Fernando Alonso opens up on 'difficult' F1 retirement decision

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso opens up on 'difficult' retirement decision

Fernando Alonso recently delved into F1 retirement at the Monaco Historique

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 25 April 2026 18:57

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Fernando Alonso has raced in F1 since 2001 and recently opened up on how 'difficult' the decision to retire will be for him.

At the age of 44, Alonso is the longest-serving Formula 1 driver, starting 428 races in a career that has spanned nearly three decades.

The Spaniard remains a competitive force in F1, albeit not at present with Aston Martin's current woes, and Alonso could be closer to 50 before he has the chance to win a race again.

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Despite a difficult road ahead for Aston Martin, Alonso isn't considering retirement at the end of the 2026 season and recently revealed that abandoning his racing career would be 'difficult to accept'.

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Alonso: 'I feel happy when I drive'

Alonso recently became a father for the first time, with his partner and F1 presenter Melissa Jimenez giving birth to a baby boy, named Leonard.

During the five-week break, Alonso took some time out from his fatherly duties to attend the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique - a weekend where a series of motorsport races take place in the principality in historic racing machinery.

Speaking at the event, Alonso was asked about his future in Formula 1, where he said: "It’s difficult to say. I love what I do, I love racing. I did my first race when I was three and I’m 44, so 41 years of my life I’ve been behind a steering wheel.

"I think the moment that I have to stop racing it will be a very hard decision and it will be difficult to accept. Time will tell.

"At the moment I don’t feel like that time is yet. I feel competitive, I feel motivated. I feel happy when I drive. So hopefully not the last season."

You can watch the 2026 Monaco Historique (Friday, April 24- Sunday, April 26) with races live streamed on the Automobile Club de Monaco YouTube channel.