Fernando Alonso is a legend of F1, having a career which spans back to the 2001 season when he made his debut for Minardi. Since his first season in the sport, the Spaniard has racked up 32 wins and two world championships.
However, Alonso last won a race back in 2013, when driving for Ferrari and taking on Sebastian Vettel for the title. After leaving Ferrari, the 43-year-old had disappointing seasons with McLaren and Alpine before joining Aston Martin, where he tasted the champagne of the podium again.
Alonso took a sabbatical from F1 after the 2018 season when his second stint with McLaren proved to be fruitless. He rejoined the sport in 2021 with Alpine and has had success with Aston Martin in 2023. However, Alonso is yet to score this season after eight races as questions over his retirement begin to emerge.
Fernando Alonso knows when to call it quits
Fernando Alonso left F1 in 2018, but returned three years later after missing the sport. He says he still has the motivation to carry on, despite the lack of points on the board. However, the two-time world champion says he knows when retirement is the right option for him.
Speaking in the press conference before the Spanish GP, Alonso said: “I stopped Formula 1 once in 2018, and I came back because I needed [to] so the next time I stop, I have to be sure. You need to feel it, when it is time and I don’t feel it yet.
“You jump into the car on Sunday at the grid and I still feel it, I enjoy it. Or pain tells you to stop, you get injured. But if you stay healthy, the time watch will tell me when I’m not fast enough. Still when I finish on a Sunday, even if the results are not good enough at the moment, I am so motivated for the next race. But there is no guarantee that is forever.”
With Alonso being the oldest driver on the grid and results not going his way so far this season, questions over his future are inevitable. However, looking at the qualifying stats, Alonso still has the speed. He has beaten his teammate in every qualifying session so far this season, with a season best of P5 in Imola.
Why has Fernando Alonso failed to score points this season?
Fernando Alonso is currently joint last in the standings after failing to score so far this season. However, not all of that is due to the Spaniard. In China, Alonso was in the hunt for points before he had to retire early on due to a brake issue. Alonso was also running in P6 in Monaco before an engine failure caused him to retire.
After qualifying in P5 in Imola, Alonso’s strategy caused him to drop down the order after looking strong in the race. And in the Miami sprint, he was tagged by Liam Lawson, causing Alonso to drop down the order.
Aston Martin to Trial Adrian Newey’s 2026 Technologies on 2025 F1 Car
The AMR25 has also struggled this season. The car is peaky and has become difficult to drive. This has seen Aston Martin being the slowest team during some race weekends. However, with Aston Martin leaning towards 2026 and testing parts on their current car, the Silverstone-based squad are finding pace. Alonso just needs a bit of luck on his side to finally score this season.
