Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso handed retirement verdict by F1 boss

F1 boss Stefano Domenicali does not believe Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso will call time on their extraordinary F1 careers at the end of this season.

Domenicali has described the champion duo as "giants of our sport", and is convinced they will fight on, regardless of what unfolds over the course of the coming year.

Seven-time champion Hamilton endured a difficult time in his debut season with Ferrari last year, failing to score a grand prix podium during a campaign for the first time in his F1 career, leaving him dejected at the end of it.

With the change of regulations, 41-year-old Hamilton has entered the season with renewed hope, although he is far from enamoured with the cars that require considerable energy management.

As for two-time champion Alonso, pre-season with Aston Martin has been wretched so far. The 44-year-old Spaniard ended his three days of total running in Bahrain with a power unit failure, and the car appeared to be the slowest of the 11 in the field, even behind newcomers Cadillac.

Assessing the impact on F1 the retirements of Hamilton and Alonso would have on the sport, speaking to select media, including RacingNews365, Domencali said: "If you're talking about Lewis and Fernando, they are giants of our sport.

"They are very big protagonists who are really focused on the season. Of course, they have different challenges and opportunities.

"That they stop this year, I have some doubts, because they are fighters. They have proven that if they have a good mix of the car, team, and so on, they will definitely fight for a longer time.

"I don't see them retiring, to be very open with you. I hope that I'm right, because they are a very important asset for Formula 1."

Turning to the new generation, and in particular, last year's five rookies in Isack Hadjar, Kimi Antonelli, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Liam Lawson, Domenicali added: "But then it's always exciting, as you saw, when we brought in five new guys, who are extremely important for the younger generation. 

"They are followed by teenagers, and in a way, it is interesting to see how the audience of our sport is shifting.

"First of all, I don't see them [Hamilton and Alonso] retiring. Secondly, I hope that they will not retire. Eventually, if this happened, which I don't believe, I think that the new generation driver will capture the attention in a faster way.

"That's because the way of connecting today is different. That's my opinion."