The deciding factor for Alonso. The enigma that is Fernando Alonso set the Formula One printing presses into meltdown on Thursday evening. The Spaniard who debuted for Minardi (now V-CARB) back in 2001 has committed almost probably his final years in the sport to Aston Martin despite there being twelve other F1 drivers out of contract this year.

With Lewis Hamilton sending the ‘silly season’ into a February frenzy following his pre-season announcement he was leaving for Ferrari in 2025, his vacant Mercedes seat was always going to be highly prized even though the former world champions are in year three of a slump in form.

 

 

 

Honda forgive Fernando

One thing is crystal clear, Fernando will have a contract that sees him through into the new F1 engine era in 2026 when Aston Martin will become the full works Honda team. Clearly Honda were consulted behind the scenes and have forgiven the Spanish matador for his insulting ‘GP2’ likening of the Honda power unit in the back of the McLaren he was then driving.

“It didn’t work for us in McLaren, but right after that they fixed all the problems and they are currently dominating and they’ve been world champions for the last few years,” Alonso said of Honda. “They will have a baseline for 2026 that is already very strong.

“But also they have the capacity in Sakura of building something really nice. I visited Sakura in 2014-16. I didn’t visit yet at the moment but I know that they are really, really motivated there.

“And obviously with the sustainable fuels in 2026 this is something I would love to experiment with, and with Aramco we have a great partner. So I see a win-win situation.”

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A hint of retirement

When Fernando first met the F1 media this season, he surprised those present when he suggested his first job was to decide if he wished to continue in F1. Alonso did also suggest he would bottom out the future opportunities with Aston Martin before looking for a drive elsewhere.

Alonso cited the length of the new F1 season with 24 races as a concern: “It was not a racing factor, it was more the travelling,” he explained. “Looking at this calendar I was a little bit afraid that this will be heavy on me.”

That meant he “needed a few races or weeks to really think of myself, if I was ready to commit for more years in Formula 1”.

Yet Fernando, now the most experienced driver Formula One has ever seen, clearly did canvas other teams quickly coming to the realisation there was nothing better on offer outside his current team. Alonso presents those talks as a run of the mill standard process of checking out the market.

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Lack of commitment from others

“It’s normal when you enter negotiations, you need to balance a little bit what is the market, you need to listen to everyone else as well because this is a normal procedure and I think it’s fair as well to listen to all the proposals and to see how the market moves,” he said.

“But in my head Aston was the logical thing for me to do. And at the end it was also the best and I felt the most wanted in Aston Martin.” Clearly there was a lack of commitment Fernando felt from other teams who are biding their time at present.

“All the other conversations were just light and never came to any other conclusions, maybe more time was needed, all these kind of things, while in Aston  it was a clear desire to work together. That’s why it came very easy.”

Aston Martin were the second best team out of the blocks in 2023, with Fernando capitalising taking six podiums in the first seven races of the year. However the rate of development from the team left much to be desired and the Silverstone based squad faded from second in the championship to finish behind a resurgent McLaren in fifth.

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“best weekend” in Japan

Of course Aston Martin suffer from the fact they are competing with one arm behind their backs. Lance Stroll has year in and out underperformed the car, something less obvious when he had Vettel alongside him. His total contribution towards the team tally last year saw him bring home just over 26% of Aston Martin’s haul for the season.

Had the balance been more in line with the likes of George Russell/Lewis Hamilton or Charles Leclerc/Carlos Sainz – Aston Martin would almost certainly have finished the year ahead of McLaren. 

Alonso to Mercedes was always unlikely and the Spaniard suggested as much in Japan.“I think it was my best weekend [in recent times], inside the top five ever for me. P5 in qualifying, that lap and P6 today in the race is completely out of position. Very proud,” he said.

When asked about rumours of a possible move to Mercedes, Fernando was more than candid: “That’s a very good question,” he replied but his full response would suggest Alonso wasn’t for knocking down Toto Wolff’s door anytime soon.

“Mercedes is behind us [today], so it doesn’t feel that attractive [an option],“ stated Fernando.

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Deciding factor for Fernando

While the double world champion had been linked also with the Audi project, that too was unlikely given he will be 45 years of age during 2026 when the new regulations arrive. Audi are going to need longer than that to be competitive and at Fernando’s time of life, long term projects are less interesting.

Of course had Red Bull come calling, Alonso would have been gone in a flash whether to compete against Verstappen or whoever replaces him should he leave. A championship winning car would have been too much to resist as Fernando chases maybe one final world championship title. But the call did not come from Milton Keynes, which probably was the deciding factor for Alonso.

With Red Bull a ‘no go’ there was little left for Fernando to decide other than commit to Aston Martin who may come good anytime soon. 

Lawrence Stroll has invested over $250m in new facilities at Silverstone and the benefit of updated equipment to deliver slicker design and production are coming on line right now. Were Aston Martin to do a McLaren of 2023, then this season’s pecking order behind Red Bull is not yet finalised.

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Fernando assessed AM progress

“I wanted to see how we perform,” said Alonso. “We didn’t start on the podium positions, but we are very close to the top four teams apart from Red Bull. 

“There are going to be some races that we are more competitive at, some races that we are less [competitive] at but in the first four races we introduced four new parts of the car, every race we had an upgrade. So this is something that was quite encouraging and quite nice to see.

“The team is making progress. It’s never quick enough in Formula 1, it is a very demanding environment. But 18 months ago, 22 months ago, we had a very small building, the ex-Jordan factory, and now we are half-a-tenth up and down with Ferrari, with Mercedes, with top teams.”

When asked if he would complete outside of F1 before retiring from the sport, Fernando was ambiguous. “At the moment, not,” he said. “I’m super-focused on Formula 1 and that will be the only thing in my head.

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Alonso longest ever contract

“I can nearly 100% say that I will try Dakar in the future, when I stop Formula 1 that will be something that is still in my head.

“And with Aston there is the Valkyrie as well in Le Mans, starting next year. So who knows if that will also be a project that I can help somehow, driving or outside driving.

“I would love to see Aston Martin winning in any category, in any condition. That will help the brand, which I feel part of. I feel part of the Aston Martin Formula 1 team, but at the end of the day also the road cars and everything. So we want the best for the brand.”

We the other opportunities to arise for Fernando, after a career of driving for most F1 teams on the grid, this could be the longest contract Fernando will ever fulfil.

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Andretti Autosport’s strategic move to establish a European operation in Silverstone, UK, marks a monumental step in its determined quest to join the ranks of Formula One – the pinnacle of motorsport competition.

Spearheaded by Team Principal Michael Andretti, the initiative underlines a deep-rooted commitment and a bold statement of intent in the fiercely competitive world of Formula One racing…. READ MORE