Fernando Alonso has dropped a fresh update on his F1 future by admitting Sunday’s Barcelona Grand Prix could be the last time he races a Formula 1 car on the Catalunya circuit.
It is not because he has ruled out extending with Aston Martin for a year. It’s because Barcelona will begin alternating years with the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.
Fernando Alonso reflects on possible final Barcelona GP appearance
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This year marks Alonso’s 23rd season on the Formula 1 grid, but at 44 years of age, it could be his last year in the sport.
The double world champion is out of contract with Aston Martin at the end of this season, and has yet to decide if he wants to continue.
As he contemplated that huge decision, he concedes this could be his final Barcelona Grand Prix.
“It’s going to be a special weekend, probably my last Barcelona race in Formula One,” Alonso told PlanetF1.com and other media. “So I want to say thanks to everyone.
“I will try to enjoy the weekend. I will not be competitive, and I will not be too long in the car in qualifying, in the race, hopefully yes, but not at the pace that we all want.
“I think this, my 23rd Spanish Grand Prix, and all of them, they’ve been magical, and yeah, this last [one] has to be magical as well.”
Alonso’s use of the word “last” caught media attention.
Pressed on that, he explained that it’s not because he has already decided to retire at the end of the year; it’s because Barcelona won’t be on the F1 2027 calendar.
“I don’t have anything in mind, and after summer I will take the decision to continue,” he said.
“But Barcelona obviously is not happening next year, so if I don’t know what I will do next year, it’s nearly impossible to be sure that what I will do in two years.
“But I would say, why consider every race that I go this year that potentially could be my last time in Australia, my last time in China, my last time in Monaco. Here in Barcelona, there is a little bit more of that chance as it’s not happening next year.”
But if every one of this year’s races does turn out to be his last at that venue, Alonso says it’s not a bitter pill to swallow as he has achieved more in Formula 1 than he ever dreamed imaginable.
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Asked if it was “hard” to think that about his career coming to an end, he replied: “No, I mean it’s not hard. I mean, for me, the hardest thing is not to win races and not to be competitive.
“If it’s the last, or not the last, is not affecting me too much. I’m at peace with my career and with my life, and you know, if anything comes now, you know, welcome. If it doesn’t come, it will not change my feeling.
“I’ve achieved a lot more than I ever dreamt when I was a kid, or when I was here. My first test here, or my go-kart experience, when I was racing in Spain, I never dreamed to be Formula One driver, race the best teams in the paddock and stay for a very long time.
“So everything is a plus, and it is a plus now.
“I’m not as competitive as, you know, we all want to be in the team now, and that’s probably the biggest pain that we go through every weekend, but in terms of personal feeling, is it’s not too hard, so it’s not anything.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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