by At the start of the new F1 season, Fernando Alonso insisted that he would only need a few races and, for once regarding his own future at the team, the cunning Spaniard was true to his word. After four races the 42-year-old – who is fast becoming Formula 1’s answer to Tom Brady – has committed to extending his career into his mid-40s with a “multi-year contract” at Aston Martin, signed and sealed on Thursday . . Although, as Alonso himself said, it is a “lifetime project”.
It is quite strange that Alonso, a man of such raw talent but with an innate ability to rub people the wrong way, has gone to his sixth team and 21.St a year in the sport that feels at home. He talks to a man who is at ease and comfortable in his current job: the unequivocal No. 1 driver. And, as this new measure suggests, a team doing their best.
Ultimately, when there was no doubting Alonso’s commitment to his long-term love of Formula 1 (he had previously flirted with IndyCar and endurance racing), the decision was simple. “It was easy,” he said Thursday. “I’m excited to continue racing with this team. It was also a feeling of loyalty that I wanted to convey to my team.
“It couldn’t be the end of the journey for me and Aston Martin.”
Alonso has looked rejuvenated since making the shock switch to Aston from Alpine at the end of the 2022 season. it is the biggest team change that has gone for two times in the world. Eight podiums last season, in a year dominated by Red Bull without precedent, speaks of that. Had it not been for Max Verstappen’s thrilling final sector in qualifying in Monaco, his 10-year winning streak might as well have been broken.
Since then, Aston has been slightly advanced. At best they are currently the third fastest team; at worse the fifth. With Ferrari having distinguished themselves as the best of the rest behind Red Bull, Aston are currently in a race-to-race for a top 10 finish with McLaren and Mercedes.
Fine for now – but Alonso will need more. And clearly, there is a sense within Aston and Alonso that there is more to come.
The team formerly known as Racing Point has been rejuvenated as team owner Lawrence Stroll – father of the team’s second driver Lance Stroll – acquired former dynamist Red Bull Dan Fallows, with Tom McCullough and Luca Furbatto. They opened a state-of-the-art factory at Silverstone last year, and a new wind tunnel is due to be completed this year.
In 2026, when new engine regulations threaten to change the order of play, Aston will have Honda as its engine partner. Honda, as you may recall, is the power unit behind Red Bull’s current dominance. Alonso endured a few years of fighting working with Honda at McLaren just under a decade ago but that relationship was irreparable. In short, Alonso believes Aston are a team that will go places – and Aston want Alonso to lead them to the top.
But Alonso’s decision speaks volumes across the paddock, especially at Mercedes who have a 2025 seat to fill ahead of Lewis Hamilton’s impending move to Ferrari. Alonso said after another disappointing weekend for the Silver Arrows in Japan that “his empty seat doesn’t look too attractive” for him next year. Now, Alonso has put his future in his mouth.
Gone are the days when Mercedes would have a spare seat on the most coveted seat in Formula 1. Eight years of hybrid era success speaks to that; six of those saw Hamilton win the championship. But not now. Now, they are without a win in almost 17 months. Hamilton has not won in the last two years. After such success, Mercedes has faltered and faded in this ground-effect regulation period, leaving it firmly on the heels of Adrian Newey’s rocket at Red Bull.
Incidentally, Alonso did not make it clear that a place at Red Bull in the future was not possible, either as Verstappen’s team-mate or, less likely, as a replacement for the Dutchman. As far-fetched as the decision seems, Sergio Perez looks more likely to bide his time at the world champions.
But it’s not just Red Bull that Mercedes has fallen behind. Ferrari was stolen marching at the beginning of this year. McLaren – whose long-term team is anchored by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri – has secured a podium ahead of Mercedes. And Aston, although he has a clear No 2 driver, is only one point behind the former Titan of the sport.
How far has Mercedes fallen, then? Somehow. The first choice for Hamilton’s seat now appears to be Carlos Sainz, who has been dropped by Ferrari for 2025 regardless of his current excellent form. But will Wolff want a driver the Scuderia is eyeing? Other options include a quick rise for 17-year-old Mercedes youngster Kimi Antonelli from F2, or a swoop for Alex Albon at Williams. A great move for Verstappen is certainly on the cards for next year given Mercedes’ current form.
Alonso clearly felt he was better off staying put than taking one last punt with Toto Wolff’s beleaguered team. Long-term rival Hamilton has lost patience, which is reflected in his move to Maranello next year. With his world-class pace and hunger to excel, Alonso was clearly the obvious choice to replace the Briton next year but the Spaniard has to fundamentally believe that his dreams have a better chance third world title to come to Aston than Mercedes.
More than a sign of faith in his current outfit, Alonso’s fresh deal is a damning indictment of Mercedes’ fall from grace.
