Fernando Alonso reveals timeline for F1 retirement decision

Fernando Alonso has revealed that he is aiming to make a decision over his F1 future by the end of summer as he weighs up his options.

The Spaniard has endured a miserable opening three rounds to the campaign as Aston Martin languishes towards the rear of the field with an unreliable Honda power unit.

Despite the struggles, Alonso has asserted he still holds a strong passion for the sport and recently indicated that the 2026 campaign may not be his final season.

But the two-time champion has insisted he has not yet engaged in talks with the team regarding his future.

“I didn't start yet to think about the future,” Alonso told media including RacingNews365. 

“I have conversations with Lawrence and the team regularly. We met in Monaco this last weekend and we had a nice dinner together.

“But we never discuss deeply the future. We are aligned on everything. We are a team, but we are talking more about the present, to be honest, than the future.

“But I know that at one point this year, around summertime or right after summer, I need to make a decision.

“At the moment, I haven't sat with myself yet to think about it. I need to speak with my family as well. I need to speak with my people first and decide what to do next year.”

Alonso's plan away from F1

Alonso's eventual exit from the sport will not be the first time he walks away, having departed the grid at the end of the 2018 season.

Prior to his return in 2021, Alonso dipped his feet into various racing activities - including the World Endurance Championship, the Indy 500 and the Dakar Rally.

The 44-year-old declared he would happily return to such outings if he walked away from F1.

“I’m very relaxed about it,” he said. “If I continue racing, it will be a better season than this one with the project in year two.

“If I stop racing, I know that I will race in other series. As I said many times, Dakar will be a possibility. If one day I can win in endurance racing, F1 and rally cross country, that will be probably unprecedented.

“That’s something that is very appealing. I drove the prototype, the Valkyrie, two weeks ago, and that was a nice feeling as well.

“So maybe Le Mans one day again. I'm not too worried. 

“When I stop F1, I will keep racing somehow, and I will still link with the team in a different role for sure, in the future. I will be active in a way, when I stop F1.”