Fernando Alonso recently extended his contract with Aston Martin and signed a new multi-year deal. According to the reputed German publication Auto Motor und Sport, the 42-year-old was compelled into making this move as he did not have faith in either Red Bull or Mercedes.
As reported by Junaid Samodien on X (formerly Twitter), Mercedes had offered him a one-year deal with an option for 2026. However, Alonso wasn’t too pleased about this as the option for renewal was in the hands of Mercedes and he wanted to race at least till the end of 2026.
On the other hand, Red Bull were unwilling to commit to the #14 driver before they made a decision about Max Verstappen’s future. With Aston Martin finding him in a vulnerable place, they “put a gun to his chest” and got him tied down for the long haul. Aston Martin reportedly demanded an immediate answer from the two-time world champion.
After weighing his options, Alonso probably knew that Aston Martin was his best bet. As a result, he decided to extend his stay, with the hope that the Silverstone-based outfit can provide him with a car to fight for the championship in 2026, a year when F1 introduces new regulations.
Fernando Alonso gears up for potential championship bid in 2026
Fernando Alonso’s decision to extend his contract with Aston Martin is a sign that he is convinced about the team’s project for the 2026 campaign. In Honda, the team have a proven championship-winning formula.
Even though the power unit regulations are going to be overhauled, Honda are currently the benchmark for the rest of the field. Moreover, with synthetic e-fuels the way forward from 2026, their fuel partners Aramco hold the highest mileage in that regard as well.
On Alonso’s end, the team would be expecting a long-term commitment as well as his astute technical and driving abilities to develop the cars. Therefore, with Alonso’s pace and experience, Aston Martin hope to start fighting at the sharp end of the F1 grid sooner rather than later.
