Alonso hints this could be his final Barcelona F1 race
Fernando Alonso is treating every race as his last at each circuit. With his contract expiring and Barcelona off the 2027 calendar, this weekend carries extra weight.
Fernando Alonso has admitted this weekend's Spanish GP could be his final Formula 1 race at Barcelona.
The two-time world champion, who turns 45 next month, remains undecided about whether to continue racing beyond the end of his expiring Aston Martin contract.
With Barcelona absent from the 2027 calendar before its return in 2028, Alonso acknowledged that this year's event carries extra significance.
"It's going to be a special weekend, probably my last Barcelona race in Formula 1," he said.
"I want to say thanks to everyone."
The Spaniard remains one of the sport's biggest stars in his home country, with thousands of fans chanting "Alonso quedate" (Alonso stay) during his appearance at the fan zone on Thursday.
"I think it's my 23rd Spanish grand prix, and all of them have been magical," Alonso said.
"And this last (one) has to be magical as well."
Pressed on whether he might still be racing when Barcelona returns in two years, Alonso admitted he simply does not know what the future holds. "After summer I will take the decision to continue or not," he revealed.
"But Barcelona obviously is not happening next year, so if I don't know what I will do next year, it's nearly impossible to be sure what I will do in two years' time."
Every race a farewell
The Aston Martin driver said he has approached every race this season as though it could potentially be his final appearance at a particular venue.
"In Australia, my last time. In China, my last time. In Monaco..."
Aston Martin's difficult season
The uncertainty comes amid a difficult season for Aston Martin and Honda, with the team struggling near the back of the grid despite major investment and the arrival of Adrian Newey.
Yet Alonso insists retirement itself is not weighing on his mind.
"The hardest thing is not to win races and not to be competitive," he said. "If it's the last or not the last, it's not affecting too much."
"I'm in peace with my career and with my life."
"If anything comes now, welcome. If it doesn't come, it will not change my feeling."
Alonso said his achievements have already exceeded anything he imagined as a child racing karts in Spain.
"I achieved a lot more than I ever dreamt," he said.
"I never dreamt to be a Formula 1 driver and then race for the best teams in the paddock and stay for a very long time."
"So everything is a plus now."
As for Aston Martin's struggles, Alonso said he remains fully motivated despite the disappointing start to the new regulations era.
"Motivation, no big change," he insisted. "I believe in myself and I have full trust in what I'm able to do."
Fernando Alonso at a glance
| F1 debut | 2001 Australian GP (Minardi) |
|---|---|
| Current team | Aston Martin (since 2023) |
| World championships | 2 (2005, 2006) |
| F1 wins | 32 |
| Born | 29 July 1981, Oviedo, Spain |
See also: 2026 F1 season on F1-Fansite.
Related: De la Rosa stays quiet on Alonso farewell speculation
3 F1 Fan comments on “Alonso hints this could be his final Barcelona F1 race”
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His tone has clearely changed.
Y'know, everyone gets to the point in their lives where continuing to do what you have done for a living comes to an end.
It is inevitable. Like death. Except, now with a lifetime of experience, successes and failures, an opportunity to pass on tribal knowledge to the new generation becomes operative. An opportunity to genuinely give-back to the community of peers.
Who wouldn't want to learn race-craft and technique from an acknowledged master.
Fernando may "retire" from racing, but like all the great drivers before him, I suspect he will remain a familiar face in the racing world.
Paps smurf might be well advised to make a good offer to one or both of the Williams drivers and finally cut knuckles loose, would work well for when Jonathon W starts work with them