Formula 1 icon Fernando Alonso fails to contain laughter as Lewis Hamilton banters

Fernando Alonso has again fuelled retirement talk, but Lewis Hamilton clearly has other ideas.

The Aston Martin driver’s current contract expires at the end of the year and, at the age of 42, no one would begrudge him calling it a day.

However, the two-time world champion looks as ready to win races as ever, and he may have far more opportunities to do so in 2025.

That’s because the Formula 1 driver market received a huge shock with the news that Hamilton will be racing for Ferrari next year.

The sensational move opens up a seat at Mercedes, while there are a number of contracts expiring at the end of 2024, including Sergio Perez’s at Red Bull.

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.

“But, as I said at the car launch, I will wait a few races before I decide.”