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Alonso hints he will only race for one more season ahead of Barcelona farewell

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Fernando Alonso has suggested he will only compete in one more Formula One season at most, noting this weekend's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix is "probably" his final race at his home venue.

With the Spanish Grand Prix being relocated to Madrid, the renamed Barcelona race will rotate with the Belgian Grand Prix on a yearly basis starting in 2027.

After this weekend's event, there will be races held in Catalonia in 2028, 2030 and 2032, and there are no guarantees that Alonso will be present for any of those.

The 44-year-old is into the last year of his contract with Aston Martin, though he has repeatedly outlined his desire to continue racing for at least one more season.  

Alonso is 18th in the 2026 drivers' championship standings with just one point, having got Aston Martin off the mark by finishing 10th at the Monaco Grand Prix last time out. 

The team have endured performance issues after struggling to adapt to new regulation changes, and Alonso knows he will not be competing at the front of the grid this Sunday. 

But, with a 2028 appearance at the track unlikely, he is desperate to give it his all at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

"This is probably my last race in Barcelona," Perez said on Thursday, as quoted by Marca.

"I will not be competitive. I won't be in qualifying for long and in the race yes, but at a slower pace. It's a special race and this last time it will here, too."

Alonso has triumphed at his home circuit twice before, when it was the venue for the Spanish Grand Prix, in his 2006 title-winning campaign and again in 2013.

Asked if he could provide an update on his future, Alonso said: "I have nothing in mind. After the summer, I will decide if I will continue or not. 

"But Barcelona will not be there next year, so there are many different options to be my last race [overall].

"But in every race, I think it could be my last. The hard thing is not winning races and not being competitive, but it doesn't change anything about my career or my life. I achieved much more than I ever dreamed of."