A successful 2026 season would likely be enough to convince Fernando Alonso to retire, the 44-year-old has told Spanish publication AS.
The two-time champion, who has not won a race in Formula 1 since 2013, is pinning his hopes of one last title campaign under the sport's new regulations next year.
His Aston Martin team has invested heavily in its factory while also signing legendary designer Adrian Newey to lead its development under the new rules.
Regulation changes often present an opportunity for teams to leap up the order in F1, and Alonso said a strong 2026 campaign is more likely to convince him to retire than another year struggling in the midfield.
"It depends on the feeling I have next year, how I feel physically and mentally," he said when asked by AS what factors would convince him to retire at the end of 2026. "But I don't know. Now I don't have a clear idea. If the car went well, there's a good chance it will be my last year."
Alonso said it was more likely Aston Martin would hit its stride in 2027 or 2028, and did not rule out staying at the team longer if 2026 does not deliver satisfactory results.
"I know that I have a better chance of doing well in 2027 or 2028, when there is a stability in the human group that we have now with Adrian Newey and the others," he added. "The first year they may do things well, but for the second or third year they are guaranteed to do things well.
"But I have to see it with myself. If the car goes badly, there is a chance that it will continue for another year to end up with a good taste in the mouth. If the car did well, 2026 is likely to be my last year."
Alonso, who won his two titles in 2005 and 2006, said he would not allow himself to continue in F1 if he did not believe he was still operating at his best.
"[Retirement] will not be due to lack of competitiveness," he said. "When I leave Formula 1 I want to leave it as it is now, considering myself the best. And that people from outside, at least 30 or 40 percent, continue to consider that I am the best.
"I don't want to leave him because I have lost my skills. I'm going to enjoy next year and I'll take it year after year. But yes, I want to leave it on high."