Fernando Alonso was widely believed to have had a struggling second stint with McLaren when Honda was providing them with the engines. The underwhelming performance of Honda’s equipment often made the Spaniard rant on the radio.
His ranting peaked when he called Honda’s engine a ‘GP2 engine’ in Japan back in 2015. Honda parted ways with McLaren after 2018, and at the same time, Alonso also left the Woking-based outfit to pursue other racing avenues.
The qualms between Honda and Alonso remained unresolved. However, in a recent interview with Tom Clarkson, Alonso claims he enjoyed McLaren’s Honda era because of the connection it had with his childhood.
“I was enjoying because of my love for Japan, the connection of McLaren-Honda which was literally the inspiration that my father had to build my first go-kart. It was a replica of the Senna Prost Formula One at that time,” said Alonso.
High praise for Fernando from Honda’s President
Will we be seeing Alonso still in green in 2026? #F1 pic.twitter.com/s9sBEeRqMV
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 24, 2023
However, Alonso didn’t even see a fraction of what Senna and Prost achieved in the second coming of Honda and McLaren. Yet, Alonso is set to reunite with Honda with the introduction of the new engine regulations.
Last year, Honda announced that they would join Aston Martin in 2026, and that should make Alonso delighted. Unlike last time, Honda is one of the best in the business right now.
Honda can help Aston Martin become World Champions
Ever since Honda left McLaren, they joined hands with Red Bull, and with them, while it took time, success came eventually. With Honda, Red Bull has won three world drivers’ and two constructors’ championships, with another drivers’ championship expected to be added this year.
The Honda power unit is undoubtedly at par with Mercedes and can be argued to be the best in F1 right now. With the expertise Honda has gathered over the years in F1, they are expected to have a good engine in 2026.
Aston Martin’s boss Lawrence Stroll is committed to winning the F1 championship. With Honda, Alonso, and now Adrian Newey set to join next season, Aston Martin has all the right ingredients to be a title-contending force.
So, Alonso himself would be looking forward to ally with Honda yet again. But will he be able to win another championship? That remains to be seen.
