Aston Martin has announced its intention to become a Honda working group in Formula 1 for the 2026 season and we talked about the important things. We know how important it is to compete as a working team in 2026. We know Aston Martin prepares to develop own racing machine. We even know about Honda returns to F1. That means only one final loose end remains: Fernando Alonso.
To say that the tension between Alonso and Honda is deepening would be an understatement. From 2015 to 2017, Alonso was part of the McLaren team that took its engines from Honda. The partnership wasn’t nearly as successful as expected, and Alonso raged at Honda’s “GP2 engine” – by which he meant that driving a Honda engine was like driving a serial car. As a result, Alonso and Honda didn’t quite part ways on the best terms.
But Alonso is in fine form into 2023. As part of the Aston Martin program, Alonso has finished on the podium in all but one race this year, helping him secure a comfortable third-place finish. roof in the Championship as we head into the Monaco Grand Prix. He seems to be a resurgent competitor, someone willing to offer mid-race advice and encouragement to his young teammate Lance Stroll – and certainly not one who seems to have been beaten in the middle of the race. 2016.
It seems strange to talk about Alonso sticking to the sport until 2026, but the 41-year-old has speak your mind to stay competitive for “a few more years.” He has set his sights on another championship. Aston Martin will continue to be a Mercedes customer for another two and a half years, but it seems Alonso would be willing to stay until 2026 if he is confident that Aston Martin will keep him.
Thankfully for Alonso, it looks like both Aston and Honda are open to seeing how things turn out.
“Alonso is an outstanding racer, and at Honda we respect him,” said Koji Watanabe, President of Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in a press conference ahead of the news. “But choosing a driver is up to the team.”
Martin Whitmarsh, Group CEO of Aston Martin Performance Technologies, continued the topic of conversation.
“The [drama] derived from what Fernando said in the heat of the battle, which is unfortunate,” he noted. “[Alonso] He’s been a really great driver, and I think he’s developed his mindset about driving and about being a team member since then.
“If he drives with the same energy, commitment, skill and speed in 2026 [as he is in 2023]We would be happy to have him on the team.”
Fernando Alonso/Aston Martin won in 2026, who else?
