Last week, amidst swirling rumors about F1 driver movement, Fernando Alonso was the first to silence speculation by signing a new multi-year contract with his current employer Aston Martin.
The deal will keep the fiery Spaniard with the British team through the 2026 season, a year that will mark a significant shift in the F1 landscape with the introduction of an entirely new set of technical and engine regulations.
While Alonso's name had been prominently mentioned as a potential target for other top teams, he opened up ahead of this weekend’s Chinese GP on his decision to stay loyal to Aston Martin – and to Formula 1 itself.
“It’s never an easy time when you have to make some decisions, especially right now for me it’s probably my last contract, so I wanted to make sure that it was the right decision first of all to keep racing in Formula 1, and to have the strength and the motivation to keep racing for a few more years from my side,” he explained on Thursday in Shanghai.
“And then after that just making sure that the team has the target and the goal for the next few years to be ambitious and to try to keep getting better and better.
“It was a very happy decision for me, I’m obviously extremely proud to represent Aston Martin for the next few years.
“We started the journey last year in a very good way and we keep on working, so [I’m] extremely proud [and] happy, and let’s see what we can do.”
Alonso's decision to stay with Aston Martin provides stability for both team and driver. But the 42-year-old’s deal goes beyond continuity and loyalty.
Aston’s upcoming partnership with Honda, a powerhouse engine supplier officially returning to F1 in 2026, injects a significant shot of optimism. Additionally, the team’s ongoing development of their facilities at Silverstone is a testament to the outfit’s commitment to growth.
When combining these factors, Alonso clearly sees the potential for Aston Martin to become a "very powerful" force to be reckoned with on the grid.
“The new regulations in 2026 are going to be a possibility for everyone to mix the cars a little bit and have an opportunity,” the 42-year-old said of the squad’s future prospects.
©AstonMartin
“Obviously we will be with Honda, we will be the only team with the power unit from Honda which obviously is a little bit different from being a customer engine now with Mercedes, so hopefully we have a little bit of an improvement there.
“Also I think with Aramco, the biofuels and the sustainability that will come into 2026, we have a little bit of an opportunity there as well, and the team is just getting better and better – new facilities, new campus, new wind tunnel coming this summer, so there are a lot of things in place to be a very powerful team in the future and I wanted to be a part of it.”
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