(Motorsport-Total.com) – Fernando Alonso will decide his future in Formula 1 during the summer break. The new development program from Aston Martin plays an important role in this, but according to the Spaniard, it is by no means the only factor. Rather, his decision will depend on a variety of aspects – and not exclusively on whether the new aero package works immediately in Hungary.
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For weeks there has been speculation about whether the upcoming updates could convince the two-time world champion to continue his career. The background includes the statement by team principal Adrian Newey, who indirectly linked the car’s further development with Alonso’s future. However, Alonso himself clearly relativizes this connection.
“I don’t know,” the Aston Martin driver answers when asked how closely the upgrade is linked to his personal future. “As I have already said: I will think about it during the summer break.”
It’s about much more than just performance
For Alonso, it would be too simple to base his decision solely on the competitiveness of the AMR26. Even if Aston Martin makes a big step forward with the new package, there are other points he has to consider.
“I can’t say that it really depends on that,” explains the 44-year-old. “Whether the car is good or bad, there are other factors I have to think about.” Alonso explicitly also thinks about the general development of Formula 1.
“Maybe the car suddenly is really good and I still feel that the sport is developing in the wrong direction,” he says. The opposite could also happen: “Maybe the car doesn’t improve that much in Budapest, but then we have another update or a completely new concept for next year.”
Especially the long-term perspective within the team is of great importance to him. “There are various things within the team that make me think about continuing for several more years.”
Budapest is to become an important benchmark
However, the Hungary update is by no means without significance. Alonso admits that a positive weekend immediately before the summer break would make the decision easier. “Of course, it will help,” he says.
“If I go on vacation on August 1st, it would be nice to have had a good race in Budapest right before that.” At the same time, he adds: “It will not be the only point.”
Alonso explicitly confirms shortly afterwards that the decision is indeed to be made during the summer break. “Yes, that’s the plan.” With a smile, he adds: “Then usually the meteor shower starts on August 14th or 15th. So I will look up at the sky at night.”
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What exactly would come after a possible end to his career, Alonso says he does not yet know himself. When asked if he already has plans for the time after Formula 1, he answers briefly: “No, no idea.”
The update is only the first step
Even more important than individual lap times for Alonso is the insight into whether Aston Martin has identified the right technical problems. He recalls that the team had already recognized early in the season that the current overall package was not competitive enough.
“The team decided to wait for a proper update package,” explains Alonso. “We didn’t know if it would come at the seventh race, the twelfth race, or even only at the end of the season.”
The engineers first had to analyze where the biggest deficits were. “But we knew that our starting position was not good enough.” Then Alonso lists the weaknesses: “We lack downforce, power, in the gearbox, experience – all these things.”
Therefore, the team initially conducted a comprehensive analysis. “We had to examine everything, reorganize ourselves, and make a plan.”
Alonso dampens fans’ expectations
At the same time, Alonso warns against placing too high hopes on the new package. From his point of view, Aston Martin will not be able to fight for wins this season even with a successful development. “The fans want us to win races and fight for the world championship,” he says.
However, the current update will not enable exactly that. “This year it will be completely irrelevant how well the update works or how big the progress is – it will never be enough.”
Because even with a significant performance jump, the team will still lack another development step. “We will still need an additional package.”
Therefore, he wants to keep expectations consciously realistic. “The fans have to know that we are working day and night to improve the car.” His long-term optimism remains, however. “We will get better. We will win races. But not this year.”