F1 boss reveals moment that triggered Fernando Alonso exit decision

Fernando Alonso

F1 boss reveals moment that triggered Fernando Alonso exit decision

This says so much about Alonso's approach to F1...

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Thursday 23 July 2026 08:57

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Fernando Alonso's former F1 boss has revealed the brutal thing the two-time world champion said when he decided to leave the team.

Alonso came out of retirement to race with Alpine for the 2021 season, and stayed there until the end of 2022, before Sebastian Vettel's retirement meant a seat became free at Aston Martin.

Alonso jumped at the chance to work with the Silverstone-based outfit, ditching Alpine and going on to have a very successful 2023 season with Aston Martin, picking up eight grand prix podiums.

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However, since then, Lawrence Stroll's F1 team have been on a steady downward slope, culminating in a disastrous start to 2026 where they have claimed just one point from the opening 10 race weekends.

That is despite having signed the likes of design legend Adrian Newey and former Ferrari star Enrico Cardile to their cause.

Now, Alonso has a huge decision on his hands. At 44 years of age and without a contract for next season, Alonso has to decide whether or not he wants to stick around in F1, and if so, whether or not that will be with Aston Martin.

As the Spaniard weighs up that choice, former Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer has revealed a hilarious story about when Alonso left Alpine which may give us some clues as to where his future could lie.

Why did Alonso leave Alpine?

"I remember when he left Alpine," Szafnauer recalled on the High Performance podcast. "We were celebrating finishing fourth at Alpine.

"And when he left, he said 'I don't want to drive for a team that celebrates finishing fourth'. That's the competitor that he is. 'I want to be world champion'."

Then speaking about the rumours linking Alonso to a sensational return to Alpine, Szafnauer said: "So, if that move does happen, he'll probably be going for 20 million other reasons."

Alonso is still undecided as to whether or not he will sign another contract in F1, but amid Aston Martin's struggles, he has stayed positive about the team and their ability to turn things around.

Alonso has the choice of finishing his career at the end of 2026, sticking with Aston Martin for another season in the hope of then getting an off-track role once he retires, or ripping all that up and pursuing a seat further up the grid.