Amidst an avalanche of F1 news and rumours in recent days, Fernando Alonso responds to suggestions he could retire.
Fernando Alonso started the year in near-perfect fashion, securing a series of podium finishes with Aston Martin. For about half of the season, finishing second in the standings seemed a realistic possibility. How quickly times can change.
The 42-year-old finds himself in a team which, at least for now, is in free fall. The team’s now infamous Canada upgrades put the AMR23 on the wrong trajectory – which they are yet to recover from.
Lance Stroll’s pace at the US GP seemed encouraging, but this optimism was quickly dashed last weekend in Mexico. The British outfit found no pace all weekend, from free practice to the race, despite the luxury of significant track time.
Whilst this doesn’t condemn Aston Martin’s recent update package to failure, it is yet another worrying sign. This change in fortune has seen a cascade of speculation circulate across F1 circles.
To be clear, there have never been concrete indications Alonso will retire this year. The Spaniard has a contract for 2024 and remains optimistic about Aston’s chances of making a recovery. Performance isn’t an issue for the Spaniard either.
Alonso responds
Still, the recent whirlwind on social media (triggered by a now infamous post) has cast doubt on the situation at Team Silverstone. In response, Fernando Alonso leaves no doubts when addressing retirement rumours:
“I like competition. I like to be fast, and I hate losing. It’s obviously not very difficult to motivate myself when I’m in the car…
“Not at the moment [is he considering retirement]. I know I’m at the last stage of my career, but I don’t see it that way at the moment,” he told Fox Sports.
“I don’t have a [specific] date when I want to end my career.”
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there have also been suggestions Alonso could make a shock move to Red Bull. Once again, this speculation is without foundation – the Double World Champion is set to continue where he is.
Regardless of the validity these rumours hold, they can largely be traced back to Aston Martin’s decline. If Mike Krack’s personnel want to change the narrative, they need to secure results – and fast.
Fernando Alonso is still enthusiastic about racing and competing in Formula 1. Recent events are certainly a concern, especially given the 42-year-old doesn’t have the luxury of time he used to. Still, at least for the foreseeable future, he will work to get Team Silverstone back to where it was in early 2023.
