“That’s what I was thinking when I was at Max’s age.”
Answering to Max Verstappen’s allegations, Fernando Alonso concedes that in his younger years he “couldn’t” give up on Formula One.
The 26-year-old reigning Formula 1 champion has stated time and time again that he will leave the sport at a relatively young age.
In 2018, Alonso also left Formula One, but he returned after a two-year “retirement.”
Furthermore, Alonso, the oldest driver on the field, has agreed to a new contract with Aston Martin that would keep him competing in Formula One until he is 45.
When The Times questioned him about Verstappen’s desire to retire early, he said, “That’s what I was thinking when I was Max’s age.”
“I recall that after winning the World Championship with Renault in 2007, I signed a three-year contract with McLaren, and I was 100 percent certain that it was my final contract.”
“I believed that the 2018 season was my final one, and I bid adieu to Formula One, believing that it had fulfilled my professional goals.”
“I discovered that even if I wanted to stop, I couldn’t.”
With his move to Aston Martin, the two-time Formula One champion Alonso has somewhat regained his former confidence.
Over the next three years, the team has huge ambitions that could help the seasoned driver, such a new headquarters and a partnership with Honda as an engine provider.
However, he is aware that retiring cannot be postponed indefinitely.
“I am aware that it will return shortly,” Alonso remarked.
“I’m not sure exactly what I will do, but I will 100% say goodbye to Formula One at that point.”
“It’s peculiar because we are wealthy individuals—there are only 20 Formula 1 drivers worldwide.
It makes sense that you would believe that doing this will make you happy and fast.
However, it’s also removing everything from your life that brings you joy.
“To try and have fewer drawbacks, some adjustments will be made, with my family attending more races and this kind of thing.”
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