Fernando Alonso quashes Red Bull rumors by signing a contract extension with Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso signed a multi-year contract extension with Aston Martin, dispelling rumors of a deal with Red Bull.

Aston Martin signed Alonso in the 2023 season and that season also marked a major improvement in their car. The team had the second-fastest car on the grid for the majority of the initial races. They had eight podiums by the end of the season and finished fifth in the championship.

Despite the car and team's improvement, Fernando Alonso was speculated to be aiming for a Red Bull seat in the 2025 season. However, Aston Martin recently revealed that the Spaniard will be racing with them till at least the 2026 season as he signed a new multi-year contract extension. Team principal Mike Krack said (via the F1 official site):

"Securing Fernando’s long-term future with Aston Martin Aramco is fantastic news. We have built a strong working relationship over the last 18 months and we share the same determination to see this project succeed."

He added that Alonso will be the key to success with the new engine regulations set to kick in from the 2026 season when the team will initiate their partnership with Honda.

“This multi-year agreement with Fernando takes us into 2026 when we begin our works power unit partnership with Honda. We look forward to creating more incredible memories and achieving further success together.”

Although Aston Martin's start to the 2024 F1 season hasn't been as strong as compared to the previous season, the team still looks rather competitive at the top of the midfield. Fernando Alonso also mentioned that further improvements can be made to the car.

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Fernando Alonso reveals improvements that Aston Martin can make this season

The two-time world champion's P5 finish in Saudi Arabia has so far been his best race result in the season. However, the Spaniard claimed that the team is aiming for more in the upcoming races.

Talking about the upgrades that will be introduced later in the season, Fernando Alonso revealed that their first package will serve as the base for the rest of the upgrades for the season. He was quoted as saying by Motorsport Week:

"Let’s see, I think there are a couple of things in the pipeline to improve the car. I think in this first package is just the baseline of what we will introduce later in the season, so we still need to analyse many things."

At the same time, Alonso feels that the team is maximizing their performance in the races.

"But as I said we are executing very well on Sundays, maximizing the points, so even more than what we deserve normally."

Aston Martin currently stands fifth in the championship and is only one point shy of Mercedes in fourth place.