Double Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso reckons the final two rounds of the 2025 season will act as a “celebration” to mark the end of an underwhelming year.
The Aston Martin driver heads into this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix 13th in the championship, three spots above team-mate Lance Stroll, with the Silverstone squad eighth in the constructors’ standings.
It comes ahead of a huge regulation change in 2026, as F1 cars will become lighter and smaller while there will also be more emphasis on electrical energy with a near 50-50 split against the internal combustion engine.
So everything will be new and that is why Alonso looks forward to the end of the current ground-effect era, considering it's been two years since his last podium - 2023 Brazil Grand Prix.
"It's two grands prix of celebration, or I take it that way,” the 44-year-old told DAZN in Las Vegas. “Qatar with the sprint, which we don't have much time and we can't sleep because we only have one free practice session and we're already going to qualifying.
“And then Abu Dhabi, which is usually a farewell for everybody and a bit of a rest. So I take it as two celebration races, also because we won't be driving this car anymore, so it has to be a celebration for that reason."
Alonso is therefore pessimistic for the upcoming races, especially when he is on a point-less streak of three grands prix dating back to his 10th-placed result in Austin.
But a large reason for that point was Carlos Sainz retiring up ahead, meaning Alonso thinks his last successful race was the one before in Singapore when he finished seventh.
"We have to be realistic, and know that we have been five or six races without scoring or scoring by chance," added Alonso, whose team-mate is on a barren streak of seven weekends.
"I think Singapore is the last time we took points in a deserved way, so to come to Qatar and expect to be in the top six or seven is totally illogical.
"So we go with the hope and with the work of trying to do well, because that we will never stop trying.
"But there are two races left to close 2025, which is a very complicated year and we are going to try to do the best we can but logically we are thinking about 2026."
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