Fernando Alonso: 2026 to be taken “day by day” as…

Fernando Alonso says he will be taking 2026 "day by day" as speculation regarding his retirement in the next few years continues. The Aston Martin driver has reiterated that he will continue to support his team, and is in close contact with team owner Lawrence Stroll as the regulations change in 2026.

“Since I don't have a crystal ball, I gave an answer that will be valid forever," Alonso told reporters in regard to a recent interview where he admitted that if his car is strong, 2026 could be his final year.

"I think that until May, that's how I feel right now. If I have a car that I enjoy driving and get some results with, I think that maybe... I mean, I'll always discuss with Lawrence and the team what their needs are, and the team will come first and me second. I don't need to race to prove anything.

“I'm happy with my career and I consider myself very fortunate to have been here for so many years. Now is the time to help the team and have fun, so that's something I'll have to see day by day next year."

The Spaniard has struggled over the last two seasons with the Silverstone team, but despite this, and being the oldest driver on the grid at the age of 44, he has total confidence in his abilities behind the wheel.

“Better than ever. Yes, I think so. I think so, last year and this year the car is probably not where we see it in the standings,. I think we have some problems behind us and we've been dealing with some weaknesses that I don't think are too obvious from the outside sometimes.

"But I think, yes, personally, some of the performances this year and last year I don't think were possible 20 years ago. That's my opinion and that's why I'm relaxed, I'm happy, I'm enjoying myself and I'm confident for next year."

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing (Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images)

Next year, Formula 1 introduces substantial changes to the cars, including more driver-controlled features. For the more experienced driver, this could open up potential opportunities. But Alonso doesn't believe this to be the case, with him adding that the overall performance of the car will still be the deciding factor.

“I think it's always the same in Formula 1. You always have to sell the product for next year and say that magical things will happen next year. I remember when traction control was banned, it would reward drivers who could control the throttle better and things like that, and then you have a blown exhaust with 100 more points of downforce than anyone else and Red Bull does one-two finishes in every race. You can be more or less smart in your driving or whatever, but if the car is half a second faster, nothing can overcome that deficit.

“I'm definitely excited about next year, exploring what the rules give the driver, hopefully more than this year, but I still think there's too much automatic deployment and things that are detected by the FIA and you can't play around enough. I think there are still a lot of restrictions in the regulations for next year."