Alonso On His Retirement: 'I Will Be The First To Raise My hand And Say Okay, This is time'
F1Monday, 04 December 2023 at 04:00
Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso discussed the topic of his retirement from Formula One, saying he would be the first to admit when it will be the time for him.
Aston Martin F1 driver Fernando Alonso will be the oldest driver on the Formula One grid in 2023. The Spanish matador is four years older than the second oldest driver - Lewis Hamilton.
It is quite unusual to see drivers as old as Alonso compete in Formula One, and consequently, he can't avoid frequent questions about his retirement plans.
The Spaniard spoke on the topic earlier this year when he admitted he was aware of being in the closing stages of his career but did not have a date to put on the end of his career yet.
The double World Champion recently discussed the topic again when he told the media his retirement won't be related to losing motivation for racing.
"I said even before 2018 (when he left F1 for the first time), that the day I will stop racing is not because I don't feel motivated for driving."
Alonso also said in the past that retirement is for drivers who are slower than their teammates, which is not his case at all. In 2023, Alonso outperformed Lance Stroll by 130 points.
If I feel as low, I think it will be noticeable and I will not be happy with my performance, and then I will be the first to raise my hand and say: 'Okay, this is time.'
On the other hand, the Spaniard doesn't think he will ever feel unmotivated because of his "extreme self-confidence." He added:
"But I don't think that time will arrive in terms of feeling this low, because I have extreme self-confidence with my performance."
As of now, the double-world Champion has a contract with Aston Martin valid until the end of the 2024 season, and it is not certain whether he will continue his career after that season. Would you like to see Alonso in F1 beyond 2024?
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