Alonso: I know 2026 is my last chance

Ever since Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 with Alpine after his first retirement in 2018 when driving for McLaren, he has been chasing an elusive 33rd win.

He came close in 2023 when Aston Martin started the season with a strong car but then faded away as that season progressed and never recovered after that, as they are currently enduring a tough season with a slow car while Alonso has been on the receiving end of bad team strategy calls and reliability issues, the latest being in Monza where he retired with a failed suspension. This meant he scored two points less in the F1 Drivers' Championship than teammate Lance Stroll.

But the 2005 and 2006 F1 Champion is hoping that the story will be different in 2026 when Honda becomes Aston Martin's works engine partner, powering the team's first single-seater designed by Adrian Newey, who joined from Red Bull Racing.

Speaking to AS.com, Alonso was asked about his feelings about 2026; he said: "Very motivating. I know it’s my last chance. That’s the key factor.

"I used to see other rule changes simply as changes, hoping my team would interpret the regulations well and give me a fast car.

"But this one is different, because it’s the last big change I’ll go through, and the last chance to win another race, enjoy the highs, get on the podium, fight for a title.

"There’s a lot of hope tied to 2026. Even if it’s no bigger or smaller than past rule changes, for me it’s emotionally very important," he insisted.

Aston Martin Chairman Lawrence Stroll has been pouring money into this F1 project, hiring the best people and building impressive facilities, but that is no guarantee of success, especially in 2026, as the new team wouldn't have gelled together quite yet, and all that will have an effect on Alonso's decision as to when he will call it a day, this time for good.

"Right now, I don’t have a clear idea," the Spaniard said. "If the car is strong, there’s a good chance it will be my final year.

"I know I’d have more chances of doing well in 2027 or 2028, once the group we have now with [Adrian] Newey is fully settled.

"The first year might go well, but by the second or third you can be sure it will. But I need to see for myself. If the car is weak, I might go one more year just to end on a positive note.

"If the car is strong, 2026 will probably be my last year," the 44-year-old declared.

Alonso revealed that, while Aston Martin are frustrated with how their current season is going, there is a lot of energy behind the scenes at the team's base in Silverstone, where work on the 2026 F1 green single-seater is in full swing with Newey now leading the project.

He commented: "The team is moving toward its best period. On track, we’re doing what we can each weekend, and yes, there’s some fatigue—we want the season to end so we can reset.

"But in the factory it’s the opposite—everything is focused on 2026, there’s a lot of excitement, and a new way of working under Newey’s guidance. Aston Martin is clearly on an upward path," he insisted.

And while many great F1 drivers, of whom Alonso is definitely one, never know when to stop racing, he insists he doesn't want to overstay his welcome.

"When I leave Formula 1, I want to leave as I am now – believing I'm the best," Alonso claimed. "And with at least 30 or 40 percent of the outside world still thinking I’m the best.

"I don’t want to stop because I’ve lost ability. I’ll enjoy next year and take it one season at a time. But yes, I want to leave at the top," he concluded.