Aston Martin want to make Alonso's retirement thoughts 'difficult'

Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack has called for the side to "respect" Fernando Alonso's wish to consider if he wants to continue next season, a decision Krack wants to make as "difficult as possible".

Despite having previously expressed his intent on continuing beyond 2024, Alonso dropped a bombshell at the start of the season, by admitting that retiring this year is an option.

It was widely assumed that the Spaniard would remain with Aston Martin in 2025 at the very least, and he has admitted that he wants to stay with the British outfit should he decide to continue.

Krack is already discussing the future with the two-time F1 champion, who wants to decide whether he will retire before the summer break.

"The situation is unchanged from two weeks ago," Krack told Sky F1. "Fernando made it clear to everybody that he needs to decide what he wants to do with HIS future.

"He also said that, if he wants to continue, he will have talks with us first, which is very nice to hear. And then we have to see what happens over the next weeks, there are discussions, there will be further discussions.

"But as I said, first thing we have to respect is Fernando's call for time for thinking about what he wants to do. If you have such a champion in your team, you have to give him that time. And you have to respect this request."

Alonso's decision personal

Even though retirement is an option for Alonso, the 42-year-old has been linked to Lewis Hamilton's vacant seat at Mercedes.

With this in mind, some have pondered whether Alonso considering retirement is down to Aston Martin having not reduced the gap to Red Bull.

Krack does not believe this is the case, and has conceded his view that his driver's retirement thoughts are personal, rather than performance-based.

"I think it's rather the latter," admitted Krack. "But I think also with the former we can influence it maybe. So if we provide him a good car with the races to come, I think we have maybe a chance to facilitate the decision.

"These champions, they do not want to drive for 10th position or for sixth or fifth, they want to win and it's upon us to deliver the car to both drivers that allows them to do that.

"And if we manage that, then we want to make the decision for him as difficult as possible by giving him the best possible car."