Fernando Alonso's close friend "convinced" about the 2x champ's post-F1 retirement plans

A close friend of Fernando Alonso's has shared that he is sure about the Aston Martin driver's plans after retirement from F1. The 44-year-old's current F1 contract with AMR runs through 2026, with an extension unlikely because of his age unless the partnership flourishes in the first year of the new technical regulations.

Alonso's compatriot and close friend, Jesus Calleja, a mountaineer and journalist, spoke about the two-time F1 champion's expected career options after leaving F1. While he wanted the Aston Martin driver to continue racing in F1 to his heart's content, Calleja emphasized that Alonso would return to race in the Dakar Rally once he bids goodbye to the Pinnacle of Motorsport.

In an interview with the Spanish publication Soymotor, Calleja said:

"Fernando, the day he retires, I'm convinced he'll return to the Dakar. Fernando Alonso, let him close his chapter in F1, let him continue to give us joy. I'm a sucker for F1, especially for Fernando, and he has a 2026, with the new regulations, that will be a turning point.

Let him give us all the time he wants and as many years as he can in F1, because then he'll have plenty of things to do and plenty of time to do what he likes. He'll never give up on racing. I'm absolutely convinced he'll return to the Dakar."

Jesus Calleja made a similar statement earlier this year, sharing that Fernando Alonso and he "talk a lot" and that competing in the Dakar Rally was a certainty in the racer's future.

Fernando Alonso expects Dakar to "awaken his passion for learning" after F1 retirement

Fernando Alonso at the F1 Grand Prix Of Hungary - Source: Getty

Fernando Alonso competed in the Dakar Rally in 2020, the year of his sabbatical from F1. A few days before the big race, the Spaniard said it was "undoubtedly" the biggest challenge of his sporting career. And indeed it was.

He encountered unexpected visibility issues in the second stage, hitting an object with the front wheel. However, it was a big crash and roll in stage 10 that lost him hours of time to his rivals. Alonso eventually completed the race to finish in 13th place with Toyota.

Earlier this year, he spoke highly of the non-F1 races he competed in, like the Indy 500, the Dakar Rally, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which holistically improved him as a racing driver. When elaborating on those experiences, the Aston Martin driver highlighted how Dakar could be on the cards when he's done with F1.

"It enriched me as a driver because I had to learn from the best in each series. I didn’t have a comfort zone, but had to learn everything from scratch, just like at school. It was interesting. When I stop with Formula 1, the Dakar or another championship will awaken this passion for learning," the 44-year-old said via PlanetF1.

Fernando Alonso entered the 2025 F1 summer break with a season-best result of P5 at the Hungarian GP. He is level with teammate Lance Stroll at 26 points in the drivers' standings.