Adrian Newey ‘pretty confident’ Fernando Alonso will stay with Aston Martin
Fernando Alonso has said will make a decision on his future after the summer break.
Adrian Newey is “pretty confident” Fernando Alonso will continue as an Aston Martin driver next season, acknowledging he brings “huge amounts” to the Silverstone-based team.
Alonso’s current contract ends at the end of 2026, and the two-time world champion has previously said he will make a decision surrounding his future after the summer break.
Fernando Alonso future decision awaits as Newey ‘pretty confident’ of F1 stay
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Aston Martin began the 2026 regulation set on the back foot, with the chassis and power unit having created significant vibrations that ran through the drivers’ hands, meaning Alonso and Lance Stroll were unable to finish in the early rounds.
Work has been ongoing on the AMR26 and the factory Honda engine, with a significant 16-part update brought to the Hungarian Grand Prix, and Honda working on an update that will arrive at the Dutch Grand Prix when the summer break ends.
Alonso, who turned 45 last week, has said previously that Aston Martin’s competitiveness will not be a factor in the decision surrounding his future, but rather his enjoyment of Formula 1.
For Aston Martin team principal and managing technical partner Newey, though, he wants to keep hold of the Spanish driver if he can.
“I mean, obviously Fernando’s an amazing driver, brings huge amounts to the team, both in his feedback and his ability,” Newey responded to PlanetF1.com and others when asked about how important it is to retain Alonso’s services.
“So for us, of course it’s important, but pretty confident that Fernando is enjoying his time with us and that we will continue with our relationship.”
Alonso made it through to Q2 for the first time this season in Budapest, underlining the early success of Aston Martin’s large upgrade package that arrived prior to the summer break.
With the 32-time Grand Prix winner having added there is still a “long way to go” performance-wise, he knows Aston Martin’s potential will mean it eventually reaches the front.
His future, though, will hinge on the buzz of being behind the wheel.
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“I have zero doubts that Adrian will provide the best car on the grid sooner or later,” he said in Hungary.
“On the power unit, I think I have no doubts as well. I think it’s a matter of time that Honda fixes the issues because it’s what they’ve been doing for the last 40 years of racing.
“I’m relaxed, as I said many times, I’m thinking I need to know what I do next year and the years to come. I feel fresh. I feel motivated. I feel fast, but I need to enjoy also what I do.
“I think the direction that we took this year, from the driver’s side – I don’t know, from the spectator side – but behind the cockpit is not the same adrenaline that I used to have driving a Formula 1 car. So, that’s something that I need to put in the table.
“It’s not a problem of the competitiveness of the team, it’s just a problem of whether Formula 1 gives me the adrenaline that I need to live.”
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
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