Fernando Alonso has reignited retirement speculation, but Lewis Hamilton plainly has different plans.
The Aston Martin driver’s current contract expires at the end of the year, and at 42, no one would blame him for retiring.
However, the two-time world champion appears to be as poised to win races as ever, and he may have many more possibilities in 2025.
That’s because the announcement that Hamilton will race for Ferrari next year stunned the Formula One driver market.
The surprising move opens up a seat at Mercedes, while some contracts, including Sergio Perez’s at Red Bull, expire at the end of 2024.
With Hamilton and Verstappen both on long-term contracts, teams would logically be looking towards the available Alonso if race wins are their priority.
So it’s natural that the Spaniard was asked again about his future.
“First of all I need to decide if I want to keep racing,” he told the media. “That will be the first thing that I need to decide, in a few weeks or few races time.
“I feel great now but I know that it’s a demanding calendar and in 2026 there are a different set of regulations that are tempting or maybe not, I don’t know.
Alonso’s rivals clearly weren’t picking up his retirement talk, as Hamilton could be heard making jibes in the background as his former teammate discussed the possibility of calling it a day.
Alonso could only laugh at his rival, perhaps well aware that he would be crazy to turn down a Mercedes drive and the chance of possibly winning a third world title.
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