“I will love to keep racing” - Fernando Alonso does not rule out 2026 Aston Martin F1 drive

Fernando Alonso has stated that he will continue to race in Formula 1 beyond 2026, the year the new engine regulations come into place, if his love for the sport doesn't diminish.

From 2026, the power units used in F1 will run on fully sustainable and synthetic fuels, with the energy recovery systems increasing in power from 120kW to 350kW. The Motor Generator Unit - Heat, which is an evolved part of a turbocharger that harvests thermal energy from the car's exhaust, is being dropped entirely.

Thanks to the sweeping changes that are set to hit the sport, Honda will be making a full-scale return to F1 in 2026 as the works power unit supplier for Aston Martin. Alonso has hailed his team's decision to join hands with Honda, calling it “very exciting” and a move that underlined Aston Martin's “desire and potential” to succeed in the sport.

He said (via F1):

“It’s very good news for the team – very exciting. I think it shows the commitment of Aston Martin to really win races, win championships in the future, being independent, manufacturing their own gearboxes and everything on the car.”

He added:

“It’s the only way, probably, to really be 100% sure that you are in control of everything in your package, in your car. It’s a great sign for everybody in Aston Martin that the desire and potential to win is there.”

When asked if he would continue to race in F1 when the Aston Martin-Honda partnership goes live, Alonso said:

“I don’t know what I will do in 2026. I will lie if I tell you that I know right now. For sure, I feel fresh, I feel motivated now, I feel sharp, still fast. If I keep enjoying, I will love to keep racing. I know that one day I will wake up and I will not feel maybe motivated or happy to keep travelling and all these kind of things. Or maybe I don’t feel fast and I will be the first one to raise my hand and say, ‘Maybe it’s time’.”

He added:

“Let’s see. I think it’s a long way until 2026. I will focus first of all on Monaco now, because I think it’s an important weekend, and then this season, then the next one, and hopefully we can make another step and fight for bigger things.”

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“No problem at all from my side” - Fernando Alonso on his feeling about

Fernando Alonso doesn't have a great relationship with Honda. From 2015 to 2017, he raced for McLaren, who were relying on a Honda for their engines. In those three seasons, he suffered several engine failures and grid penalties and never finished higher than fifth.

When asked if he had any issues using one of Honda's engines again, Alonso said that the Japanese company's success with Red Bull Racing has shown that they can be relied upon.

The two-time F1 champion opined:

“Racing again with Honda is going to be no problem at all from my side. I know that it didn’t work out last time [at McLaren] in 2015, 2016, 2017. But I think they proved that they have now a competitive package.”

He added:

“They won the championship [with Red Bull] in 2021, they won the championship in 2022, they most likely will win the championship in 2023. It’s a new set of regulations, but I think it will be a very exciting project, for sure.”