Fernando Alonso, a Spanish driver for the Aston Martin F1 Team, has confessed that he is willing to continue competing in Formula 1 only if he believes he has a chance of winning races again. It has been nearly 11 years since Alonso last secured a victory in F1, which occurred during his time with Ferrari at his home grand prix. Despite joining Aston Martin last season, the team’s success was hindered by Red Bull’s dominance, preventing Alonso from achieving a win. Aston Martin’s competitiveness declined over the course of the season, and they have started the current season as the fifth fastest team. Alonso, who is contracted until 2024, stated that his priority remains with Aston Martin, but he also expressed openness to potentially replacing Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. However, with Red Bull’s continued success and the expansion of the F1 calendar to 24 races this season, Alonso acknowledges that he must carefully consider his future in the series. When asked if he believes he is being considered as a potential replacement for Mercedes, Alonso responded affirmatively, explaining that he currently does not have a contract and would prefer to be on the list of potential replacements rather than considering retirement or pursuing other racing series. However, he emphasized the need to make a personal decision in the coming weeks or races regarding his commitment to the future of his racing career. Alonso emphasized that he must evaluate if he genuinely wants to continue racing and if he is willing to make the necessary sacrifices in his personal life in order to fully dedicate himself to Formula 1. He stated that his decision will be based on the possibility of winning races and his desire to be actively involved in the team’s operations, including working with the engineers and spending time in the simulator. Ultimately, Alonso’s commitment to the future of his racing career will be based on his own personal evaluation and decision-making process.
Despite his continued dominance at Red Bull, Max Verstappen has been linked to a potential move following the investigation into team boss Christian Horner. Toto Wolff, the Mercedes Team Principal, who was seen conversing with Max’s father Jos in Bahrain, has expressed his desire to lure the Dutchman away from Red Bull. When asked about the possibility of Verstappen making a surprising switch, Fernando Alonso replied that it is difficult to comment from an outsider’s perspective and that he has read various rumors. However, he also mentioned that there have been so many rumors in the past few months that it is hard to believe all of them, making it a question best suited for Max himself.
Verstappen has kicked off the latest season with two comfortable victories, bringing his total to 19 wins out of the last 20 races and putting him on track for a fourth consecutive championship. When asked about how he maintains motivation in the face of slim chances of winning, Alonso emphasized that maintaining a positive mindset is the first step towards bringing about positive change. He added that for everyone else, apart from Verstappen, striving to be in that position is the goal. Alonso stressed that there is no extra performance gained from being upset or sad, but rather the focus should be on continuously working, understanding the car, motivating the team, and having trust in the people one works with.