Fernando Alonso confirms contract length with Aston Martin and discusses retirement plan

Fernando Alonso has confirmed he expects his contract with Aston Martin from 2023 to last two years.

Although there was a feeling it was a move the Spaniard could make, the speed with which Alonso’s change from Alpine was announced came as a shock.

Just four days after Sebastian Vettel revealed he would be retiring at the end of this season, Aston Martin has informed the world that Alonso will replace him – with these events occurring the day before and after the Grand Prix weekend respectively. from Hungary.

It was said to be a “multi-year” deal, which obviously means a minimum of two – and with the two-time former world champion now 41, a two-year first deal makes a lot of sense.

It will mean the pursuit of El Plan, with Alonso now offering a very simple explanation of what this mysterious term – which has taken on a life of its own – actually means.

As quoted by AS, Alonso said: “The plan was to come back to Formula 1.

“These challenges have been very rewarding 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.

Of course, that means Alonso fans won’t have to worry about his retirement until 2024, but even if this year marks the end of his Formula 1 spell, it’s likely he’ll continue to compete in another category.

Asked about the retirement, Alonso said: “I didn’t understand it. 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 anymore – I’m fresher.

“I don’t know how long I’m going to keep going. I will never retire from motorsport, but from Formula 1 I will retire when it stops making me happy. For now, it’s the opposite. »

As for the challenges when he leaves F1, Alonso has hinted that he will attempt the Dakar Rally again in which he finished 13th on his 2020 debut while on break from F1 after leaving McLaren.

“I always use the Dakar as an example,” he said. “If you do three or four rallies and a few tests, you can be ready even if you have quite a few years.

“In professional sport, experience and knowledge of the body come together. You don’t know the same thing at 20 as at 40. Now you know which parts are harder to train, but there are some things that age does not forgive.