Fernando Alonso has indicated that the performance and characteristics of the new Formula 1 cars set to debut in 2026 will play a very important role in his eventual decision to retire from the sport or extend his career further.
Alonso, who secured his first points finish of the current season with a ninth place in Spain, holds a contract with the Aston Martin team that runs until the conclusion of the 2026 season. At that point, the two-time world champion will be 45 years old.
The 2026 season is scheduled to introduce substantial technical regulation changes, which are anticipated to potentially reset the competitive order across the grid.
When asked about how decisive the 2026 car would be in his considerations, Alonso stated, “It will be a very important one, yes. Not the final one.”
“I think I need to see how next year starts and how motivated I am. Every year, there is a different mood into the season,” he explained. “There is a different feeling on how you perform, how competitive you feel yourself, how motivated you are to keep your fitness at the high level, personal situation, family situation – all these things play a role in some important decisions in life.”
Alonso demonstrated his enduring capability in the 2023 season by achieving eight podium finishes. He has largely maintained a performance edge over his teammate Lance Stroll this year. Stroll`s participation in the upcoming race in Montreal is uncertain following his withdrawal from the Spanish Grand Prix due to a hand and wrist injury requiring surgical attention.
The 43-year-old driver, who took a three-season break from F1 after 2018 before returning, stressed that he would need to be “100 per cent sure” before making the decision to retire permanently from Formula 1.
“You need to feel it when it`s time and I don`t feel it yet,” Alonso continued. “I jump in the car and I`m on the grid, and I`m just so happy to be there and motivated and performing well.”
He added, “At the end of the day, the stopwatch will tell me also when I have to stop. Or I have a physical condition that is bad, or I have pain driving or whatever, that could happen as well. Sometimes you get a little bit injured, you get some bad races. But if we keep it healthy and in good conditions, the stopwatch also will tell me one day that I don`t feel fast enough or I don`t feel that I can put the lap together. But so far, I`m happy with that.”
Expressing his current state of mind, he said, “I`m happy when I`m on the grid. When I finish the race on Sunday, even if the results are not nice at the moment, I`m so motivated to go to the next race and try to overcome the bad race and have a better one. So all these kind of things are very alive now, but there is no guarantee that this will be forever.”
Alonso Praises Adrian Newey`s Influence
Aston Martin likely harbors hopes that the integration of acclaimed designer Adrian Newey into their team structure can propel them significantly up the competitive order in 2026.
Newey, a legendary figure with championship-winning designs across three decades for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, recently attended his first Grand Prix weekend affiliated with Aston Martin in Monaco last month. Alonso described witnessing Newey`s presence as “great.”
Alonso lauded Newey`s contribution: “It was fantastic. I think the way he sees things on the car, even statically in the pit lane or at the grid, also in the garage, spotting some things that we could have done better or do better in the future.”
He further noted the positive impact on the team`s performance: “His presence in the meeting room is always special and, I think… not intimidating… but the level of the team was higher thanks to his presence because everyone was more focused, more into the details of the car. People that were talking in the meeting knew that they could not say anything too far from the truth because he will spot it. I hope next year with more races that he will come, we will keep learning from him and getting better as a team.”
From the 2026 season, Aston Martin is set to be the sole team powered by Honda engines, a partnership that could provide advantages in achieving optimal synergy between the chassis and power unit.
Alonso confirmed that Aston Martin`s primary focus and aspirations are centered on the 2026 regulatory changes.
He outlined the team`s strategic approach: “In order to be confident and strong in `26, you have to build the momentum also in `25, and you have to deliver some parts on track that are making the car faster as well in `25. That will, I think, give some confidence to the team as well, back in Silverstone and also in our tools to make sure that everything that we are developing in `26, it makes sense, because we go on track and it delivers the expectations.”
Alonso concluded, “I think there is a little bit of work still on `25, but the main focus or the hopes are in `26. We understand the situation. We understand where we are in 2025, and whatever we bring to the track will just be a minimum change in terms of positions and finishing order. I think the biggest step in that regard can only happen in `26, where all the hopes are.”
