F1 champion Fernando Alonso to retire on one condition as 'mental strain' takes its toll

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, China, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

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Fernando Alonso to retire on one condition as 'mental strain' takes its toll

Alonso is facing a plethora of challenges with Aston Martin in 2026

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Saturday 28 March 2026 19:17

The conditions of Fernando Alonso's retirement have been discussed as one Aston Martin driver sheds light on how the Silverstone squad's nightmare season start could be taking its toll on the Spaniard.

To say that Alonso has endured a rough start to F1's new regulations cycle would be an understatement, especially considering the new chapter Aston Martin were hoping they could embark on as their works partnership with Honda got underway.

Instead, Honda have had to make a rather embarrassing return to their home race at Suzuka this weekend where both Alonso and his team-mate Lance Stroll will be calling it a good result if they even manage to finish Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.

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Speaking ahead of the third round of the 2026 championship, Stroll estimated that his new AMR26 would only be capable of doing half of the 53-lap event, with neither driver able to make it to the chequered flag at the Australian or Chinese Grands Prix this year.

Aston Martin's troubles mostly stem from their problematic Honda power unit, but F1 design genius Adrian Newey also has his work cut out where the chassis and general performance of the car is concerned as well.

Ahead of the Japanese GP, Aston Martin are tied in last place with new team Cadillac, with neither constructor picking up a single point so far this season.

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Alonso retirement discussed as Aston Martin struggles rumble on

Ahead of another difficult weekend for the struggling Aston Martin squad, 44-year-old Alonso was absent from media day in Japan due to family circumstances, with it being confirmed on Friday morning that the two-time champion was now a father.

Having now welcomed his first child with partner and F1 presenter Melissa Jimenez, Alonso will no doubt be weighing up whether to call time on his career when his current contract, set to run until the end of 2026, finally expires.

Speaking to Entrevista SPORT, fellow Spaniard and Aston Martin F1 sim driver Dani Juncadella was asked if 2026 would be Alonso's last year in the pinnacle of motorsport.

Juncadella, who recently tackled the Nurburgring for Verstappen Racing alongside Jules Gounon and four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen, assessed Alonso's chances of retirement now that the campaign is underway.

"I thought so before the season started, but let’s see what happens," Juncadella said.

The 34-year-old then laid out the terms that he believes could determine whether Alonso finally retires from F1 or not, saying: "If Aston Martin’s improvements are exponential. Imagine there are changes with the new regulations, Aston Martin manages to sort out many of its problems and they finish the year being competitive.

"Knowing Fernando, he might end the year and say, ‘Now that we’ve made the car competitive, I’m not leaving’. But if the car isn’t competitive throughout the season and they don’t manage to make any major strides forward, I imagine it will be his last year."

'Mental strain' of F1 season could catch up with Alonso

Asked whether a driver is able to remain in peak physical condition at Alonso's age, Juncadella continued: "It depends a bit on your training and the lifestyle you lead.

"Nowadays there’s much more research and information on nutrition, sport and rest. Sometimes age is just a number. I’m nearly 35 and I see colleagues in GT who are 28 and balding, and in worse shape than me. If you feel strong and have good reflexes at 45, it’s perfectly legitimate to keep racing in F1.

"I think it’s more the mental strain it would put on Fernando to face another full season and everything that entails."

Who is the oldest F1 driver in history?

Monegasque driver Louis Chiron remains the oldest driver to ever race in F1 history.

He was 55 years and 292 days old when he raced around the iconic streets of Monte Carlo for the final time at his home race, crossing the line in P6 with Lancia at the 1955 Monaco GP.

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Written by

Kerry Violet - F1 News Editor

Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a 2:1 in Journalism in 2022, Kerry continued her pursuit of finding a full-time position in motorsport through work with the F1 Arcade in London, where she got to meet true fans of the sport and make a live grand prix watch party memorable for them. It was here that she confirmed her dream of combining her background in journalism and love of motorsport, going on to volunteer with the female-led platform Empoword Journalism. Having completed stints as a screen editor and sports editor, Kerry landed her first F1-specific editorial role with GPFans and has thoroughly enjoyed continuing to work closely with the sport ever since. The access GPFans offers Kerry has allowed her to interview big names such as Naomi Schiff and David Coulthard and given her experiences she could only have dreamt of as a young F1 fan.

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F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso 2026 regulations Dani Juncadella