Aston Martin star Fernando Alonso has made a big bombshell about his plans to abruptly retire from F1.
The two-time world champion completed his 400th race in the sport at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix, but it was ultimately a disappointing ending considering he was unable to finish.
Read more: Today’s F1 Mexican Grand Prix results: Huge penalty causes dramatic swing in championship
In a career that most would envy, Alonso has raced for seven teams, won two world championships, won 32 races and finished on the podium 32 times.
However, if his career had gone as expected, the Spaniard may never have competed in nearly 400 races.
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Fernando Alonso raced for Ferrari from 2010 to 2014 Fernando Alonso currently races for Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso reveals retirement plans
In a shocking revelation, Alonso revealed that he was actually planning to retire from the sport in 2009.
Speaking on the Beyond the Grid podcast, Alonso explained: “When I won the championship in 2006 and then joined McLaren, I had a three-year contract for 2007, 2008 and 2009.
“I was 99 per cent sure that 2009 was going to be my last F1 season. That was my plan – a very clear plan in my head.
“I won the championship in 2005, I won the championship again in 2006 and I joined McLaren for three years. That was the last contract in my mind.”
Fernando Alonso was teammate with Lewis Hamilton at McLaren in 2007
Considering he was only 28 years old in 2009, this is a big claim considering he is currently 43 years old and currently shows no signs of retiring from the sport.
When asked what he would have done if that decision had come true, he replied: Becoming F1 champion is beyond my imagination. So what else can we do here? ”
“But after F1, there’s a different life outside and not so much about car racing.
“I thought I was going to have a family and have normal things and normal days.”
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