Fernando Alonso’s mighty Formula 1 record is under threat from Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton has hinted that he will “probably” have a longer Formula One career than former McLaren teammate Fernando Alonso.

The most experienced racer in history, who made his debut back in 2001. Alonso celebrated his 400th appearance at the Mexican Grand Prix last weekend.

Lewis Hamilton is ‘likely’ to stay in Formula 1 even longer than Fernando Alonso

Despite turning 43 in July, the two-time world champion announced earlier this year that he would remain in Formula One until he is at least 45 after signing a contract extension with his Aston Martin team.

Hamilton partnered Alonso during his debut season with McLaren as a 22-year-old rookie in 2007, finishing level on points with the defending champion at the end of the campaign as both men missed out on the title by one point to Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen.

Hamilton has since become the most decorated driver in Formula One history, equaling Michael Schumacher’s long-standing record of seven world championships in 2020 and the following year becoming the first man to surpass 100 race wins and pole positions.

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After two consecutive winless seasons, Hamilton returned to the top step of the podium in 2022/23 with an emotional victory at his home race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July.

Weeks later he took his 105th career win after his Mercedes teammate George Russell was suspended.

Hamilton, who turns 40 in January, announced in February that he would join Ferrari on a multi-year deal from the 2025 Formula One season.

And the British driver has hinted at how long he intends to stay with the Scuderia, teasing that his career is likely to be even longer than Alonso’s.

Asked if he could beat Alonso’s record of 400 Formula One appearances, Hamilton said: “Depends on how far he goes. I’ll probably be here longer than he will.”

Alonso’s manager Flavio Briatore said earlier this year that Formula 1 2026 was likely to be the Spaniard’s final season, with Alonso himself having to decide whether he wanted to “continue for another year”.

In a recent appearance at F1 Off the grid However, in the podcast, Alonso raised the possibility of extending his career even longer in light of Aston Martin signing design genius Adrian Newey from Red Bull.

Newey is considered the most decorated man in Formula One history, with over 200 race wins and 25 World Driver’s and Constructor’s Championships for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull.

With Newey joining Aston Martin as Managing Technical Partner for Formula 1 2025, the impending arrival of the technical guru raises hopes that Alonso can finally lay claim to a landmark third title when the sport’s new technical regulations are introduced in 2026.

Asked whether his signing of Newey had made him think about extending his stay in Formula One, he replied: “I don’t want to stress it too much (but) I’d be lying if I told you I haven’t thought about it.

“Obviously I’ll be racing in ’25 and ’26. And then in ’26, I think I’ll see how I feel, how motivated I am, and I’ll definitely discuss that with Lawrence and Adrian, ultimately what’s best for the team.

“I have a long-term commitment with Aston. I will be working for Aston for many years to come, whether driving or in other roles.

“As we embark on this personal adventure of working with a talent like Adrian, I want to experience it behind the wheel, yes, but I’m not too afraid to work alongside him and see Aston win, even if I’m not behind the wheel.

“I will feel that I am not ready to give the team something extra behind the wheel and maybe someone else can do a better job.

“And I’ll be very honest about it and I won’t be disconnected from the team, so I feel like if we end up winning when I’m not driving, I’ll get a little bit of enjoyment out of it too.”