Fernando Alonso stated that he lives and breathes Formula 1, but admitting that missing his family caused him to wonder if he wanted to continue competing. This was after he inked a contract extension with Aston Martin.

Everybody participating in the sport is losing more and more time at home as a result of the expanding Formula One calendar, which will see drivers compete 30 times in 2024—24 Grand Prix and 6 Sprint Races.

They have to make that sacrifice if they want to follow their passion, a paycheck, or their ambition of winning a world championship. However, because Alonso’s legacy was safe, he could have resigned while Aston Martin remained in the middle of the field.

“My biggest concern,” Alonso told select members of the press, including Total-Motorsport.com. “Or the bad side of driving is just missing my family and not having a normal life or my own family at one point or whatever.

“But in this regard, I said, ‘okay I’ll see year by year, month by month’ and I spoke with my family. They will also come more often to races, all of them are coming to Miami now. My mother, my sister, my two nieces.

“We decided and we plan to make some changes for the things I miss or the things that maybe worry me. To keep racing, so I don’t miss those things.”

Alonso dismisses worries about age and fitness

The physical demands of Formula One racing are significant due to its high-intensity nature. This is particularly true when it comes to maintaining g-forces during fast corners, maintaining focus and response time, and enduring the harsh temperatures encountered at venues like Singapore or Qatar.

It’s reasonable to assume that F1 drivers’ performance will deteriorate as they get older, just like it does in other sports like football or athletics. This raises the question of how long competitors are willing to continue pushing themselves to the limit, and Alonso feels that his motivation comes from within.

“I love driving too much, I cannot stop at the moment,” Alonso added when asked about his long-term commitment. “I think the sacrifices that you have to make are smaller than the joy of driving and the passion that I have for driving.

“I breathe F1. I live F1. I train to be fit to drive F1 cars. I eat to drive F1 cars. The moment didn’t arrive where I felt that I need to change my lifestyle. My lifestyle is great, and I love what I do.

“So, I will not be happy sitting at home and watching F1 races because, at the moment, I feel that I should still be out there, and I can do a little bit better here or there or I can be faster in these conditions. So that moment [retirement] didn’t arrive.”