Alonso in for long haul with Aston Martin ‘lifetime project’

Fernando Alonso is going all-in with Aston Martin, the F1 veteran calling his new deal with the Silverstone-based outfit “a lifetime project” that will transcend his active racing career.

Aston Martin announced on Thursday that it had extended Alonso’s contract with the F1 team until the end of the 2026 season.

Addressing the media following the announcement, Alonso disclosed that he has committed to a multi-year contract, ensuring his continued association with the Aston Martin brand even after his retirement from Formula 1.

"It's a lifetime project in a way for me, this is the longest contract I ever signed in my career," the two-time world champion said.

"This is something that will keep me linked with Aston for many, many years to come. Let's see which role, let's see how many more years I will drive.

"But even after driving, I will use 25-plus years of experience in Formula 1, plus another 10 or 15 outside F1, so nearly 40 years' motorsport experience in the benefit of a team that gave me this opportunity now in this moment in my career.

"So, this is also very appealing for me and I'm extremely motivated for the next years to come."

• Read also: Alonso extends Aston Martin contract until 2026!

Alonso’s fresh contract will extend his tenure as a driver into Grand Prix racing’s forthcoming 2026 regulations cycle, when teams will field new designs and next-generation power units, and with Aston Martin uniting with Honda.

During his contract negotiations with Aston, the Spaniard made clear at the outset that he would not be swayed by a short-term one-year deal.

Alonso prioritized long-term growth and a shot at future success with a team he believes has all the right ingredients – strong partners, talented personnel, and cutting-edge facilities – to thrive under the upcoming F1 regulation changes.

"Yeah, it was an important point, I will not lie. To commit to a one-year project didn't make sense for me.

"It's not that I had a one-year proposal elsewhere or anything like that - it was just, I was very clear to Aston in the first conversations that the appealing part of this project is just everything that we are building.

"For me it was a must to really enter new regulations with a new project. Part of the decision to stay at Aston is because they are with Honda for 2026, it is because they are with Aramco, the biggest and the best partner in the world.

"We have incredible, talented people in the team now on the technical side that will benefit from the new wind tunnel and the new facilities in Silverstone.

"There were a lot of factors that made 2026 very appealing with Aston."

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