This season won’t be remembered for spectacular results, but just around the corner lies the final rules shake-up of Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 career. The Oviedo-born driver, now 44, refers to 2026 in those terms in this interview with AS, where he talks about the qualities that set him apart from other drivers, the impact of Adrian Newey at Aston Martin, and his future in the sport from next year onward.
—It’s been 20 years since your first title, which means 19 years without a championship-winning car. During that time, you’ve never blamed a car for not suiting your style…
—There probably were times, but it’s an excuse that doesn’t get you anywhere. You have to adapt because the cars change, the rules change. After my second world title, I had an “anti-Fernando” car in 2007. The Bridgestone tires were the same as in GP2 back then, so all the drivers moving up from GP2 suddenly had great performance (like my teammate Hamilton). Now there’s a lot of talk about preparing Pirelli tires on out-laps, but even then there was a very different way of warming them up, and it was something completely unknown. I went through that for a few years, but that’s just how it is.
—On the list of a driver’s qualities, beyond speed on Saturdays and aggression on Sundays, how important is adaptability?
—It’s important, because in F1 no two laps are the same. Conditions change, track temperature shifts, the tires lose a couple tenths of performance each lap, but at the same time the fuel load drops and you gain something back. You start a race with 220 pounds of fuel and finish with 44. You need real adaptability when driving, and I think it’s always a key trait of the fastest drivers. Not just in F1 – even more so in other categories. Here in Baku, for example, the track is five seconds slower in the first free practice because it’s dirty, then in qualifying you take extreme risks, and in the race you’re managing tires, battery, fuel consumption, and DRS with the car in front and the car behind. You constantly have to change the way you drive.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: José María Rubio.
“I would have liked to have a fast car, not excel at anything, and be the most boring driver in the world.”
Fernando Alonso
—What are the two or three qualities that you think set you apart from other drivers?
—First, adaptability to changing track conditions. I think when it starts raining or drying up, the ability to judge the grip in the next corner has always come naturally to me. Another quality is not having a glaring weakness. Some drivers struggle more under braking, or in fast corners, or heavy lateral loads. Having had so many teammates in F1, you realize there’s always an area where they’re a bit weaker. For example, you know in Abu Dhabi you’ll be stronger in turn five because your teammate struggles with that kind of corner entry. For me, there aren’t many corners that trip me up year after year. Maybe one season I’ll struggle with turn one in Zandvoort, but it might be because of the setup, the weekend, or just a bad day. It’s rare that I face the same issue the following year. And third, I’d say mentality – not giving up, always trying to be ready for whatever comes. Sometimes it’s a podium, sometimes it’s 14th. But if it’s going to be 14th, better that than 16th.
—Around the paddock there’s often the idea that Alonso is more of a Sunday driver than a Saturday one, since you have more wins (32) than poles (22). But the gulf to your teammates in qualifying (you lead Stroll 28–0 this season) is also telling…
—I have more wins than poles because I’ve never had a really fast car. Qualifying is mostly about the car, with no fuel and fresh tires – usually the fastest car takes pole. And I’ve rarely had the fastest car. On Sundays there are more factors: you have to nail the start, manage the tires, attack or defend at the right moment, deliver strong pit stops. That’s where I’ve stood out more. Although honestly, I’d have preferred not to stand out at all, just have a fast car and be the most boring driver in the world. But I had to invent something on Sundays. I don’t think of myself as a Saturday specialist, or a Sunday specialist either, but I do prefer racing to qualifying. When you’re fighting for a championship, Saturdays carry big risks – crashes, impeding, mistakes. But on Sundays the points are handed out, and that’s always been my focus.
—At this stage of your career, how motivating is the 2026 rule change?
—Very motivating, because I know it’s my last chance. That’s the key factor. I used to see other rule changes simply as changes, hoping my team would interpret the regulations well and give me a fast car. But this one is different, because it’s the last big change I’ll go through, and the last chance to win another race, enjoy the highs, get on the podium, fight for a title. There’s a lot of hope tied to 2026. Even if it’s no bigger or smaller than past rule changes, for me it’s emotionally very important.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) with Jesús Balseiro of AS. Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: José María Rubio.
“If the car were to go badly, there’s a chance it would continue to end with a good taste in its mouth.”
Fernando Alonso
—What will determine whether 2026 is your last season?
—How I feel next year, physically and mentally. I don’t know yet. Right now, I don’t have a clear idea. If the car is strong, there’s a good chance it will be my final year.
—Do you prefer to bow out on a high, rather than drag on with a competitive car?
—Yes. I know I’d have more chances of doing well in 2027 or 2028, once the group we have now with Newey is fully settled. The first year might go well, but by the second or third you can be sure it will. But I need to see for myself. If the car is weak, I might go one more year just to end on a positive note. If the car is strong, 2026 will probably be my last year.
—Just as 2023 extended your career, this more subdued 2025 – how does that influence things?
—When things go well, it helps; when things go badly, it’s frustrating. We knew this year would be tough because it’s built on the 2024 base. Beyond the lack of performance, there have been moments and circumstances against us, and that’s really hurt. Losing eighth in Monza, sixth in Zandvoort… in my career it’s anecdotal, outsiders might say it doesn’t matter. Like losing a match 2–1 instead of 4–1. It’s still a loss. But those results sting.
—Where is Aston Martin headed?
—The team is moving toward its best period. On track, we’re doing what we can each weekend and yes, there’s some fatigue – we want the season to end so we can reset. But in the factory it’s the opposite – everything is focused on 2026, there’s a lot of excitement, and a new way of working under Newey’s guidance. Aston Martin is clearly on an upward path.
—What’s different with Newey on board? Has he lived up to expectations?
—Yes, absolutely. He’s a different kind of designer from anything I’ve seen before. Very methodical, but at the same time almost mystical. A genius. He doesn’t follow a strict roadmap – it’s all inspiration, and that’s fascinating from the outside. But he also combines it with Formula 1’s rigor – timing, quality, execution. So far it’s been enriching to work with him. We’ll see next year.
—How much input can a driver really have in shaping what happens in 2026?
—Newey asks questions that show what he’s curious about – the driver’s point of view with this kind of car, this kind of load, the top speeds we’ll reach, the right moment to cut battery deployment on the straights. Cornering dynamics will change because the car will behave differently – it’ll be lighter, with different tires. He’s trying to anticipate the future, thinking about the speed into a Barcelona corner and what you’d want from the car there – more front end, more rear end, more braking power. He asks all these questions because he’s already picturing the part he wants to change to make you more comfortable.
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: José María Rubio.
“I want to leave F1 considering myself the best, and for 30 or 40 percent of people outside of F1 to think so too. I want to leave on a high.”
Fernando Alonso
—If 2026 is your last season, would you want to know in advance to say goodbye at each race?
—I thought about that in 2018, when I left F1. I remember that feeling in Japan, and other grands prix, when it wasn’t yet official but I was flirting with the idea it was my last year. So I tried to enjoy the drivers’ parades, the Sundays leaving the paddock. The garages, tracks, hotels – I wasn’t going to see them again, and in my head I wanted to say goodbye, quietly, to each one.
—Other great athletes have retired with farewell tours, but often when they’re no longer competitive. In your case, lack of competitiveness doesn’t seem likely to dictate retirement…
—It won’t be about that. When I leave Formula 1, I want to leave as I am now – believing I’m the best. And with at least 30 or 40 percent of the outside world still thinking I’m the best. I don’t want to stop because I’ve lost ability. I’ll enjoy next year and take it one season at a time. But yes, I want to leave at the top.
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