The dust has finally settled on the speculations surrounding Fernando Alonso’s future. The two-time world champion was rumored to be in contact with the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes for a seat next year. However, it has been announced that the #14 driver has now renewed his contract with Aston Martin.
Formula 1’s official X (formerly Twitter) account broke the news earlier on Thursday about Alonso‘s contract renewal with Aston Martin. However, it left fans wondering about the actual length of the deal. ESPN F1’s Nate Saunders reports that the 42-year-old has signed a deal that would keep him “staying with Aston into [20]26”.
BREAKING: Fernando Alonso re-signs at Aston Martin
The two-time World Champion has signed a deal to remain at the Silverstone-based outfit ✍️#F1 pic.twitter.com/XNnw6Smnbu
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 11, 2024
This driver market news means that Alonso will stay with the team when the latest engine regulations kick in from the 2026 season onwards. This also means that the Spanish racing ace will be reuniting with Honda, who will supply power units to Aston Martin from 2026 onwards.
This decision of the two-time world champion isn’t just an ordinary contract renewal. The 42-year-old has made it clear that he is still keen to win the F1 world championship again, and this is a vote of confidence that Aston Martin along with Honda could ace the regulations in 2026.
Fernando Alonso snubs Red Bull and Mercedes to renew his deal with Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso sealing his future with Aston Martin means that he has indeed snubbed the likes of Red Bull and Mercedes who were strongly linked to him earlier this year. As Nate Saunders reported, this means that Toto Wolff would now most likely be looking at his F2 prodigy Kimi Antonelli to fill in Lewis Hamilton’s shoes at the Silver Arrows from 2025 onwards.
Alonso has indeed sent the F1 driver market into a frenzy with his announcement. The futures of drivers like Carlos Sainz were hanging in the balance, waiting for Alonso to make his move. Now that Alonso has pledged his allegiance to Aston Martin, Sainz finally has a clear shot at the Red Bull seat.
Big. Alonso staying with Aston into 26. Likely means Merc are going with F2’s Kimi Antonelli. Sainz to Sauber looks most likely for him now too. https://t.co/Ods0EwIHQY
— Nate Saunders (@natesaundersF1) April 11, 2024
After his Australian GP heroics, Sainz was linked to a possible move back to Red Bull. However, there were concerns about Alonso’s availability, as Red Bull were touted to prioritize the 42-year-old over Sainz.
However, now that Alonso is out of the picture, Sainz has an outstanding shot at securing that second Red Bull seat. But with Sergio Perez putting in decent performances, the team might just extend the Mexican’s contract instead.
This would mean that Sainz’s options would be further limited. If Red Bull do extend Perez’s contract and Mercedes do end up signing Antonelli, then Sainz may realistically only have a chance of securing a seat at Sauber (which will become Audi from 2026) or Williams, according to F1 expert Lawrence Barretto.
