"If I was 25, there would not be this talk" - Fernando Alonso says his stay in F1 is not about age but about performance

Fernando Alonso has stated that he will stay in F1 for another two or three years. He also claimed that his stay in the sport is based on his performance and not his age.

The two-time world champion returned to the sport at the start of 2021 after a two-year hiatus. Since then, the Alpine driver has shown great form, often outclassing drivers nearly half his age.

The 40-year-old is now the sport's oldest driver, taking Kimi Raikkonen's place after he retired at the end of 2021.

However, with F2 champion Oscar Piastri waiting for his turn behind the wheel of Alonso's car, many wonder if the Spaniard is facing the pressure of getting older.

To this question, Alonso replied:

"No. I think if I was 25, there would not be this talk. It’s an age thing, that people try to find a way for the young talents, but I think this is about performance. Last year I think I did well, I finished slightly in front of Esteban."

"Let’s see this year how the battle goes. But this is about performance not about age. As I said at the beginning of the year, I still feel competitive, fast and I feel I am enjoying my time in Formula 1."

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Fernando Alonso claims Alpine are looking forward to Australian GP after 'frustrating' outing in Jeddah

Fernando Alonso has revealed the Alpine F1 team is looking forward to the Australian GP after a disappointing weekend in Saudi Arabia.

The Spanish driver was forced to retire from Round 2's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix after developing a reliability issue with his pink Alpine.

Speaking about the Australian GP, Alonso said:

“I like the track and whilst it’s quite difficult to overtake the changes have been made to encourage this, so we’ll see how it all plays out. We deserve to be much higher in the standings after two races. Our car has been good and the performance has also been good over the weekends.”

The driver expressed his frustration after retiring from Jeddah, claiming the team could have comfortably finished P6 in the race. He said:

“Last weekend was a disappointment as we looked comfortable and set for sixth position until we had our retirement. It was frustrating but we can be pleased with our overall pace so far."

Fernando Alonso finished in P9 at the end of FP1, while teammate Esteban Ocon fared slightly better in P6.

However, it is unknown what development programs both drivers were running, making the final result speculative at best.