Fernando Alonso: Alpine rumours and insults directed at Aston Martin-Honda

Is Fernando Alonso’s illustrious Formula 1 career coming to an end? The 2005 and 2006 world champion made comments during the Barcelona Grand Prix that sounded like he was hinting at retirement.

The 32-time Grand Prix winner said: “My motivation remains undiminished. I know that, with the same equipment, I can keep up with the best in the world. But very early on in the year, we realised that we’re dealing with a very immature project here. We know it takes time to iron out all the difficulties, but you hardly have that time when we now have an average of two to three races a month. We’re working our way through all the problems and hoping for a better second half of the season.”

“This will probably be my last Barcelona Grand Prix. I’ll decide on my future in the summer, but we know that this race won’t take place again until 2028. I see every race this year as potentially my last – my last China, my last Monaco, my last Barcelona.”

Essentially, there are three possible paths for Fernando in the top flight. If he retires, he’ll do so without any bitterness. As the Asturian says: “I’ve achieved more than most Formula 1 drivers ever will. I’m at peace with my career. I’ve got nothing left to prove here. I’m a two-time champion; I’ve fought for five or six titles, in cars that weren’t really title contenders.”

Option 2: Alonso stays on at Aston Martin for another year. After all, without the seemingly ageless Fernando, things look bleak for the Green team when it comes to star drivers.

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Option 3: Fernando returns to the fold of the team where he worked as a test driver in 2002 and as a Grand Prix driver from 2003 onwards – the team that was called Renault back then and is now known as Alpine.

On the morning of 25 June, Aston Martin engineer Mike Krack remarked that Alonso was too fast to leave Formula 1.

In the paddock at the Red Bull Ring, the driver with 432 Grand Prix starts under his belt said: “I don’t need anyone to tell me how fast I am; I can feel it on every lap, and I’ve always done so.”

“No decision has been made; I’ll probably wait until the summer break. Then we’ll see where I’m racing. And I will be racing, that’s for sure. Because I’m a racer; I know I’m fast, I’m motivated, I love racing. I’m not going to stop.”

“Whether I drive in Formula 1 or not is another matter. I need to enjoy the sport, and you can do that in other series too. There are various options. But it’s also true that nothing can top Formula 1.”

And what about the Alpine rumours? Fernando continues: “Pah, that’s Formula 1 for you – there are always rumours. The fact is, I’ve committed myself to this project at Aston Martin, and that goes beyond the role of a driver. We started this together, and we’ll see it through together. We’re building something great here, and Aston Martin will be successful and in contention for titles – it’s only a matter of time.”

“Whether that happens in a year, or in three, or in eight years, I don’t know, but it’s clear that, given my age, I’m subject to certain limitations.”

“Aston Martin and Honda are sometimes treated very badly, sometimes with nasty abuse. This team doesn’t deserve that. Because I can see how the specialists here are working day and night to improve our position.”

“We’re not at the level we want to be at. That invites criticism, and I can understand that. But for some people, we’re an easy target. When you’re down and out, it’s obviously easy for people across all the social media platforms to make fun of us. For me, that’s really borderline. Because we’re hard workers, at Aston Martin, at Honda, and everyone is doing their best to improve our situation.”

“As for me personally: my motivation remains undiminished, but I don’t want to be just another driver in the field; I want to be back in the fight for victories. My motivation is also the reason why I’ve tried so many things outside Formula 1 – Indy, Daytona, Le Mans and Dakar. I wanted to be the most complete racing driver in the world. That’s to be my legacy in the world of motorsport: that I can do things that other drivers perhaps can’t.’

“That inner drive remains as strong as ever. I want success with Aston Martin. But when you’re so far behind, it’s not easy to make up ground in all these races. Under the cost cap, there’s no point in spending a lot of money just to go four tenths faster per lap. We need to take bigger steps; we have to think differently.”

“If anyone thinks I’m giving up here, they clearly haven’t been watching me for the last 25 years.”