Adrian Newey gave his judgement on Fernando Alonso’s Formula 1 future with Aston Martin.
The Aston Martin team principal believes that the squad will “continue our relationship” with Alonso beyond his current contract.
With the summer break underway, the question of teams’ line-ups and contract renewals is up for discussion. While many of the top teams have their drivers secured for the coming seasons, Fernando Alonso is one of the biggest names who doesn’t have a contract beyond 2026.
Alonso has been a staple on the grid for decades, holding two World Championships and the longest tenure in F1 history. With 25 years and over 400 race entries.
A difficult run with Aston Martin
The Spaniard joined the Silverstone-based team in 2023, replacing Sebastian Vettel and leaving Alpine. Initially, he had a strong start with the team, taking podiums in 2023 as Aston Martin found an incredibly competitive run of form.
However, since that stretch of podiums, it’s been difficult for Alonso. Coming into the new regulations, Aston Martin has sat at the back of the field.
In Hungary, Nwey seemed confident that the partnership with the Spaniard and Aston Martin would continue.
“Obviously, Fernando is an amazing driver,” he said.
“He brings huge amounts to the team, both in his feedback and his ability.
“So, for us, of course it’s important. I’m pretty confident that Fernando is enjoying his time with us and that we will continue with our relationship.”
Alonso undecided
However, despite Newey’s confidence, it does not guarantee that Alonso will remain with the team.
The season so far has been a rollercoaster for Alonso, with the team unable to finish races in the opening rounds. Even as the initial issues have been worked out in the AMR26, the performance is still far from the front runners.
Alonso told the media that he’s still waiting to decide if he’ll remain in the sport.
“I have not taken any decision; I will wait until probably summer break, which is August, and after summer it’s Zandvoort, Monza – I think around that time I will probably decide what to do next year,” he said at the time.
Alonso is no stranger to racing outside of F1, taking breaks from the pinnacle of motorsport to compete in endurance racing and IndyCar.
He admitted that he’s not opposed to once again leaving F1 for another sport.
“I will keep racing because I’m feeling fast, I feel motivated, and I love what I do, and I will not stop now, because I don’t feel uncompetitive or I don’t feel that I don’t enjoy racing.”
He added: “If I am racing Formula 1 or not, that’s a different story.
“I need to enjoy the category; I need to enjoy the feeling of driving the power units and these regulations and these kinds of things.
“There are many factors to put in place, and there are many options to race in the world of motorsport.”
A potential change of direction
He could transition his role, while still working with Aston Martin, into an ambassador or a development position.
“But I still love Formula 1. I’m committed to this team also, so even if I don’t race, commitment with the team and with the project is the same and still the same as what it has been for years now.
“We started this in a way together with some success in 2023 and with a lot of changes in the company and in the campus in Silverstone, now with the partnership with Honda, with Aramco, with the new fuels.
“There are a lot of things that we built together in a way.
“As I said many times, this team, there are certain guarantees that it will succeed, and it will fight for world championships.
“You know, we don’t know if that will be next year, in three years time, or in eight years time.
“That’s probably my limitation behind the wheel, but I want to win a world championship with Aston Martin, with or without driving; that’s still the same commitment in my case.”
Alonso has completed many other racing achievements in his F1 career, such as winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice in 2018 and 2019. He’s won two F1 championships, and it’s evident that the Spaniard has little left to achieve in the world of motorsport.
READ MORE: Isack Hadjar explains the ‘different level’ Max Verstappen operates on
Discussion about this post