Fernando Alonso: I'm at my 100 per cent now and don't want to leave Formula 1 being beaten by everyone

The Aston Martin driver, who turns 45 in July, is in the final year of his current contract after joining the Silverstone-based team from the Alpine F1 Team in 2023. Despite Aston Martin and engine partner Honda enduring a difficult start to Formula 1’s new regulation era, Alonso recently admitted he still does not feel ready to walk away from the sport.

During a Sky Sports interview in Miami, asked about his future, the Spaniard suggested the AMR’s progress through the remainder of the season will also influence his thinking. He said, "I'm open to everything. Until probably after the summer break, I will not really sit down with the team and make the decision.

"We need to see also how the car improves and how we see things into next year. I am also linked with this team and with this project. I want to succeed here, behind the wheel or not being the wheel. You will see me in the paddock even if I stop racing.”

Despite Aston Martin’s struggles, Alonso has continued to outperform team mate Lance Stroll, outqualifying the Canadian in 40 consecutive Grands Prix. He is adamant his current level remains strong enough to justify a contract extension if he wants one.

“You cannot be 100 per cent sure about it, but I'm performing, I think, well enough to show the team that I can give them the results if the car is competitive,” Alonso explained. “I'm helping the team as much as I can. I think it could be more up to me.”

The 32-time Grand Prix winner also admitted becoming a father earlier this year has altered how he views his future in the sport. He and partner Melissa Jimenez welcomed their first son in March, with the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix allowing Alonso additional time at home during the early weeks of fatherhood.

Asked whether becoming a father had changed his thinking about retirement, Alonso said, "I have some thoughts, I cannot lie. It does change the way you see life. I have to say that it is going in the other direction. I want to race so he sees me racing. But until he is aware of things, maybe it's a couple of years, and I don't want to race for four or five years again!

“I was thinking, if I race one or two more years, will he have any memory or any understanding of what is going on at the paddock and things like that?

"I would like not to stop before he is in the paddock or he sits in my car or this kind of thing. They are moments you will remember all your life, so it does change [your thinking] to be a father," acknowledged Alonso.

Although Alonso says he is relaxed about eventually stepping away from Formula 1, he made clear he wants to leave on his own terms: “Leaving the sport with a bad taste is not always the best thing, but these things you cannot choose: when to stop racing. Only Nico Rosberg did!"

Alonso continued: "I'm very relaxed. I'm very happy with my career. I'm very happy with what I was able to live and experience and what the sport gave me. This is a gift. Since I came back in 2021, it has been a gift to keep racing and to feel competitive.

"I also want to leave the sport one day when I feel fast. I don't want to leave the sport when I've been beaten by everyone; I feel slow and I make mistakes. I know that I'm at my 100 per cent now, and I want to leave also when I feel that way.”

Alonso previously stepped away from Formula 1 after 2018 before returning with Alpine in 2021. During his break from Grand Prix racing, he won the FIA World Endurance Championship with Toyota Gazoo Racing and claimed 2 victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He also competed in the Indianapolis 500 and the Dakar Rally.

Looking ahead to life after Formula 1, Alonso ventured, "As I said many times, Dakar will be a possibility. If one day I can win endurance racing, Formula 1 and rally cross-country, that will probably be unprecedented, and that's something that is very appealing.

“I drove the prototype, the Aston Martin Valkyrie, two weeks ago, and that was a nice feeling as well. Maybe Le Mans, one day again. I'm not too worried when I stop Formula 1. I will keep racing somehow, and I will still link with the team in a different role for sure in the future.

“Either way, I'm relaxed, and I will be active in a way when I stop Formula 1," insisted Alonso, adding that he is still performing at his peak despite approaching his 45th birthday.

While fatherhood and Aston Martin’s competitiveness will influence his final decision after the summer break, the popular two-time F1 world champion made clear he has no intention of leaving Formula 1 feeling uncompetitive.

But his fans need not worry; he won't disappear like Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg. Alonso will have his choice of motorsport projects, such as Le Mans and the Dakar Rally. Before then, it would be epic if he could notch up at least a 33rd victory. He last won in 2013...