Max Verstappen on Alonso’s retirement: “It’s a real shame to lose him”

Will Formula 1 fans still be able to enjoy watching Fernando Alonso in 2027? The two-time world champion has not yet revealed exactly what he will be doing next year. The soon-to-be 45-year-old has ruled out a team switch, rumoured to be to Alpine: “I have a contract with Aston Martin.”

But that is by no means certain to mean that the 32-time Grand Prix winner will actually be racing in Grand Prix events. Speaking at the Hungaroring, the Spaniard said: “I have absolutely no doubt that Adrian Newey will one day build the best Formula 1 car on the grid for Aston Martin. I also know that it’s only a matter of time before Honda has sorted out its problems.”

“My decision has nothing to do with how this season has gone. I’d rather understand what the team has planned. I feel fresh, motivated and fast. But I also need to enjoy my work, and – quite honestly – driving at Silverstone and Spa wasn’t any fun.”

“We should always be striving to make our sport better, but for me behind the wheel – and for many spectators too – this is a Formula 1 that isn’t enjoyable. Lately, I haven’t felt the same adrenaline behind the wheel as I used to.”

Max Verstappen agrees: “The complex energy management means that at times – take Spa, for example – we’re driving around with an engine output that simply isn’t worthy of Formula 1. When these new rules were first discussed years ago, I warned against precisely this sort of situation.”

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“Ultimately, driving these cars feels unnatural, and perhaps people are getting a bit fed up with me talking about it. That’s what I meant when I said in Belgium that I had to be careful. It’s no fun driving these cars, and it’s no fun talking about it over and over again either.”

“And it won’t get any better if, from 2027, we have slightly less electric power and a bit more power from the combustion engine. That doesn’t change the fundamental problem.”

“Sometimes it’s so strange that it’s almost funny. You see two drivers battling it out in front of you, using up all their electric power, and then you breeze past them with the greatest of ease. But those aren’t satisfying overtaking manoeuvres.”

“I’m just old school: you creep up on an opponent, study them, and then you catch them off guard with an attack from an unexpected angle, or you simply brake later. Nowadays, you overtake them because they’ve run out of juice in their battery. It’s not the same at all; that’s not what racing should be like.”

“Another example for me: the fact that in certain corners we don’t drive as fast as we could, but instead we shift down a gear and rev higher to conserve energy. To me, that’s not racing; that’s what I’ve described as unnatural. But if I were to race using the driving style I’ve been used to for years, I’d be half a second slower per lap. It’s all just become far too complicated.”

On Fernando Alonso’s possible retirement, Verstappen says: “Generally speaking, I’m fully on the same page as Fernando – these cars simply aren’t what we, as thoroughbred racers, want. It would be a real shame if we were to lose Fernando.”

“We’re at different stages in our careers. He’ll soon be 45 and has achieved so much in his career; I’m only 28. But it pains me to see him having to fight for 20th place, when, in terms of raw talent, he belongs among the top five at the very least.”