Fernando Alonso admits he hasn’t “figured out” his retirement plan from Formula 1 as he expects to continue until 2025 at least.
The Spaniard will embark on his 19th season on the F1 grid in 2023 at his sixth different constructor as he moves from Alpine to Aston Martin, replacing Sebastian Vettel.
With 356 race starts to his name, Alonso already sits as F1’s most experienced driver after surpassing Kimi Raikkonen last year in Singapore, but there is another milestone he is aiming for, likely towards the end of next season.
“For sure it’s a nice achievement and one I will maybe look back on and be happy about,” he said on eclipsing Raikkonen, “but whilst I am still racing, I don’t stop to think about it and I want to enjoy and maximise each race weekend.
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“I’m happy to be in Formula 1 for so many years, and with the two more coming, or whatever, I will reach 400 for sure, so that’s a big number. It shows my passion for the sport and my discipline to perform at a high level.
“If you are not performing, the team will not give you 400 Grands Prix, for sure.”
Alonso’s longevity in F1 is such that Oscar Piastri, who joins McLaren in 2023, was born after the double world champion made his debut in 2001 with Minardi.
Even so, Fernando is adamant that retirement from F1 is not within sight yet, revealing he has no plan for what would come next.
“I don’t have it figured out. The sport is my life and I know I have an expiry date, but I try to enjoy it,” he told Spain’s AS.
“When I left Formula 1 in 2018 I was mentally and physically exhausted. Since I came back, I don’t feel like that – I’m fresher.
“I don’t know how long I will go on. I will never retire from motorsport, but from Formula 1 I will retire when it stops making me happy. At the moment, it’s the opposite.
“As long as I still feel I can give 100 percent, so definitely another two or three years,” he added to Auto Motor und Sport.
“At my age, I have to approach many things differently. The training, the travelling, the events in between.
“Formula 1 takes up more and more of your time. You have to organise yourself well so you don’t get burned out.”
