Fernando Alonso has revealed that he hopes to stay in F1 beyond his current contract for 2022. The Spaniard returned to the sport this season with Alpine following a two-year hiatus and has impressed many with his performances, particularly his recent drive to third place in the Qatar Grand Prix, which marked Alonso's first podium in Formula 1 for seven years. At the age of 40, Alonso will be the oldest driver on the grid next year following the impending retirement of Kimi Raikkonen, but this is not deterring him from continuing in Formula 1 for some time yet. "I will be [here beyond 2022]," Alonso told the Beyond The Grid podcast when asked if he will stay after 2022 if the car is good. "And even if the car is not so good! But yeah, my plan is to stay [for] at least two or three years more."
F1 return was a "privilege"
Alonso has been relishing his return to F1, and admits that he felt very fortunate to be able to come back given that there are many drivers who never get the opportunity to race in the category. "I did enjoy [it] a lot," the two-time World Champion said. "Because I think I came with a fresh mindset. "I was happy to come back. I felt privileged to come back. "It's not that [in] the previous years I didn't feel that way, but I was more aware after two years out about how lucky we are, driving these cars. Only 20 drivers in the world [get to do this]. "There are many, many talented drivers that don't have even the opportunity to drive a Formula 1 [car] in their career. And I had the luck to choose when to stop, and when to have a break, and again the luxury of when to come back, and I had that opportunity. "So I came with that sense of... Yeah, I was very grateful to the sport, to the team, to everyone, and I did enjoy every second."
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