Aston Martin boss shares what Fernando Alonso keeps telling him amid the F1 icon’s retirement claims

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Fernando Alonso is still going strong in Formula 1 at 44 years old, but the clock may be winding down on the Spaniard’s career after he suggested that he may retire in 2026.

The Spaniard has graced the grid since he debuted for Minardi in the 2001 F1 season. Bar a year on the sidelines during the 2002 campaign and his hiatus over 2019 and 2020, Alonso has been a part of the paddock to pen a record 422 Grand Prix entries and also 419 starts.

But Alonso admits he could retire from F1 in 2026 if Aston Martin have a fast car in the new regulations. The 44-year-old recently suggested that he sees next year’s rule changes as his last chance to win a Grand Prix again and possibly fight for a third F1 drivers’ championship.

The 2005 and 2006 champion would prefer to go out on a high. So, Alonso admits that he is currently more likely to try to extend his contract with Aston Martin into the 2027 season if their car flops next year, as he wants to help the Silverstone squad achieve stronger results.

Fernando Alonso has not told Andy Cowell he is considering retiring from F1 in 2026

Yet Aston Martin CEO and team principal Andy Cowell has now declared that Alonso has not told him anything about the Spaniard potentially considering retiring from F1 next year. The primary focus of their discussions over the last year has been about the 2026 F1 regulations.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about F1’s 2026 engine and aero regulations

Alonso’s £20.5m a year Aston Martin contract is currently due to expire at the close of 2026, and so is teammate Lance Stroll’s contract. But Alonso has not yet mentioned his future with Cowell, who feels the 32-time career Grand Prix winner’s skills are not diminishing with age.

“No, I haven’t had any conversations with him about that,” Cowell has told Motorsport.com. “His conversations with me over the last year have been focused on 2026.

“Everything is about 2026. It’s exactly the same with Lance, which stems from a painful 2025 season. So, we’re putting all our effort and focus into 2026.”

Cowell added: “I expect Fernando is thinking ahead to 2026 and what to do. We are pushing hard to make sure we are in the best possible place for 2026, 2027 and beyond.

“Fernando has proven he is a phenomenal competitor. Age doesn’t seem to be an issue for him. His age seems to be a strength.”

Fernando Alonso is expected to decide his F1 future early in the 2026 season

Alonso is expected to decide his future early in 2026, which could allow Aston Martin plenty of time to sign a replacement. But the Spaniard deciding his future so soon into the 2026 F1 regulations also puts Aston Martin under pressure to begin the term with a competitive car.

READ MORE: Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso’s life outside F1 from net worth to Cars 2

Next year will also see Aston Martin leave Mercedes’ engine customer stable to become the works Honda power unit team. It is said that Honda’s 2026 F1 rules engine is shaping up OK, given the unknowns surrounding next year’s power units before they are tested on a circuit.

Aston Martin are yet to win a Grand Prix in the British brand’s all-time history as an F1 team, including their brief spell on the grid from 1959 to 1960 and since Lawrence Stroll renamed Racing Point in 2021. Alonso has also secured eight of Aston Martin’s nine all-time podiums.

Alonso scored eight podiums during his first year with Aston Martin in 2023, which took him to 106 career rostrums. But Alonso won his 32nd and most recent F1 Grand Prix at the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, and took his 22nd and most recent pole at the 2012 German Grand Prix.