Fernando Alonso sets out Aston Martin F1 retirement conditions... but it may never happen

Fernando Alonso

Fernando Alonso sets out Aston Martin retirement conditions

Alonso is waiting to call time on his F1 career

Kerry Violet F1 News Editor

F1 editor and journalist covering motorsport since 2024.

Tuesday 5 May 2026 09:43

Two-time F1 champion Fernando Alonso is just waiting to retire, but he has set some pretty lofty goals that could suggest he will be around for many seasons to come.

Alonso joined Aston Martin from Alpine in 2023 in a season that saw him become surprisingly competitive.

The double title holder was frequently competing at the front of the pack, claiming eight podiums across his maiden campaign with the Silverstone outfit in total.

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But since then, Aston Martin have been on a downward trajectory, with their 2026 power unit partnership with Honda resulting in a major uphill battle this year.

It took Adrian Newey's squad four race weekends to see both Alonso and his team-mate Lance Stroll actually finish the grand prix, but a P15 and P17 result in Miami still indicates they have plenty to work on ahead of the Canadian GP in less than three weeks time.

Honda and Alonso both confirmed in Miami that the painful PU vibrations previously causing harm have subsided, but the Spaniard is not optimistic that Aston Martin will be able to take any more major steps forward until at least the second half of the year.

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Alonso: I'd retire that same afternoon

Speaking to media in Miami, Alonso admitted he has made peace with his current situation at Aston Martin, but is still sticking to his word about not retiring until he has been able to get the most out of his challenging Aston Martin machinery.

Ahead of the new era for F1, the 44-year-old stated that he wanted to see out his storied career in motorsport by ending on a high, something that certainly looks way out of reach this season.

And who can blame him for wanting to stick around until design genius Newey has found his feet?

In September 2025, he told F1.com: "They [Aston Martin] might do well in the first year, but by the second or third [of the new regulations], they're guaranteed to do well. But I have to consider it myself. If the car goes badly, there's a good chance I'll stay for another year to finish on a positive note. If the car goes well, 2026 will probably be my last year."

But after four race weekends under the overhauled chassis and power unit regulations, it is pretty clear that Aston Martin are nowhere near competitive, with zero points to their name in the constructors' standings.

Reflecting on Aston Martin's slow progress, the F1 icon was quoted by Spanish outlet Autonocion as saying in Miami: "I’m at peace because I understand the situation; the team has explained it to me... I’m not sure we’ve improved in terms of performance; I don’t think that’s the case. Only reliability has improved; we didn’t have any problems. The vibrations are better, but the performance is very similar to that in Japan."

Looking towards the rest of the season, Alonso implied that no major developments should be expected anytime soon, adding: "We won’t have any improvements until after the summer. What can we expect in Canada? The same. What can we expect in Austria? The same. We have to manage everyone’s frustration in the team, but I think we’re relaxed. We’re all committed to ensuring that after the summer we have a better second half of the year."

The new father then joked that should Aston Martin suddenly hand him a car capable of finishing in the top five, he would finally have met the conditions that allow him to retire.

"If I finish fifth in a race, I’ll probably retire that very afternoon," he concluded on a light-hearted note.

F1 Aston Martin Fernando Alonso Miami Grand Prix