Alonso says 5-minute chat sealed F1 future beyond 46th birthday

Fernando Alonso said extending his Aston Martin contract followed a five-minute conversation with team owner Lawrence Stroll, a deal that will see the two-time world champion continue racing past the age of 46.

Alonso, ‌who turned 45 in July, signed a new contract with Aston Martin in an unchanged lineup ​for 2027 ⁠with Canadian Lance Stroll.

The Spaniard has started a record 440 races since his ‌debut in 2001 and is ‌the sport's oldest active driver, winning two championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006.

"Sitting with Lawrence was very straightforward, we didn't have much to discuss," Alonso told reporters on Thursday. "We both wanted to continue at that ‌point and it was a five-minute talk."

The lightning-quick negotiation stands in stark contrast to the soul-searching that ⁠led Alonso to his decision as he admitted he has "no guarantees that 2027 will be more fun."

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso arrives in Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia, on Thursday. Reuters

This season has been a struggle for the Silverstone-based team, who have an uncompetitive car and Honda power unit. They have scored just three points in 15 rounds, all from Alonso, and are 10th of 11.

However, Alonso remains driven by an unshakeable inner conviction as he admitted he could not stay ​away from the sport.

"At the end of the day, I feel fast, I feel motivated, ‌I feel that I'm enjoying what I'm doing," Alonso said. "If I'm sitting at home watching TV, watching races, I will feel that I can do better than them.

"That's what I felt in a way when ⁠I was away from F1 and I was watching races and I was thinking, 'Wow, that was not right.'"

'I had to stop'

The Spaniard also credited his two-year Formula One sabbatical between 2019 and 2021 as crucial to his ​longevity.

"I had to ‌stop," Alonso said. "I had to switch off from Formula One. I had to experience different Formulas ‌and different series and different things that I had in my mind, always as a big curiosity.

Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso of Spain steers his car during the Austrian F1 Grand Prix, in Spielberg, Austria. File/AP

"It was great fun to experience all of that, discover new forms of motorsport, learn from the specialists on each of ‌those series and ‌become a more complete driver ... My strength has been ⁠to adapt to different cars, different rules.

"The V10 (engines), the V8, the V6, Bridgestone (tyres), ‌Michelin, Pirelli, KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System), hybrid systems, ground effect ... all these kinds of things plus different series, prototypes, Indy (Racing) ... I try to use that strength."

His decision was not ⁠without family considerations, however, especially after he and his partner Melissa Jimenez welcomed their first ​child earlier this year.

"She's feeling the pain also this year and she's worried about my health when we are not competitive," he added with a smile. "Yeah, she prefers me away ⁠when we are not competitive."

Reuters