(Motorsport-Total.com) – What does the future hold for Fernando Alonso? Besides staying at Aston Martin or ending his Formula 1 career, another option was suddenly discussed last weekend in Barcelona: a move to Alpine, where a close confidant of the Spaniard, Flavio Briatore, is pulling the strings.
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Before the next race in Austria (here is the full schedule), Alonso has now spoken extensively about the recent speculation regarding his future: “I mean, there are always rumors,” says the 44-year-old with regard to the current situation. “We have been treated very badly by the outside world. And that is normal.”
The start of the 2026 season was disappointing for Alonso and Aston Martin. In the first seven races, the Spaniard collected only one World Championship point. “We are falling short of expectations, we are in a bad moment. And when the summer break comes, there are always rumors.”
“There are rumors at the top teams, there are also rumors in our case because we are falling short of expectations,” explains the two-time world champion. “But as I said, my commitment to Aston Martin goes beyond my time as a driver.”
It does not sound like a departure from the British racing team and a move to Alpine. “I believe in this project and we have the right people. We obviously have Adrian Newey, the best of the best. We have Honda,” emphasizes Alonso, but at the same time admits: “Yes, we started off on the wrong foot.”
“We understand that, but we are trying to get things moving as quickly as possible. But we are an easy target because we are behind, and there are all these social media and all these things and jokes that can be made about us.”
“It probably borders on abuse on social media,” the Spaniard makes clear. “We sometimes say that we are not happy with our position, but we are hard workers. Honda has hard workers and Aston Martin, we are 1,000 people working hard.”
Krack hopes for a future together with Alonso
Mike Krack, former team principal and now Trackside Engineering Officer at Aston Martin, has a clear opinion: “Fernando should not retire. He is too fast,” says the Luxembourger with a grin. “If you look back one or two seasons, we clearly said that he is here to stay.”
“We are happy with the drivers. They are in this with us and also a big compliment to them for how they handle it,” says Krack. “We have talked very often about how the drivers are the most affected and exposed to the situation. Hats off to the way they handle it.”
Alonso currently has a contract until the end of 2026. Its extension was announced over two years ago with few words from the two-time world champion: “I am here to stay!” was the statement at the time. Krack remains convinced: “So I have high hopes that we will continue to work together.”
“It doesn’t change anything at all,” Alonso emphasizes, however, that Krack’s words do not affect him. “I don’t need Mike to tell me that I am fast. I feel it in every lap I drive on the track. And I have always felt it.”
Alonso will decide after the summer break
But “I have not made a decision yet,” the Spaniard makes clear, thus also taking the wind out of the current Alpine rumors. “I will probably wait until the summer break, which is in August. After the summer come Zandvoort and Monza.”
“I think around that time I will probably decide what I will do next year.” Only one thing seems certain for the two-time Formula 1 world champion: “I will continue racing because I feel fast and motivated and I love what I do.”
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“I am not going to stop now because I no longer feel competitive or feel that racing is no longer fun. Whether I race in Formula 1 or not, that is another story. I have to enjoy the category, I have to enjoy the feeling of driving these power units and this regulation.”
Fernando Alonso admits: “I still love Formula 1”
“I still love Formula 1,” emphasizes Alonso, who has recently been more critical of the current power unit regulations of the top class. “I also feel committed to this team. Even if I don’t race, my commitment to the team and the project is the same.”
“We have kind of started this together here, with some success in 2023 and with many changes in the company and on the Silverstone site. Now with the partnership with Honda, with the new fuels. There are a lot of things we have built together.”
The Spaniard is convinced that his team has “certain guarantees” for future success and will sooner or later fight for the world championship. “We don’t know if that will be next year, in three years, or in eight years,” Alonso admits. “That is probably my limitation behind the wheel.”
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“But I want to win a world championship with Aston Martin, with or without driving,” the Spaniard hints that he could also work for Aston Martin after his Formula 1 exit. “That is still the same commitment in my case.”
Fernando Alonso raves about the Aston Martin hypercar
Could Alonso perhaps also start in the World Endurance Championship in the future? There, Aston Martin is in its second year with the Valkyrie, and the 44-year-old knows the series from his time at Toyota. “I drove the Valkyrie a month ago at Paul Ricard,” he reveals.
“It is a car that is fun to drive, and surprisingly fast at high speed and with a lot of downforce,” reports Alonso. “They have Michelin tires, which is obviously a plus, and you can go full throttle without restriction, without overheating, without tire degradation, without the pressure going through the roof, all those things.”
“So it is a fast car that is fun to drive.” Over the course of his career, the 44-year-old has driven a wide variety of racing cars. “Dakar and rally in general are a lot of fun because you just dance with the car.”
“All cars are fun, even Formula E,” adds the newly minted family man, referring to the new Gen4 cars of the electric series: “I think next year it will be a new car with all-wheel drive. After the test they did, it seems pretty fast.”
Alonso does not give up despite a false start to the season
Alonso still sees his future in the top class for now. “Formula 1 is very unique, the top class of motorsport and still attractive if we can overcome the situation. For me, it was a false start, and now I am far behind.”
“If we can turn the tide and make the project fast and competitive quickly, whether for the future or already for next year, then that is also an attractive goal. I have never given up, and I will not give up now just because of some difficulties and a bumpy start.”
“Anyone who thinks we are giving up now does not know the last 25 years of my life,” Fernando Alonso makes clear. After a possible move to Alpine, the words of the two-time world champion certainly do not sound like that.
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