Fernando Alonso's retirement plans: Spaniard claims he can race in F1 for 'probably another 2 or 3 years'

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Fernando Alonso talks in a press conference ahead of the 2022 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Fernando Alonso is currently the oldest driver on the F1 grid, with the Spaniard turning 41 in July 2022. While most F1 drivers retire in their late 30s, Alonso is still going strong, gathering points and facing off against numerous frontrunners. Despite all of this, fans, and the driver himself, know that he won't be around for long.

During an exclusive interview with Auto Motor Sport, Fernando Alonso was asked how long he wishes to drive in F1. Quite honestly, the driver answered that he would compete as long as he feels capable. Although he's doing extremely well for a 41-year-old F1 driver, he's aware of his limits and has expressed them clearly:

"As long as I have the feeling that I can still give 100 percent. So definitely another two or three years. At my age, I have to approach many things differently. The training, the travelling, the events in between. Formula 1 is taking you more and more. You have to organize yourself well so as not to burn yourself."

He completely understands how his age not only affects his race pace, but his other duties as an F1 driver as well. Fernando Alonso further explained how he takes every aspect of his career quite differently because of his age.

After Sebastian Vettel announced his retirement, the Aston Martin F1 team shocked everyone by signing Fernando Alonso to replace the retiring German. The Spaniard was slightly happy to leave Alpine since he didn't have the best of relationships with the team. Moreover, he suffered a lot of reliability issues during the 2022 F1 season, which soured his relationship even further.


Aston Martin's team boss not worried about Fernando Alonso's 'reputation' with other teams

In an interview with RacingNews365, Mike Krack, Aston Martin's team principal, spoke about Fernando Alonso. Although the Spaniard has a reputation for having tumultuous relationships with teams like McLaren and Alpine, Mike Krack isn't worried about it as he feels this is a fresh start for the driver with a new team. He said:

"Obviously, there is a reputation, but I try to leave this on the side. I think we have to have a fresh approach. I'm maybe different than other team principals, and he's maybe a driver that is different. I would be surprised if we have problems. What we are fascinated [by] is this commitment, and this desire to win. Pushing himself to the maximum, at his level of experience, is very seldom [seen]."

Furthermore, Aston Martin's team principal appreciated the driver's work ethic and acknowledged what he has achieved in the sport. He believes that the team will greatly benefit from the Spaniard's level of experience and knowledge.

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