Fernando Alonso: “I feel a strong sense of loyalty to Aston Martin”

Less than thirty minutes after the announcement of his extension, it was a relaxed Fernando Alonso who was still clear with his ideas who presented himself at a press conference via Teams. First managing things when Adrian Atkinson, the team’s communications boss, had left his microphone on “mute” without knowing it, he then explained the reasons for this extension announced for several years, “the longest contract of my career,” the 42-year-old Spaniard even said without saying more about the exact duration.

“Was the decision to extend with Aston Martin easy to make?
Yes, it was easy because things haven’t changed much since February when I talked about the future. I just needed a few weeks to know if I was ready to commit to F1 for a few more years given the increasingly intense calendar. My love for F1 and Aston Matin has not changed. Once I had made my decision to continue, I sat down with Aston, who was my priority. They wanted to keep me, I wanted to stay and when two parties want the same thing, you inevitably find an agreement. I feel at home and have a strong sense of loyalty to this team. We started together a year and a half ago, and we achieved things that have probably never been seen before, such as moving up the hierarchy as quickly as last year. This is just the beginning of the story between us.

Your name was mentioned everywhere. Have you really considered these options?
I spoke with other teams, it’s normal when you negotiate. You have to listen to everyone, evaluate the market. The teams do the same, contact everyone, even if there is not a huge interest, to have all the information. In my head, Aston was the logical thing to do. This is also where I felt most wanted. Here, there was a clear desire to work together whereas elsewhere, we perhaps had to wait a bit for things to settle down. I wanted to dictate my destiny, to do what is best in the timing that suits me. We will see how many years I will drive but even after my career, I will use my experience in F1 and motorsport for the benefit of Aston Martin which has given me such an opportunity at this stage of my career.

“Honda is a company that I have always respected”

This contract for several seasons was a key aspect for you.
Yes, it was important, I’m not going to lie. A single year project would not have made sense to me. The whole point of this project is what we are building: the new campus last year, the new wind tunnel this year and then the new regulations to come with sustainable fuel, which I want to discover, and Honda which arrives as a partner (in 2026)… These are things that mattered in the decision to stay.

One of the highlights is that you will find Honda, future Aston Martin engine manufacturer with whom things had gone badly for you at McLaren (he once ironically stated on the radio that the engine was at the level of the GP2, the F2 of the time).
It is a manufacturer that has had enormous success in Formula 1 and motorsport in general. It’s a company that I have always respected. Yes, it didn’t work for us with McLaren (2015 to 2017) but right after they sorted out all the problems and they are dominating the sport now with championship titles (associated with Red Bull). The base is very solid at home and they have the capacity to build something very beautiful in Sakura (where the Honda factory for the competition is located). I’ve visited the place three times and even though I haven’t been back, I know they are motivated. They will have all the tools to be successful.

“If I feel that I am no longer motivated or that I am out of shape or even too slow, I will be the first to raise my hand to find a solution”

This contract means that you will still be an F1 driver at the age of 45, which has not been seen since 1975 (and Graham Hill)!
Yes, I would be 45 years old and I would be behind the wheel (smile). But Lewis (Hamilton) will be 40 next year and so we will be two forty-somethings on the grid! If I feel that I am no longer motivated or that I am out of shape or even too slow, I will be the first to raise my hand to find a solution. We have a very honest relationship with the team but I don’t see that coming soon. For the moment, I felt that the sacrifices were less important than the pleasure of flying. I train, I eat, I live to be in shape to drive an F1 car. A time will come when I find that I need to change my lifestyle. The negative thing right now is that I miss my family because I don’t live a normal life. But I had a good discussion with my loved ones before making the decision and they will come to races more often. My mother, my sister, my nieces will all be in Miami for example! We try to adapt so that I can have a little more of the things that I miss. »