Every Thursday, the media day in the paddock begins with a roundtable session with Mike Krack and Honda’s chief engineer Shintaro Orihara. Besides the usual questions about power unit driveability and potential upgrades, one topic returns every race weekend: when can we expect an announcement about Fernando Alonso’s future?
Krack already said in Monza that the team is in no rush, and Alonso reinforced that message in Madrid. Asked when news about his future could be expected, he simply replied: “Not soon.” The follow-up question about what exactly is causing the delay was brushed off by Alonso with a laugh: “Because I think it’s nice, no?”
On a more serious note, Alonso stresses that it mainly depends on one question: will Formula 1 be more enjoyable to drive next year?
The two-time F1 world champion has made no secret of the fact that the current regulations leave a lot to be desired. Alonso described the high-speed corners at Silverstone and Spa as “charging stations” and added that the current rules will always reward going slower through a corner so that drivers have more energy available to deploy on the straights.
The extent to which that changes for 2027 is crucial to Alonso’s decision about his future, even more so than Aston Martin’s competitive picture.
“I think it’s a matter of understanding what impact the rules for next year will have, or not, on the racing and on the driving side of things,” he said.
“I think the current cars, as I said many times, are not the best cars to drive and to enjoy. But next year there is a step in the right direction, I think.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Photo by: Alex Bierens de Haan / LAT Images via Getty Images
“But at the same time, I need to think what is the best programme for next year and sit with the team: behind the wheel or in another role, where I will be helping the most. That will be the most important thing to decide together.”
After a lengthy political discussion, the FIA, F1, manufacturers and teams have agreed to adjust the ratio between the internal combustion engine and electrical power in two steps towards a 60-40 split in 2028. For 2027, the ratio will be 58-42, partly achieved by looking at fuel flow.
Given that Alonso is largely linking his future to the regulations, the obvious follow-up question is how the man from Oviedo currently views the plans for 2027: can the adjustments really put the driver back at the centre of things, or does Alonso – in line with Max Verstappen – believe that the current generation of cars is simply “numb” to driver input?
“I think it’s a step in the right direction. If it’s enough… These cars will always reward to charge the batteries in the highest-speed corners and at the end of the straights, because that’s the optimal lap time,” Alonso said when asked about the 2027 regulations by Autosport.
“Because of these power units, at one point in the lap you need to charge the batteries, and you will charge the batteries in the most problematic places for fun. It will be in the high-speed corners and at the end of the straights. That is against any driver input or pushing the limits of the car.
“But, in a way, I still have some hope that next year’s rules will still have to be tweaked again, that this is not the final version.”
Even more important to Alonso than how competitive Aston Martin will be, is whether the rules will improve by 2027
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
That final quote is the most cryptic, but also by far the most interesting. It immediately raises another question: is Alonso hinting at further changes before the start of the 2027 season, or during 2027 if the new product still proves not to be good enough?
When Autosport approached Alonso after the press conference in Madrid to ask him that question, he clarified that he meant the former option – in other words, that he still hopes for further changes before the start of next season.
However, when asked by Autosport, the FIA says it is currently not aware of any such plans. As things stand, no further changes are planned for the start of next season.
It cannot be ruled out, however, that all of this is part of the political game, and that by not yet committing himself for next year, Alonso can exert some pressure to try and improve the series as a whole.
For Alonso to announce relatively late in the year that he will not continue would not seem logical, as it could put Aston Martin in a difficult position – all the more so because there are not many drivers still available on the market. All the seats at the top teams are locked in, while potentially interesting options such as Carlos Sainz are now off the market as well.
It therefore seems more than logical that Alonso will add another year to his long F1 career, although there is no need to say so publicly just yet, especially if Aston Martin is already aware of his plans behind the scenes – with Krack having indicated that he is “comfortable” waiting for the public announcement.
Nevertheless, it currently does not seem particularly likely either that Alonso’s wish for further changes before the start of 2027 will be granted, however unfortunate that may be. In order to still find that enjoyment, Alonso does not rule out new ventures into other racing series – such as Dakar and WEC – most likely in combination with F1. Asked in Madrid whether that is a realistic option, the straightforward answer was: “Yes.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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