Formula 1
Alonso "wouldn't accept" continuing in F1 at less than 100%
Two-time world champion Fernando Alonso says he wouldn't continue in Formula 1 if he didn't think he was driving at his best or if his new Aston Martin team didn't have any chance to win.
Filip Cleeren
Edited: Feb 2, 2023, 7:24 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Alonso returned to F1 with Alpine in 2021 after taking a two-year break to race in the FIA World Endurance Championship, the Indy 500 and the Dakar Rally.
Alonso's third stint at the Enstone outfit got off to a slow start but once he got back up to speed the Spaniard re-found his old form, frequently suggesting he was driving at his best-ever level in 2022, a season which was blighted by reliability issues.
For 2023, Alonso jumped ship to Aston Martin, which struggled last year to finish seventh in the constructors' championship.
While the team is a step down from Alpine in the short term, the Lawrence Stroll-led outfit managed to convince Alonso with its long-term project, answering to Alonso's desire to stay in F1 for years to come.
And the 41-year-old says he wouldn't have accepted to continue if he didn't think he was still capable of performing at his peak, or if he wasn't convinced that Aston can close the gap while he is still around.
"No, I think I will not accept that and I will not continue if I don't believe that we can have a chance," Alonso said.
"I don't know if it's one percent chance or 10 percent, but I will only continue because I believe that we will have a chance.
"Next year to close the gap that Aston Martin has I think it's unrealistic, but we need to put the foundation we need, to put the baseline to future cars and to work better than the people around us.
"This is a very competitive environment, so to become a champion you need to deliver something special. I'm ready to deliver something special from my side and I expect the same from the team."
Read Also:
- How Driver’s Eye camera became a Formula 1 TV gamechanger
- Gasly: Mindset for Alpine is "completely different" to Red Bull F1 move
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR22
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Alonso, who penned a multi-year deal at Aston last summer to replace the retiring Sebastian Vettel, added he would stay in F1 "for two or three years for sure", but wouldn't be drawn on predicting exactly how much longer he aims to drive after that.
"I think I would take it year by year," he explained.
"I don't know, [in 2021] I was maybe not 100%. If I do a few seasons like that, even if I perform from the outside okay but I don't feel happy with myself, then maybe I stop.
"And [2022] for example, I feel very proud. I will continue whatever the results are next year, because I know what I can give to the team. So, I don't know, two to three years for sure.
When asked to expand on what he can bring to Aston Martin's rebuild, he said: "Where I believe I can make a difference is when it comes to crucial moments in the races, experience, decisions or thinking about the strategy.
"It's not about the driving abilities, I think we all have high talent, driving cars fast. It is more about the head and how you control a few things."
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Ben Sulayem drama will calm down once F1 racing starts, reckons Vasseur
Next article McLaren to share F1 reserve driver Schumacher with Mercedes
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Filip Cleeren
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
The impressive stats underpinning Liam Lawson's career-saving F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 d
The impressive stats underpinning Liam Lawson's career-saving F1 season
More from
Fernando Alonso
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Formula 1
Formula 1 3 h
F1 driver contracts: How long is each driver tied down for?
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
4 d
Who slept worst last night: Fernando Alonso
More from
Aston Martin Racing
FIA reveals latest ADUO results in final review of 2026 F1 season
Formula 1
Formula 1 3 d
FIA reveals latest ADUO results in final review of 2026 F1 season
Honda struggling to explain Lance Stroll’s 13th DNF of the season
Formula 1
Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
3 d
Honda struggling to explain Lance Stroll’s 13th DNF of the season
Latest news
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Sao Paulo GP
1 h
"It's horribly painful" - Williams drops 2026 car upgrades to benefit 2027
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
MotoGP
MGP MotoGP
Qatar GP
2 h
Iker Lecuona felt significant differences between Ducati's GP25 and GP26
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
Mexican GP
3 h
The Kimi Antonelli you don't know: Inside the Mercedes garage with F1's new world champion
Feature
Discover prime content
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Formula 1
By Kevin Turner
Top 10 F1 cars of the 1970s
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe