The strange sign that could ‘indicate’ retirement for Fernando Alonso

Michelle Foster
Fernando Alonso in the paddock.

Fernando Alonso has yet to decide if he wants to continue in F1 in 2025

David Coulthard wonders if Fernando Alonso is “double bluffing” Aston Martin with talk about the future because he wants to “release himself for a bigger opportunity” at Mercedes.

The only World Champion on the grid without a contracted race seat for next season, Alonso believes he is “attractive to other teams”, including Mercedes.

David Coulthard ponders a ‘double bluff’ from Fernando Alonso

The Brackley squad is in the hunt for a new driver for next year’s championship after Lewis Hamilton announced he’d be leaving at the end of this season to join Ferrari.

But before Mercedes or his Aston Martin team, or anyone else, can even begin talking with the Spaniard, Alonso says he has to decide if he even wants to continue in F1.

“First of all, I need to decide myself what I want to do for the future,” he said in Jeddah. “If I want to commit my life, again, for a few more years to this sport, which I love.

“This is a decision that I need to do with myself, I need to think and I need to commit to a team eventually, and make sure that I understand that the next few years of my life, it will be that team and 100 percent of my time.”

But showing no sign that he’s slowing down or has lost any of his motivation, former F1 driver Coulthard wonders if all the talk of his future is a “double bluff” from the savvy 42-year-old.

Stating that Alonso “continues to look incredibly strong”, Coulthard told the Formula For Success podcast: “Fernando has never really been a driver that appears to show any doubt. You know, he’s pretty savvy when it comes to manipulating situations.

“But at the weekend he was there going ‘look, I need to have a conversation with myself, to see whether I want to continue in Formula 1, to ask myself if I have the motivation.’

“And I’m wondering if it’s a double bluff, because then he goes out and sticks the car at the front of the grid, not the very front row, but he’s in the right part of the grid, and he has a very strong race.”

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The strange sign that could ‘indicate’ retirement for Fernando Alonso

Speaking to his fellow pundit Eddie Jordan, he asked: “So do you think he’s trying to walk away from Aston to release himself for a bigger opportunity? Maybe it is Mercedes, if that is a bigger opportunity actually given he outqualified them?

“At 42 years old, life in the old Matador yet, has he got another couple of years?”

Jordan reckons if Alonso stays it will be with Aston Martin, but given that last year he bought a 60 Sunreef Power Eco yacht, he’s not 100 percent certain Alonso will continue racing.

After all, buying a boat is apparently the first sign that retirement is on the horizon.

“He’s a class act. And I think he will stay there,” the former F1 team boss said.

“He is a World Champion. I’m critical of his odd management skills or the people who manage him because he should have won at least four or five World Championships in my view, because he’s that talented.

“And I just feel now he’s probably calculating. He’s bought a new boat, that’s often an indication to me because I know you [Coulthard] bought a boat at the time and then retired gracefully after that, and I did the same.

“People have a habit of buying boats and retiring. So let’s see what happens.

“But Fernando should be in Formula 1, he’s such an exciting driver. And as long as he wants to do it, then there’s always a place there in my heart for him.”

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