Fernando Alonso plans to seek advice from Adrian Newey before deciding when to call time on his Formula 1 career.
The Spaniard disclosed that he reached out to Red Bull's famed technical guru earlier this year when he heard about Newey's intention to pursue new challenges. "I have his phone number and texted him 'What a surprise,'" Alonso, 43, said.
"'If you ever think you would like a new challenge, I would love to work with you one day.'"
Alonso hasn't claimed a world title since his consecutive championships in 2005 and 2006, and his last F1 victory dates back to 2013. Yet, he remains optimistic about his chances for a competitive comeback.
"Well, victory is definitely closer with Adrian than without him, that's for sure," he said, alluding to Newey's upcoming move to Aston Martin in early 2025.
Although Alonso is currently only committed to racing until the end of 2026—coinciding with the start of the next regulation cycle—he will be 46 by mid-2027.
Reflecting on his long career, he remarked, "I would love for my name to stay around for a little bit longer than most, but I know that's going to be extremely difficult because we live in the present, not the past. Things move on. It's just the natural way of things."
The two-time champion admitted that the allure of driving a car developed under Newey could influence his decision to stay on the grid. "I'm aware of my situation and I hope I can be there to drive that fast car that Adrian produces, but if it doesn't arrive in time for me to drive, I will still enjoy it because I will still be part of the team and on this exciting journey with Aston Martin," he said, confirming that he would "remain part of the team" even if not racing in 2027.
Alonso is keeping the door open for extending his career beyond 2026 and emphasized that Newey will play a pivotal role in that decision. "I would be lying if I said I didn't think about that," he admitted.
"Adrian will arrive in March next year and dedicate his time to 2026 so let's see how I feel at the end of '26 and if I can keep going. It will be a decision that we make together as a team, with Lawrence (Stroll), with Adrian."
However, former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya voiced skepticism, stating that Alonso is not a "long term option" for Aston Martin. "When do they make that decision and go 'Hey, we've got the Honda, we've got Newey. Why not go after Max (Verstappen)?'" Montoya told Gambling Zone.
