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Fernando Alonso says it would be "very hard" to retire from Formula 1 at the end of 2026 if Aston Martin are not competitive next season.
The 44-year-old two-time world champion's contract expires at the end of next year and Alonso says he has "thought about" leaving F1.
"If things go well, I think it's a very good moment to stop because I've been chasing a competitive car and competitive racing for many, many years, and if I have that I think it's a very good way to close my career," Alonso said in an interview released by the team., external
"Let's say that if we are competitive, there is more chance that I stop. If we are not competitive, it will be very hard to give up without trying again."
Alonso won his two world titles with Renault in 2005 and 2006, and has not won a race since his victory for Ferrari in the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix.
Although regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time, and still performing at a very high level, his career since then has been a story of not having a competitive car.
Alonso finished runner-up in the championship three times in four years for Ferrari, and in 2010 and 2012 missed out on beating Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel to the title by just five and four points respectively, despite driving a less competitive car.
A move to McLaren for 2014 did not pay off as the team were in decline and their Honda engines were the worst on the grid at the time.
He stepped away from F1 at the end of 2018 to pursue other interests, winning the Le Mans 24 Hours and the world endurance championship twice, as well as competing in the Indianapolis 500 and Dakar Rally.
Alonso returned to F1 in 2021 with Alpine and moved to Aston Martin in 2023, when the team had a brief burst of competitiveness and Alonso took six podiums in the first eight races before the team's form tailed off.
Aston Martin are having a difficult 2025 season and are seventh in the constructors' championship with seven races remaining.
Alonso is 14th in the drivers' championship, two points and three places behind team-mate Lance Stroll, despite out-qualifying the Canadian 19 times to one so far.
Aston Martin owner Lawrence Stroll has spent the past few years investing in the team in the hope of turning them into champions.
Next year, they will produce their first car under the technical leadership of design legend Adrain Newey, who joined them in March this year after resigning from Red Bull in April 2024.
Alonso says he sees 2026, when F1 is introducing new regulations for engines and chassis, as an "opportunity" and has been impressed by his first experiences of working with Newey.
"He's an incredible person and everyone in the team is learning from him," Alonso said.
Alonso, who will turn 45 in July next year, says he believes Aston Martin have put together all the ingredients needed to win.
"I'm pretty convinced about that," he said. "The only thing is when. That's probably my only question mark from this project.
"In my case, driving in the last couple of years of my career, obviously, I want to taste the success of the Aston Martin project.
"But I know that everything takes a little bit of time to glue all the pieces together.
"Aston Martin fighting for and winning the World Championship is more or less guaranteed in the future - we have everything needed to fight for a World Championship.
"Then, to execute the job and to win it, you need some external factors as well, you need a little help from your competitors, you need a little bit of luck."
