Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso is the oldest participant on the F1 grid. At the age of 41, though, he is still showing that he has all the talent and ability to merit his position in the sport.
In fact, there was even a debate held by Sky Sports’ F1 reporters who analysed whether he is as good as Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton and whether he merits a mention in the GOAT debate.
Alonso may be showing that he is still very much up for the challenge in terms of competing in the pinnacle of motorsport and he has managed to stay relatively oblivious regarding his retirement plans.
The Spaniard, for all his ability, is undoubtedly in the twilight of his career, but fans never got a straight answer from him when it came to his plans for the future.
However, during a candid interview with his girlfriend Andrea Schlager, it has now been made public that Alonso is unlikely to race beyond the end of his current deal at Aston Martin.
“He currently has a two-year contract and it will most likely be the last,” Schlager said.
“The whole winter consisted of gym, tennis, skiing. It was impressive how he went full throttle.”
Schlager works as a broadcaster in Austria and covers sports such as F1 and tennis.
Alonso met Schlager in the paddock last year and have been dating ever since.
Schlager was present in Bahrain for the season opener and she was one of the first ones to congratulate Alonso on his podium finish.
Alonso replaced Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin and while it was initially viewed as a poor move by some due to Alpine’s superior finish to Aston Martin, his decision now seems vindicated.
The two-time world champion is unlikely to be in the mix for a third title, but is seems clear that Aston Martin has assembled a strong challenger this season.
Alonso has not won a single race since 2013, but it is also worth noting that he has managed to hone his skills at comparatively weaker teams during this period.
It will be important for Alonso and Aston Martin to put on another positive display in Saudi Arabia and confirm that the result in Bahrain was not a fluke.