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Fernando Alonso was hoping he could walk away from Formula 1 on a high note, but Aston Martin’s dire start to the season may have put paid to those plans.
Alonso’s situation with Aston Martin is somehow worse than what he endured during McLaren and Honda’s snake-bitten partnership.
Alonso returned to Formula 1 in 2018 after retirement, hoping to get back to the top of the motorsport world after years pursuing other racing dreams.
Fernando Alonso expects Aston Martin to face 10 more ‘difficult’ rounds! Are we seeing the end of his F1 career?
Given how much Aston Martin have struggled this season, Alonso seemingly delayed his retirement plans, hoping to walk away from the sport after a strong season.
It appears Fernando Alonso was hoping this season would have given him the perfect ending he had hoped for, as he planned to retire at the end of 2026.
READ MORE: Juan Pablo Montoya says Fernando Alonso would fight through Aston Martin pain if he were leading
Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin contract ‘definitely’ ends in 2026
In a recent BBC Q&A, Andrew Benson spoke about possible driver moves heading into the 2027 season and which drivers could be on different teams.
Benson noted that Alonso had told him as far back as 2024 that he was going to enter the 2026 season with the mindset that it would be his final year in Formula 1.
“The other big name to think about is Fernando Alonso. His Aston Martin contract definitely runs out at the end of this season.
“Alonso said in a BBC Sport interview at the end of 2024 that he would go into 2026 thinking it was his last season, but see how he felt in the course of it. I know that was still his mindset through last year.
“Amid all the noise about Aston Martin and Honda’s struggles at the start of this season, Alonso has not yet been asked how he feels about his future.”
READ MORE: 2026 F1 driver contract lengths and wages including Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton
Prove us wrong, F1 will never quite recover when two-time world champion Fernando Alonso hangs up his helmet…
Fernando Alonso is desperate to end his career the right way
While Alonso has not given any public indication of what his decision will be, it looks like he will try to continue for one more season.
At 46 years old, Alonso has to evaluate his career one season at a time. Furthermore, Alonso has a lot going on in his personal life, becoming a father for the first time just a few weeks ago.
One would think his age and the events in his life would convince him to end his career. However, Aston Martin’s abysmal season has let Alonso down.
And for a driver as competitive and seasoned as he is, his career ending on such a sour note is unacceptable for Alonso.
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