Fernando Alonso already knows what it feels like to say goodbye. Back in Abu Dhabi in 2018, the Spanish driver bid farewell to McLaren and Formula 1, receiving a memorable send-off on track from Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen. At the time, however, Alonso was not stepping away from motorsport altogether. At 37 years old, he had already mapped out his pursuit of the Triple Crown and a future in endurance racing.
Eight years later, ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend in Barcelona, Fernando Alonso admitted that the race at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will most likely be his final home Grand Prix as a Formula 1 driver.
“This will be a special weekend because it will probably be my last appearance here in Barcelona, and I want to thank everyone. After the summer, I will decide whether to continue.”
It is no secret that Alonso could choose to bring his Formula 1 career to an end at the conclusion of the season. This time, at the age of 45, it could even represent a definitive farewell to motorsport. Yet when it comes to Fernando Alonso, caution is always required. His relentless competitive spirit continues to defy both age and expectations.
Two possible paths for Fernando Alonso
At the moment, two potential scenarios are being discussed regarding Alonso’s future.
The first still revolves around Aston Martin, particularly the heavily updated car set to debut in just over a month’s time during the Belgian Grand Prix weekend. The new-spec machine, described by some as an “AMR26 B”, represents Aston Martin’s final major attempt to reverse a disappointing season and provide Fernando Alonso with a more competitive package.
However, another possibility is increasingly attracting attention in the Barcelona paddock.
There is growing speculation that Alonso could decide to write one final chapter with the team that delivered both of his Formula 1 world titles. Alpine is now led by Flavio Briatore, who also serves as Alonso’s manager, and while Briatore has repeatedly stressed that the team’s technical development remains the priority, the prospect of welcoming Fernando Alonso back for what could be his final Formula 1 season is far from being dismissed.
A fourth chapter with Enstone?
Such a move would mark the fourth chapter in the long relationship between Fernando Alonso and the Enstone-based team.
He first raced for Renault from 2003 to 2006, the most successful period of his career, winning both of his world championships. He then returned to the team in 2008 and 2009 following his difficult departure from McLaren. More than a decade later, it was the same Enstone organisation, by then competing as Alpine, that brought him back to Formula 1 in 2021 in one of the sport’s most remarkable comebacks.
A final stint with the team most closely associated with his greatest achievements would carry enormous symbolic value. Yet there may also be practical reasons behind such a move.
On paper, Aston Martin still possesses significant long-term potential, but there are no guarantees that its partnership with Honda will immediately deliver a race-winning package in 2027. Alpine, meanwhile, is set to benefit from Mercedes power units, which currently appear to offer a more reassuring prospect for a driver still dreaming of standing on the Formula 1 podium one last time.
What did Alonso really mean in Barcelona?
Alonso is widely regarded as one of Formula 1’s most astute communicators, and his comments in Barcelona may have carried a deeper meaning than initially appeared.
Under Formula 1’s future race rotation system, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya will not feature on the 2027 calendar, sharing a rotational arrangement with Spa-Francorchamps before returning in 2028.
From that perspective, Alonso’s statement about saying goodbye to Barcelona is entirely accurate. His farewell to the Catalan circuit as a Formula 1 driver may indeed be real and unavoidable.
What remains far less certain, however, is whether it will also be a farewell to Formula 1 itself. If the latest paddock speculation proves accurate, Fernando Alonso may still be on the grid next year, potentially beginning a remarkable fourth chapter with Alpine and extending one of the longest and most fascinating careers in the history of the sport.
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