"But he didn’t deny that he will be driving for RB?": Fans react to Fernando Alonso quashing retirement rumors

F1 fans were not entirely convinced by Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso quashing rumors of a possible retirement from the sport. They pointed out how he did not rule out the possibility of driving for Red Bull.

After a dismal weekend in Mexico, the Spanish driver was visibly saddened and seemed like had given up all hope with the AMR23 for the rest of the season. Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll ran last in the race before retiring.

After the race, there were some rumors going around the paddock that Fernando Alonso would replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull for the 2024 season in a swap deal with Aston Martin. It was touted as his big final move before hanging up his gloves.

Addressing the rumors on Fox Sports, Fernando Alonso said:

“I like competition. I like to be fast, and I hate losing. It’s obviously not very difficult to motivate myself when I’m in the car… Not at the moment [is he considering retirement]. I know I’m at the last stage of my career, but I don’t see it that way at the moment. I don’t have a [specific] date when I want to end my career,"

However, F1 fans on social media gave their reactions to his comments, with one fan pointing out that he did not rule out the possibility of driving for Red Bull, saying:

"But he didn’t deny that he will be driving for RB?"

Here are some more reactions:

F1 pundit gives his take on Fernando Alonso driving for Red Bull

Like many, Sky Sports pundit Craig Slater was baffled by the rumors of Fernando Alonso potentially joining Red Bull next season. While appearing on the Sky Sports podcast, he said:

"My understanding is that is a non-starter, it is not going to happen. As much as they admire Alonso and what he can do, he is not above Ricciardo, as far as I understand it, as an option to drive for that team next year. This is not coming officially from the team but it is not going to happen.

"Some senior and well-placed people have told me that maybe Alonso's management has been doing their due diligence again and assessing whether there are any better options for him next year. Perhaps that has been inflated into a 'he is going to take Perez's seat rather than Ricciardo'."

It will be fascinating to see what Fernando Alonso or Red Bull comment on the rumor surrounding them racing together next season at the upcoming race weekend in Brazil.