Otmar Szafnauer says Fernando Alonso will stay in F1 as long as he’s beating Lance Stroll

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Former Aston Martin team principal Otmar Szafnauer has claimed that Fernando Alonso will stay in Formula 1 as long as he is getting the better of Lance Stroll. 

Alonso, 44, has enjoyed a long and largely successful career in F1, having driven for the likes of Renault, McLaren, Ferrari, Alpine and currently, Aston Martin. 

The Spaniard is also a two-time world champion after clinching back-to-back titles in 2005 and 2006 at Renault.

However, in recent years, Alonso has struggled to add to his total of 106 podiums and 32 wins; his last victory was back in 2013 at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Heading into 2026, it was expected that Alonso could soon be fighting at the front of the grid again due to Aston Martin’s decision to sign Adrian Newey.

However, the Newey era has started horrendously, with Aston Martin struggling with the problematic AMR26. 

As a result, questions were raised about the Spaniard’s future, but Alonso recently stated that he ‘hopes’ 2026 will not be his last season in F1.

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Otmar Szafnauer thinks Fernando Alonso will stay in F1 on one condition

Speaking recently on the High Performance Racing podcast, ex-Alpine and Aston Martin team boss Szafnauer claimed that Alonso will stay put as long as he is beating his teammate.

He explained: “Remember, if you’re not in a winning car, the one thing you got to do is beat your teammate. And, I’m thinking as long as he’s beating his teammate, he might come back.”

Szafnauer also questioned what if Alonso decided to walk away in the next couple of years, and Newey manages to provide Aston Martin with a competitive car.

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He added: “What if he (Newey) does deliver a winning car in two years and I’ve quit? Then, I’m kicking myself. As long as you can do it.

“Look at the track record, Honda have won, even in recent times, world championships, right? Adrian Newey, even in recent times, world championships.

“And now, they’ve got them together. So if you say to yourself, in two years, we can sort this out, you don’t want to quit now. Although it’s going to be hard to sort it.”

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What did Fernando Alonso say about his F1 future?

During an appearance at the Historic Grand Prix of Monaco last week, Alonso hinted that he is not yet ready to walk away from F1.

He said: “I love what I do. 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.”

After a month-long break, Alonso will be hoping Aston Martin have been able to fix some of the AMR26’s problems as F1 resumes this weekend with the Miami Grand Prix.