Two-time champion Alonso hints at retirement from Formula 1

The Spaniard has raced in 417 Grands Prix over his illustrious F1 career, with this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix being his 418th.

It comes after Lewis Hamilton commented about his future in the premier class of motorsport, mentioning Alonso and his amazing stint in F1.

"It depends on how I feel next year, how I feel physically and mentally," Alonso started by saying in an interview with AS.

The Spaniard first made his debut in Formula 1 back in 2001 with Minardi, with strong performances landing him a test driver role with Renault in 2002, landing him a seat at the French team for the 2003 season.

His stint at Renault gave him his title glory, winning the 2005 and 2006 world titles to make him a double world champion at the age of 25, becoming the youngest ever world champion at 24 in 2005.

After a season at McLaren, he moved back to Renault for the 2008 and 2009 seasons before making the switch to Ferrari, finishing P2 in the standings three times over his stint at the Scuderia.

A disappoitning return to McLaren between 2014 and 2018 saw the Spaniard then take a break from F1, racing in the World Endurace Championship before joining Alpine for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

In 2023, the 44-year-old then raced for Aston Martin, and a hugely successful debut season at the British team saw him tally eight podiums and a P4 finish in the championship.

Going into the 2026 season, there is plenty of excitement surrounding Aston Martin, with Adrian Newey designing the machine Alonso will use next season.