"I will retire when it stops making me happy"- Fernando Alonso not considering F1 retirement just yet

Fernando Alonso has confirmed that he will only retire from F1 if and when he becomes unhappy with the sport. The Spaniard reiterated that he is very happy with his situation at present.

Alonso walked away from F1 at the end of the 2018 season after a stint with McLaren that was just not enjoyable for the two-time world champion. Much of this was down to the team not being able to develop a competitive car during his time at Woking.

He then returned in 2021 with Alpine on a two-year deal that runs out at the end of the season. His next landing spot has already been decided, having shocked the F1 world one day into the summer break to confirm he would replace Sebastian Vettel at Aston Martin.

During an interview with as.com in Spain, Fernando Alonso was asked about his plans and how he managed to negotiate a multi-year deal with Lawrence Stroll and Co. after a two-year absence from the sport. The 41-year-old said:

“The plan was to come back to Formula 1. Those challenges were very enriching both personally and professionally. The challenge was to get back to the top, and I feel good. Now I have signed for two more years with another team.”

When asked if he had thought about retirement considering his age, Alonso went on to add:

“I don’t have it figured out. The sport is my life and I know I have an expiry date, but I try to enjoy it. When I left Formula 1 in 2018 I was mentally and physically exhausted. Since I came back, I don’t feel like that – I’m fresher. I don’t know how long I will go on. I will never retire from motorsport, but from Formula 1 I will retire when it stops making me happy. At the moment, it’s the opposite.”

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"I thought he would stay in Alpine"- Fernando Alonso's move to Aston Martin shocked his new aerodynamicist

Fernando Alonso's impending move from Alpine to Aston Martin in 2023 was so shocking that it admittedly caught the Silverstone team's aerodynamicist Raul Martin off guard.

The two-time world champion is now on the precipice of an eighth team-switch in his F1 career after inking a multi-year deal with Aston Martin one day into the summer break. The announcement caught Alpine off-guard, who were under the impression that Alonso would be renewing his deal with the Enstone team.

In an interview with cadenaser.com in Spain, Fernando Alonso's compatriot Raul Martin revealed to former F1 driver Pedro De la Rosa that the two-time world champion was not even in the team's internal betting pool to replace the departing Sebastian Vettel. He said:

“They sent us an email in the morning, shortly before it appeared in the media. I am on vacation right now, but as if I had been in the office. Internally, there was talk of [Mick] Schumacher or [Nicholas] Latifi, I didn’t think Alonso would come. I thought he would stay at Alpine, it’s shocking and hard to believe, but it’s the reality.’’

Martin is thrilled the veteran Spaniard will be joining Aston Martin in 2023, expecting his move to raise the team's profile even further and attract more quality talent. He said:

“As an engineer, you go to the best project, not the one that pays you the best. His arrival means attracting more talent to an ambitious project. I won the Fernando Alonso Scholarship to be able to enter the world of Formula 1 and now I’m going to work with him.’’

The veteran is currently on break and is scheduled to return to Alpine soon with the 2022 F1 Belgian GP almost upon us.