The two-year F1 world champion’s current two-year deal runs out at the end of this season, and Alonso , two decades after making his debut in 2001, is keen to sign a new deal to continue.
However, the final signing has not yet been reached, as Alpine also has to weigh what is best to do with its coveted reserve driver, Oscar Piastri.
While Piastri, the 2021 Formula 2 champion, is being linked with a move to Williams, the 41-year-old Alonso is aware there is a slim chance his team will decide otherwise.
However, ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix, the Spaniard said his aim is to continue with his current team, and believes negotiations should be quick.
Of the conversations he will have with his alpine bosses over the summer break, he said: “I’ll be on vacation and the bosses will be on vacation too. So we have to do some video calls or whatever.”
“But when two parties want to agree on something, it takes 10 minutes.”
“When two parties don’t agree, or fight to agree on something, then one party may not be happy. So I won’t take more than 10 minutes with what I can talk about.”
Fernando Alonso is clear that, after seeing the level of progress Alpine has made in F1 over the last two seasons, he doesn’t want to go anywhere else.
“I’d like to stay here,” he said. “But there are two parts and I’m not going to put a gun to anyone’s head.”
“Okay, we’re going to open the negotiations. And as I said, if we agree on something, it will be a 10-minute conversation, and if we have to fight too much it will be longer.”
Sebastian Vettel’s retirement from F1 at the end of the season has opened up a possible option for Alonso if he doesn’t continue at Alpine, but the Spaniard doesn’t seem particularly excited about that possibility.
Asked if he sees an opportunity with Aston Martin Racing, he said: “All teams are an option, as long as they don’t have two drivers signed.”
“My priority is to be with Alpine because we have been working and developing this project together for two years. We are becoming more and more competitive.”
“And probably my desire is to stay, but we haven’t quite sat down to move things forward. So still, everything is going on.”
