Fernando Alonso has voiced his hope that 2026 will not be “the last season” for him in F1, with the Spaniard suggesting that he does not “feel it is that time yet”.
Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin in 2024 that would see him race through to 2026, a season that has seen the introduction of sweeping new technical regulations.
In an interview last year, the two-time World Champion hinted that his decision over whether to race beyond 2026 would depend on how the team’s car performed, telling AS.com in his native Spanish: “If the car goes well, there’s a good chance it will be my last year.”
However, speaking at the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco before the F1 season resumes in Miami, Alonso suggested that he would like to stay in the sport beyond the current campaign.
“I love what I do,” he explained in an interview on the event’s official channel. “I love racing. I did my first race when I was three years [old], and I am 44, so 41 years of my life I have been behind a steering wheel.
“So the moment I have to stop racing, it will be a very hard decision and difficult to accept.
“The time will tell. I will feel it. At the moment, I don’t feel it is that time yet. I feel competitive, I feel motivated, I feel happy when I drive. So, yeah, hopefully not the last season.”
The start of the 2026 season has proven challenging for Aston Martin so far, with the squad arriving late at the Barcelona Shakedown in January before issues during pre-season testing in Bahrain saw them complete the lowest mileage of any team.
Neither Alonso nor team mate Lance Stroll were classified in Australia and China, having both been forced to return to the pits with reliability problems.
There were some positive signs in Japan, however, with Alonso completing all 52 laps of Suzuka to take the chequered flag in P18.
The British outfit will be hoping to see further improvements when the season resumes this weekend at the Miami Grand Prix.
