, which gave his rivals a cheap stop and dropped him out of the points.

It is this kind of bad luck, which can be out of a team’s control no matter how good their car is, which could stop Alonso from winning an F1 world championship again. Perhaps then, it is completely understandable that he’s ready to retire as soon as Aston Martin is ready to win once again.

What Future for the F1 Legend?

Fernando Alonso’s decision is opening up a major debate within the F1 community. Is he truly giving up a golden opportunity to win another championship, or is this a strategic move to motivate the team and enjoy the final years of his career to the fullest? Whatever the case, Fernando Alonso’s career has been an epic saga of talent, perseverance, and burning passion. Whether he continues to race or not, his legacy in Formula 1 will be remembered forever.