Alonso on smooth contract negotiations: "just loyal to each other"
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Fernando Alonso surprised friend and foe after the Japan Grand Prix by extending his contract at Aston Martin for at least two years. The exact term of his new commitment is unknown, but it is a multi-year deal. Days before the start of the Chinese Grand Prix, Alonso talks about his decision to stay with his current employer.
Alonso seemed to have more options than just Aston Martin. Red Bull Racing and Mercedes have also not yet finalised their line-ups for next season and might also be interested in the 42-year-old driver's services. The Spaniard already hinted that he was talking to several other teams, but in the end he will stay with British Aston Martin.
Working with Honda
What gets Alonso most excited? "I think the new regulations in 2026 are going to be a possibility for everyone to have an opportunity and mix a little bit. Obviously, we will be with Honda. We will be the only team with the power unit from Honda, which obviously is a little bit different than being a customer engine now with Mercedes. So hopefully we have a little bit of an improvement there."
He continued: "Also, I think with Aramco, the biofuels and sustainability that will come into 2026, maybe we have a little bit of an opportunity there as well. And the team is just getting better and better. New facilities, new campus, new wind tunnel coming this summer. So, yes, there are other things in place to be a very powerful team in the future, and I wanted to be part of it."
Early clarity
The fact that the two-time world champion decided to clarify after only four Grands Prix in 2024 was, in his own words, not necessarily important for himself. But: "After Japan, we sat down together. An agreement was reached in one or two days. So it was very, very simple."
"Everything is a little bit more simple than what it looks from the outside. There are a lot of rumours, a lot of things going on for different teams and different drivers and deadlines here, deadlines there. And for us, we were just loyal to each other. We just kept our word, and once we signed it and we agreed on something, we announced it. So for us, it was much more simple than maybe for other people."