Fernando Alonso explains how he’ll know exactly when he needs to retire from Formula 1

With every Formula 1 race that Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso takes part in, he breaks another record.

Since making his F1 debut for Minardi in 2001, Alonso has started more than 400 Grand Prix.

It’s an incredible record and means the Aston Martin driver has taken part in more than a third of all the races in the history of Formula 1 going back to 1950.

His tally of 404 entries – but only 401 starts – means he currently sits 48 Grand Prix ahead of second place Lewis Hamilton.

What’s even more impressive is Alonso took a two-year sabbatical from racing in F1, meaning he could be approaching 450 races by now.

He’s showing so signs of stopping too, with Alonso on a contract until the end of the 2026 season when the new regulations are introduced to the sport.

Aston Martin have had a disappointing year and despite finishing fifth in the Constructors’ Championship, they heavily relied on points scored at the beginning of the campaign, slipping further and further into the midfield as the year went on.

Alonso scored the majority of Aston Martin’s points, outclassing teammate Lance Stroll who had a campaign to forget.

Fans in Brazil were chanting for a potential Stroll replacement after he made a bizarre mistake on the foundation lap in treacherous conditions.

Alonso spoke to the Chequered Flag Podcast and explained how he will know when it’s time to eventually hang up his racing boots.

Fernando Alonso explains how he will know when it’s time to retire from Formula 1

Alonso was talking about his future with journalist Andrew Benson and said: “I think my self-confidence will be always there. Until there is one day that I don’t feel comfortable in the car.

“[If] I feel, as you touched on, slower than my teammates or slower than what I think is possible with the car.

“If that day arrives, I will probably raise my hand and I will stop racing because I will not enjoy [it] anymore.

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“But it’s good anyway, at the end of the year to have some numbers that can put some truth in the season.

“As you said, I think we were not super competitive for many races this year with the car performance, but we still scored some points that were important for the team to secure this fifth place in the championship.”

Aston Martin going all-in on being Formula 1’s strongest team with Alonso in 2026

With the ruleset for next season unlikely to change significantly going into 2025, Aston Martin’s hopes of joining the top four constructors on the grid are distant at best.

They have ground to make up on the likes of Alpine and Haas over the winter and then another step is required to challenge Mercedes and the leading three outfits in this year’s championship.

However, Alonso believes 2024 wasn’t a bad year for two reasons – the completion of the team’s new factory and the hiring of Adrian Newey.

READ MORE: All to know about Aston Martin F1 Team from team principal to lineage

Newey’s impact is unlikely to be felt until 2026 given he only arrives in March, but by then Aston Martin will have Honda power units which have propelled Max Verstappen to four successive championships.

Lawrence Stroll has invested heavily in the team to make them competitive and while that’s not paid off yet, a 45-year-old Alonso – as he’ll be when the 2026 campaign kicks off – will hope he’s still fast enough to take full advantage of the machinery given to him.