Fernando Alonso has leapt up the Formula 1 grid this season, fighting for pole position and podiums against his Red Bull and Mercedes rivals.
With a newly designed Aston Martin at his control, Alonso has secured a podium at every race of the 2023 season so far, with consecutive third place finishes.
As the oldest Formula 1 driver currently racing, 41-year-old Alonso is thought by some to be in the final years of his career, having already stepped away from the sport once before.
At the end of the 2018 season, Alonso took a break from Formula 1 after a difficult period at McLaren during which he never finished higher than fifth in a race.
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Speaking to Bang & Olufsen, Alonso opened up about his future and revealed that he considered stepping away years earlier.
“I would love to know the answer as well,” Alonso said, when asked when he might retire from the grid.
“When I started in F1, my idea was to be there for seven or eight years,” he explained.
“Then I won the two championships, and I thought – I will race maybe one or two more years.
“Now I find myself with the longest career ever in F1, and I’m still fresh, still motivated, still enjoying every single day.
“So yeah, there’s a few more years more for me, and hopefully with a title contender in the future,” he added.
Looking forward, Alonso was clear that he thinks a third world title is still possible with the strong performance shown by Aston Martin so far this season.
If Alonso was to win another world title, he would become the oldest Formula 1 World Champion since Juan Manuel Fangio won the title in 1957.
“[Another world championship] is the aim for sure but I think at the moment we have to keep our feet on the ground.
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“The aim for the team is just to have a good season. They struggled a lot in 2022, so I think we have to – let’s say – walk before we run.
“I think this 2023 campaign is about getting better, getting to know the car better, starting a new project from day one, and that’s where we are at the moment.
“Hopefully we have more podiums, hopefully we fight for race wins, but I think to fight for the championship we need to set the team a little bit,” he said.