Fernando Alonso said a five-minute conversation with Aston Martin team owner Lawrence Stroll was all it took to agree to a contract extension that will keep the two-time world champion racing beyond his 46th birthday.
Alonso, who turned 45 in July, has signed a new deal that keeps him with Aston Martin through 2027, when he will continue alongside Canadian teammate Lance Stroll in an unchanged lineup.
The Spaniard has made a record 440 Formula One race starts since his debut in 2001 and remains the sport's oldest active driver. He won consecutive world championships with Renault in 2005 and 2006.
"Sitting with Lawrence was very straightforward, we didn't have much to discuss," Alonso told reporters Thursday. "We both wanted to continue at that point and it was a five-minute talk."
The swift negotiation contrasts sharply with the lengthy reflection behind Alonso's decision to keep racing, particularly as he acknowledged there are no guarantees that his 2027 campaign will be any more enjoyable.
"I have no guarantees that 2027 will be more fun," Alonso said.
This season has been a struggle for the Silverstone-based team, which has an uncompetitive car and Honda power unit. Aston Martin have scored just three points in 15 rounds, all from Alonso, and sit 10th in the 11-team championship.
However, Alonso remains driven by an unshakeable inner conviction, admitting he could not stay away from the sport.
"At the end of the day, I feel fast, I feel motivated, I feel that I'm enjoying what I'm doing," Alonso said. "If I'm sitting at home watching TV, watching races, I will feel that I can do better than them.
"That's what I felt in a way when I was away from F1 and I was watching races and I was thinking, 'Wow, that was not right.'"
I had to stop
The Spaniard also credited his two-year absence from Formula One between 2019 and 2021 as crucial to his longevity.
"I had to stop," Alonso said. "I had to switch off from Formula One. I had to experience different formulas and different series and different things that I had in my mind, always as a big curiosity.
"It was great fun to experience all of that, discover new forms of motorsport, learn from the specialists on each of those series and become a more complete driver ... My strength has been to adapt to different cars, different rules.
"The V10 (engines), the V8, the V6, Bridgestone (tires), Michelin, Pirelli, KERS (kinetic energy recovery system), hybrid systems, ground effect ... all these kinds of things plus different series, prototypes, Indy (Racing) ... I try to use that strength."
His decision was not without family considerations, however, especially after he and his partner, Melissa Jimenez, welcomed their first child earlier this year.
"She's feeling the pain also this year and she's worried about my health when we are not competitive," he added with a smile. "Yeah, she prefers me away when we are not competitive."