Fernando Alonso reflects on his stay in Formula 1 and Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso has spoken openly about his future in Formula 1 and analyzed the factors that will influence his decision to retire. The Spanish driver's decision to sign with Aston Martin was initially seen as wrong a possible career end. Alonso joined the team when they were in seventh place in the standings, leaving Alpine who were in fourth place.
However, A more in-depth analysis of this decision would have resulted in a more positive response. Although the British team's position in the overall standings was not great, it ended the 2022 season encouragingly. Events like COTA and Abu Dhabi showed they were within reach for Alpine and McLaren.
Fernando Alonso's take on his future in competition: His retirement is getting closer
After being questioned, Alonso's decision was soon hailed as a stroke of genius following his podium finish in Bahrain. Interestingly, the length of the contract was one of the reasons why Alonso moved to Aston Martin. The British team was willing to offer the double champion a multi-year contract, something Alpine had not done.
Fernando Alonso remains competitive Despite his age, he is ready to continue in Formula 1 if he feels capable. He admits that he will have to evaluate his performance as the year progresses: “Next year I will see how I feel after 24 races,” he told AMUS. “If I feel like I can no longer perform the way I expect of myself, I will be the first to raise my hand. It's not time for me to retire yet.“
Alonso's expectations for the 2024 season
It seems reasonable that such an intense schedule could have an impact on the Spanish driver. This is particularly true given the inclusion of multiple sprint race weekends in 2024. Still, Alonso will certainly approach this season more optimistically than in most years of the last decade.
The AMR23 eventually lost steam, but there were still encouraging signs in Brazil, Las Vegas and even Abu Dhabi. Challenging Red Bull might be a potentially unrealistic goal, but more solid results are certainly on the horizon. Time will tell whether Aston Martin's challenger in 2024 learns from his predecessor's mistakes.