Fernando Alonso: “I asked myself: ‘Family comes first. What will be best for my son next year?’ But I could even enjoy my life more, traveling around the world with my son. “He will go to the middle of the races.”
Fernando Alonso He announced on Tuesday that he will continue driving in F1 for at least a year, although he made it clear on the ‘BBC’ that deep down he knows there could be more.
In recent months, the Spaniard had to consider many things and reflect a lot on many factors to make his final decision on whether to retire from F1 or continue.
He had to think about what he wanted to do in 2027, whether he would have more fun than now in F1 with next year’s engine regulation adjustments, see if the 2027 aerodynamic concept should be better and if Honda will improve. I found affirmative answers in all areas. But there was a very special factor: his son and his family. And there, Fernando says he found a quick answer in his internal reflection.
The Asturian already referred to the enormous demand in terms of time and travel that continuing in F1 entailed in an interview given to Mundo Deportivo months ago. “We now have 24 races. When I started racing in Formula 1 we had 16, 11 of them in Europe. Now we have 24 and only 7 in Europe. And well, you have to see a little what you want to do”he commented.
And as a first-time father due to the birth of his son a few months ago, in an interview on the ‘BBC’ he admitted that he had to reflect on the family aspect in order to know if he wanted to continue or not.
“Has being a father influenced your outlook on life and your career?”they asked him.
“I would say no. At first I thought so, and I tried to ask myself: ‘family comes first’‘What will be best for my child next year if I have this busy schedule or not?’, and things like that. But I quickly realized that it wasn’t actually a key factor. This year it has been difficult for him to travel, he is only six months old now. But I think next year it will come to half the races or more,” he explained.
This year it has been difficult for him to travel, he is only six months old now. But I think next year it will come to half the races or more
“So I could even enjoy my life more, traveling around the world with my son. It is a huge privilege that I hope to be able to enjoy next year,” said the 45-year-old pilot.
I could even enjoy my life more, traveling around the world with my son. It is an enormous privilege that I hope to be able to enjoy next year.
“Continuing to compete next year was my natural and definitive decision. I will compete in any car, even when I leave Formula 1, but F1 continues to run through my veins,” added the driver, who hinted that his intention, for now, should be to stay for more than a year.
“One more year made all the sense in the world for now…. but I see that it might not be just one year. I have no pressure to think about it,” he concluded.
