![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/OPUZYSIS3VAZJDEWOZVQXUN6JQ.JPG\")
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Rubio.<\/p>\nThis season won\u2019t be remembered for spectacular results, but just around the corner lies the final rules shake-up of Fernando Alonso\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u2014It\u2019s been 20 years since your first title, which means 19 years without a championship-winning car. During that time, you\u2019ve never blamed a car for not suiting your style\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014There probably were times, but it\u2019s an excuse that doesn\u2019t get you anywhere. You have to adapt because the cars change, the rules change. After my second world title, I had an \u201canti-Fernando\u201d 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\u2019s 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\u2019s just how it is.<\/p>\n
\u2014On the list of a driver\u2019s qualities, beyond speed on Saturdays and aggression on Sundays, how important is adaptability?<\/p>\n
\u2014It\u2019s 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\u2019s always a key trait of the fastest drivers. Not just in F1 \u2013 even more so in other categories. Here in Baku, for example, the track is five seconds slower in the first free practice because it\u2019s dirty, then in qualifying you take extreme risks, and in the race you\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Rubio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would have liked to have a fast car, not excel at anything, and be the most boring driver in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso<\/p>\n
\u2014What are the two or three qualities that you think set you apart from other drivers?<\/p>\n
\u2014First, 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\u2019s always an area where they\u2019re a bit weaker. For example, you know in Abu Dhabi you\u2019ll be stronger in turn five because your teammate struggles with that kind of corner entry. For me, there aren\u2019t many corners that trip me up year after year. Maybe one season I\u2019ll struggle with turn one in Zandvoort, but it might be because of the setup, the weekend, or just a bad day. It\u2019s rare that I face the same issue the following year. And third, I\u2019d say mentality \u2013 not giving up, always trying to be ready for whatever comes. Sometimes it\u2019s a podium, sometimes it\u2019s 14th. But if it\u2019s going to be 14th, better that than 16th.<\/p>\n
\u2014Around the paddock there\u2019s 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\u20130 this season) is also telling\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014I have more wins than poles because I\u2019ve never had a really fast car. Qualifying is mostly about the car, with no fuel and fresh tires \u2013 usually the fastest car takes pole. And I\u2019ve 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\u2019s where I\u2019ve stood out more. Although honestly, I\u2019d 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\u2019t think of myself as a Saturday specialist, or a Sunday specialist either, but I do prefer racing to qualifying. When you\u2019re fighting for a championship, Saturdays carry big risks \u2013 crashes, impeding, mistakes. But on Sundays the points are handed out, and that\u2019s always been my focus.<\/p>\n
\u2014At this stage of your career, how motivating is the 2026 rule change?<\/p>\n
\u2014Very motivating, because I know it\u2019s my last chance. That\u2019s 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\u2019s the last big change I\u2019ll go through, and the last chance to win another race, enjoy the highs, get on the podium, fight for a title. There\u2019s a lot of hope tied to 2026. Even if it\u2019s no bigger or smaller than past rule changes, for me it\u2019s emotionally very important.<\/p>\n
![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/T7UIOIKFLRG6RATKCPCW6JT6EA.JPG\")
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) with Jes\u00fas Balseiro of AS. Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Rubio.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the car were to go badly, there\u2019s a chance it would continue to end with a good taste in its mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso<\/p>\n
\u2014What will determine whether 2026 is your last season?<\/p>\n
\u2014How I feel next year, physically and mentally. I don\u2019t know yet. Right now, I don\u2019t have a clear idea. If the car is strong, there\u2019s a good chance it will be my final year.<\/p>\n
\u2014Do you prefer to bow out on a high, rather than drag on with a competitive car?<\/p>\n
\u2014Yes. I know I\u2019d 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.<\/p>\n
\u2014Just as 2023 extended your career, this more subdued 2025 \u2013 how does that influence things?<\/p>\n
\u2014When things go well, it helps; when things go badly, it\u2019s frustrating. We knew this year would be tough because it\u2019s built on the 2024 base. Beyond the lack of performance, there have been moments and circumstances against us, and that\u2019s really hurt. Losing eighth in Monza, sixth in Zandvoort\u2026 in my career it\u2019s anecdotal, outsiders might say it doesn\u2019t matter. Like losing a match 2\u20131 instead of 4\u20131. It\u2019s still a loss. But those results sting.<\/p>\n
\u2014Where is Aston Martin headed?<\/p>\n
\u2014The team is moving toward its best period. On track, we\u2019re doing what we can each weekend and yes, there\u2019s some fatigue \u2013 we want the season to end so we can reset. But in the factory it\u2019s the opposite \u2013 everything is focused on 2026, there\u2019s a lot of excitement, and a new way of working under Newey\u2019s guidance. Aston Martin is clearly on an upward path.<\/p>\n
\u2014What\u2019s different with Newey on board? Has he lived up to expectations?<\/p>\n
\u2014Yes, absolutely. He\u2019s a different kind of designer from anything I\u2019ve seen before. Very methodical, but at the same time almost mystical. A genius. He doesn\u2019t follow a strict roadmap \u2013 it\u2019s all inspiration, and that\u2019s fascinating from the outside. But he also combines it with Formula 1\u2019s rigor \u2013 timing, quality, execution. So far it\u2019s been enriching to work with him. We\u2019ll see next year.<\/p>\n
\u2014How much input can a driver really have in shaping what happens in 2026?<\/p>\n
\u2014Newey asks questions that show what he\u2019s curious about \u2013 the driver\u2019s point of view with this kind of car, this kind of load, the top speeds we\u2019ll reach, the right moment to cut battery deployment on the straights. Cornering dynamics will change because the car will behave differently \u2013 it\u2019ll be lighter, with different tires. He\u2019s trying to anticipate the future, thinking about the speed into a Barcelona corner and what you\u2019d want from the car there \u2013 more front end, more rear end, more braking power. He asks all these questions because he\u2019s already picturing the part he wants to change to make you more comfortable.<\/p>\n
![\"Fernando](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/TD5MUQV5FNC5XBG7VVYDP4HKLA.JPG\")
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin). Baku, Azerbaijan. F1 2025. Photo: Jos\u00e9 Mar\u00eda Rubio.<\/p>\n
\u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernando Alonso<\/p>\n
\u2014If 2026 is your last season, would you want to know in advance to say goodbye at each race?<\/p>\n
\u2014I thought about that in 2018, when I left F1. I remember that feeling in Japan, and other grands prix, when it wasn\u2019t yet official but I was flirting with the idea it was my last year. So I tried to enjoy the drivers\u2019 parades, the Sundays leaving the paddock. The garages, tracks, hotels \u2013 I wasn\u2019t going to see them again, and in my head I wanted to say goodbye, quietly, to each one.<\/p>\n
\u2014Other great athletes have retired with farewell tours, but often when they\u2019re no longer competitive. In your case, lack of competitiveness doesn\u2019t seem likely to dictate retirement\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014It won\u2019t be about that. When I leave Formula 1, I want to leave as I am now \u2013 believing I\u2019m the best. And with at least 30 or 40 percent of the outside world still thinking I\u2019m the best. I don\u2019t want to stop because I\u2019ve lost ability. I\u2019ll enjoy next year and take it one season at a time. But yes, I want to leave at the top.<\/p>\n
Related stories<\/p>\n
Get your game on! Whether you\u2019re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.<\/p>\n