44-Year-Old Driver Wants to Stay in F1 Past 2026
Just after the 20th anniversary of his first WDC victory and in the week leading up to the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, veteran driver Fernando Alonso has announced his plans for 2026 and beyond. Few drivers can boast a career as long and decorated as Alonso, having driven alongside champions and having been one himself. Now, after nearly 25 years in the sport, Alonso is thinking about his future in Formula 1, and when he’ll be ready to leave it. At the very least, he’ll be on the grid for one more trip around the globe.
September 25th marks 20 years since Fernando Alonso became the youngest driver to become the then-youngest Formula 1 world champion, beating out Kimi Raikkonen with McLaren. Winning the championship at just 24 years of age, Alonso had been a dominant force for Renault - now known as Alpine - since joining in 2003. After his WDC victory in 2005, Alonso did it again in 2006, securing his place in Formula 1 history as one of the best to ever grace the grid. In the years since, he’s driven alongside some of the biggest names in the sport, from Romain Grosjean, who recently returned for a lap with Haas, to the seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. As of 2025, Fernando Alonso is the only driver with more than 400 race entries in Formula 1 and maintains the longest driving career in the sport.
With the changes coming in 2026, Alonso has made it clear that he’s sticking around. While 2025 has not been his best year, the changing regulations for 2026 bring a fresh opportunity to make a final stand before his exit. The former champion believes that his expertise could be useful to his team in finding their footing in the new era, and if they can’t do it in the first year, he may stick around for another. On whether or not he’ll continue after 2026, the Spanish driver said, “If we are not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again.” His hope is to end his career on a high note, meaning if he looks strong at the start of the new era, he is likely to leave at the end of the season.
