Fernando Alonso Set To Retire? Alpine Advisor and Former Renault Boss Teases Huge Decision

Fernando Alonso boasts the title of the most experienced Formula One driver in history. The Spaniard has a total of 391 grand prix starts and will hit 400 starts by the end of the 2024 season. Fernando Alonso made his F1 debut in 2001 with Minardi. 

Oscar Piastri one of the best young talents on the grid was not even born when Alonso made his debut. The two-time World Champion, took a two year sabbatical in between his career back in 2019 and returned to the sport again in 2021. 

Alonso To Retire In 2026? 

The two-time World Champion celebrated his 43rd birthday in July making him the oldest driver on the grid by far. Back in April, Aston Martin had announced that Fernando had signed a new multi-year contract with the team which will keep him with the team atleast until the end of the 2026 F1 season. 

Appearing on a podcast, Briatore said that Alonso will have a big decision to make. “I don’t know [about his future]. I believe [at Spa], for example, he was very smart. He did one pit stop and this was the way to go, because of his experience.

“If you ask me if Fernando wants to continue after we finish in the contract, our last year will be 2026 for the moment.

“What he wants to do after, I don’t know. Does he want to continue for one more year?

“The performance is there. You see the performance of Fernando, it’s there. It’s not a question of him losing concentration, during the race he’s always there.

“If he’s 11th, he wants to be 10th. If he’s 10th, he want to be ninth. He wants the car to be competitive. He’s qualifying well, he’s racing well.

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“I don’t know, honestly, if he wants to stop with 2026 as his last year or if he wants to go ahead. Honestly, I don’t know.

“It depends on the feeling he has about racing and the timing, I don’t know if he’ll have a family at the time and whatever.

“But for sure, he is somebody unique. I’ve never seen somebody like that, so determined every day, every day, every day. Never give up. Unbelievable,” said Briatore.

Alonso's Discipline Has Carried Him 

Flavio Briatore has been Fernando Alonso's manager for 22 years. He praised the discipline the Spaniard shows and how he is better shap now than he was back when he won his World Championships.  

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“I’ve been managing Fernando Alonso for 22 years now. We’ve had 22 years of marriage.

“Fernando is still very difficult to understand because Fernando is still motivated like a young driver.

“He’s super fit, maybe more fit now than when he was driving for me. He’s living in Monaco. I know he’s doing a bicycle ride every day, he’s doing 60-70-80 kilometres every day.

“He goes to the gym every day. Every time we go to dinner he’s very, very careful. He’s never cheating with the food. He’s unbelievable,” said Briatore. 

Fernando Alonso is a legend of the sport and brings a lot of experience and wisdom to the Formula One grid. It would be a big blow for F1 to see the legend retire if he chooses to do so at the end of the 2026 season.