Fernando Alonso expecting a tough farewell to Barcelona

Fernando Alonso said Sunday's Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix would be probably his Formula One farewell to the Spanish circuit and recognised the race was unlikely to provide much cheer for his army of fans.

Spain has two races this year, with Madrid hosting the Spanish Grand Prix in September, before the Circuit de Catalunya then drops off the calendar until 2028 as part of an alternation with Belgium.

Alonso, 44, is out of contract with Aston Martin at the end of this season with the double world champion's future uncertain.

"It's going to be a special weekend, probably my last Barcelona race in Formula One. So, I want to say thanks to everyone. I will try to enjoy the weekend," he told reporters on Thursday.

"I will not be competitive and I will not be too long in the car in qualifying, in the race hopefully yes, but not at the pace that we all want.

"But I want everyone to still enjoy the weekend. It has been always a celebration when they (the fans) come to Barcelona. I think it's my 23rd Spanish Grand Prix, and all of them have been magical. And this last has to be magical as well."

CAREER DECISION AFTER SUMMER BREAK

Alonso won at the Circuit de Catalunya in 2006, the year he won his second successive title with Renault.

The Spaniard said he would decide after the summer whether to continue and was already treating every race as potentially his last at that circuit.

"In Australia, my last time; in China, my last time; in Monaco. And here in Barcelona there is a little bit more of that chance, as it's not happening next year as well," he said.

"For me the hardest thing is not to win races and not to be competitive," added Alonso. "If it's the last or not the last, it's not affecting too much. I'm in peace with my career and with my life and if anything comes now, welcome."

Aston Martin and Alonso scored their first point of the season in Monaco last weekend when the Spaniard was promoted post-race from 11th to 10th.

That lifted the Honda-powered team off the bottom of the standings but this weekend promises to be a return to struggling among the back markers for Alonso and teammate Lance Stroll.

"On paper, for Barcelona, it will be tough. It will be very tough," the team's chief trackside officer Mike Krack warned reporters earlier.

"In Barcelona, there is no place to hide.

"I think for the drivers, it will be the toughest," he added.

"We know that Barcelona is very hard on the package. And there will be not so much they (the drivers) can do about it. So I think we need to protect them, maybe a little bit, from getting too much negative out of this."

(Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by David Holmes and Clare Fallon)