Fernando Alonso, who will turn 43 in July, ends his contract with Aston Martin this season, his 21st in the great circus, without yet knowing which path he will take: whether to continue in green, whether to aspire to a top steering wheel (Mercedes or even Red Bull) or… whether to retire.
Questioned in the preview of the inaugural Bahrain GP about his options of replacing Lewis Hamilton in the star team, the Asturian left his future up in the air: “First I have to decide if I want to continue competing or not, and it is something that I will have to decide in a few weeks or races. I feel great now, but it’s a demanding schedule. In 2026 there will be new regulations, which will be tempting or maybe not… I will take a few races to decide.”
After his 4th place overall in the 2023 World Championship, in his first year with Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso believes that this year his team should take a step forward to aspire to more than just points and podiums.
“I see a different approach in the team than in 2023, when we started with a good base and it was a surprise to see how good we were at the beginning. After we were not able to develop the car, we learned many lessons. If we want to be contenders for the title, we are starting well in 2024, but we have to maintain the pace of development compared to the teams at the top,” commented the Spaniard at the official FIA press conference prior to the Bahrain GP that opens the season. 2024.
Even so, being realistic, Alonso admits that they are still very far from Red Bull and Verstappen, whom he predicts a championship without rivals. “I don’t have the tools yet to beat Max, so we’ll call him the collector,” he said ironically, about the fourth title that the Dutchman can hold.
For his part, Carlos Sainz admitted that he still does not know “where to go next year, nor do I still know what my best option is”, when asked about his near future when his relationship with Maranello ends.
“What I know is that I am going to maximize my last year at Ferrari, I want to have a good last year, it is an incredible team and I want to give it my all. Looking ahead, I will need to take my time deciding where to go. I am going to talk to all the available options and see which long-term project is best for me and my career, and that gives me the possibility of being world champion. I want to know as soon as possible,” commented the Madrid pilot.
