Fernando Alonso is concerned that the sport’s burgeoning calendar and growing number of triple-headers could force him to quit. After leaving motorsports in 2018, Alonso sought comfort in other racing pursuits, including the 2018 and 2019 World Endurance Champion and also winning Le Mans on two occasions. After two years away, he returned to F1 racing in 2021 with Alpine.
Although the Spanish driver had an exceptional comeback in the 2023 season, finishing on the podium eight times with Aston Martin at the age of 42, he confesses that the rigorous F1 schedule might require him to rethink his commitment to it. Due to the cancellation of the Chinese Grand Prix and the cancellation of the Imola race, the 2023 season had 22 races.
Aston Martin star believes the 2024 schedule will lead to his retirement
After a controversial start of 2023 and the rumors regarding the retirement of Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso delivered relentlessly and lived up to his name. Given that the teams and their drivers have retired for the winter breaks, the upcoming season is what everyone has their eyes on. The 2024 schedule is already out and it includes a few additional races, much to the dislike of the 2x champion.
Fernando Alonso says how he handles F1’s expanded 2024 calendar with 24 races could determine if he wants to continue in the sport.
The increased travel demands placed on drivers and staff could “drain my battery” more than losing pace. #F1 #AstonMartin #Alonso pic.twitter.com/2poK23YycS
— 🏎 Formula 1 Daily (@Formula1_Daily) December 13, 2023
Regardless, the Spaniard has voiced his opinion on the matter. According to him, “Honestly, in terms of feeling slow, because I have extreme self-confidence in my performance, it could be that with the calendar and with the demanding schedule that one day I will feel it’s time – because there are other things in life.”
He further added, “I saw that it’s a triple-header. I don’t know why. I thought that Vegas was alone next year… It’s three races together. These kinds of things will drain my battery, not driving.” Alonso thinks that rather than any drop in performance, the sequence of races will dictate when he might step down from Formula 1.
Fernando Alonso pinpoints Aston Martin’s weaknesses
With the help of Alonso’s expertise, Aston Martin is preparing for improvements in the upcoming campaign. The team struggled to sustain performance, especially after the races in Austria, after having a strong beginning to the season that put them back in serious contention to challenge Red Bull for race wins.
My Driver of the Day goes to Fernando Alonso!
Despite Aston Martin’s recent struggles, he showcased his defensive skills and determination throughout the race. Alonso’s performance at the Brazilian GP was truly exceptional!#FernandoAlonso #AstonMartin #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/osmaVuwc2r
— Marcus Louvier (@Marcus_Louvier) November 9, 2023
The eradication of an abnormally floppy front wing and the tough task of fitting 2024-focused components into the AMR23 were cited as reasons for the shortfall. But in Alonso’s opinion as he stated, “I think we need to find some consistency. Maybe one of the weak points was the car has to operate in a very narrow window…Always a little bit too slow on the straights.”
The ex-Ferrari driver argues that linear speed and consistency adjustments are crucial. He proposes adjusting the drag level to boost peak speed and widening the car’s operational window to achieve this.