Fernando Alonso etched his name in the history books of F1 with his Aston Martin contract renewal. At 42 years old, otherwise considered past retirement age, he has signed the “longest contract” in his F1 career. Charles Leclerc, who in his rookie year with Sauber, looked up to the two-time champion and even admitted that he “learned twice more” from him than from other drivers. But one aspect that the Ferrari driver refuses to imitate Alonso in is the latter’s retirement planning.

As the generations go by, the fitness levels of F1 drivers keep rising. Today, you see drivers like Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton threatening to outperform much younger drivers at the pinnacle of motorsport. Hence, while the 42-year-old Spaniard is no longer fighting for podiums in 2024, Leclerc still hasn’t lost the respect he has for his idol.

“Fernando is one of the most talented drivers on the grid,” the Monegasque told Sky Sports, addressing Alonso’s contract. “He deserves his place in Formula 1. There are also many young drivers who deserve their place, but it’s not easy to find the balance.”

Leclerc then said how, unlike Alonso, he has no intention of staying in F1 till 43. But endurance races like Le Mans (that Alonso has participated and won in 2018) will be on his radar instead. “I probably won’t be in Formula 1 until I’m 43 even though I love it very much. I also want to try other categories including definitely racing at Le Mans.”

Driving in Le Mans has been a long-standing dream for Leclerc. In 2023, he even emphasized that he ‘loved’ the category and hopes to “tick that box” of driving in the endurance championship during his lifetime. But the journey to a happy post-F1 career begins with a successful F1 career. But, so far, in 2024, that has yet to come to fruition for the 26-year-old Ferrari driver. And even F1 veteran Helmut Marko emphasized on that very point recently.

Helmut Marko puts Carlos Sainz above Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc was Ferrari’s wonder boy in 2022. He finished runner-up to Max Verstappen while teammate Carlos Sainz finished with 62 points less in the drivers’ championship. In 2023, Leclerc’s lead came to only 6 points. Come 2024, the pendulum has swung in Sainz’s favor, with 1 win and 2 podium finishes in 3 races. And this has left Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko floored.

“Sainz is a strong character, ambitious and highly motivated,” Marko said. “Firstly because of the sacking at Ferrari and, secondly, because of the appendix effect.” When asked about which Ferrari driver he feels is in better form in 2024, the Austrian said, “Last year it was certainly Leclerc, but now I would say it’s definitely Sainz.”

It hasn’t been a very flattering start to 2024 for Leclerc. But the Chinese GP up next, where Ferrari would be Red Bull’s closest competitor could be a great opportunity for the Monegasque to pick up the momentum!