Pedro de la Rosa has admitted that he was certain Fernando Alonso would walk away from Formula 1 after the 2024 season.
As the 2026 F1 season approached, a lot of attention was on whether it would be Fernando Alonso’s last. The two-time champion had already taken one break from racing before his current stint.
The Aston Martin driver is set to become a free agent when his contract runs out in 2026, and with the recent arrival of his first child, rumours are swirling that he might hang up his helmet once this deal is done.
Alonso previously took a break from F1 at the end of 2018, choosing to focus on other motorsport categories before making a return with Alpine in 2021. While he’s managed to defy age-related decline since then, questions about how long he’ll stay in F1 haven’t gone away.
While speaking to Sport, Pedro de la Rosa shared his perspective on Fernando Alonso’s future with Aston Martin.
The former driver, who now holds a media-facing role, has been trying to shift attention away from Aston Martin’s rough start to the season.
During the interview, de la Rosa was asked whether he thinks Alonso will stick around with the team beyond this year.
“Hopefully, hopefully,” de la Rosa answered, before adding: “It’s everyone’s desire. But in the end, it will depend on him and his life and what he wants to do.
“I always say the same thing. We have to forget what he wants. What we have to do is give you the best car possible to make your decision easier.”
When asked if he believes Alonso still has another season left in him, de la Rosa admitted:
“I don’t know, honestly. With Fernando I have learned not to judge him and not to make hasty decisions. I thought Fernando was going to retire in 2024.
“Then after a few races one day he tells me that he is looking for a two-year contract renewal. And I say ‘But what stories are you telling me?’ So let’s enjoy race by race and not think too much about it.”
Even though he’s now the oldest driver on the grid, Fernando Alonso hasn’t shown many signs of slowing down when he’s behind the wheel. Just ask Lance Stroll.
Plenty within F1 circles have noticed this too. Nelson Piquet Jr., who once partnered with Alonso at Renault, pointed out that his passion for racing is still strong. He even went as far as saying that Alonso has more fire for the sport than Lewis Hamilton.
Despite everything he’s accomplished, some feel Alonso’s career stats don’t quite match up with his talent level. However, Jolyon Palmer has argued that at his peak, Alonso came closer to perfection than Hamilton did – even if he trails him by five world titles.
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