Neither Red Bull nor Mercedes. Fernando Alonso bet everything on green after renewing until 2026 with Aston Martin, the team that has allowed him to enjoy Formula 1 again. Despite the noise and a certain disenchantment with the Aston Martin AMR24the Asturian will do his last dance in the competition where he debuted in 2001. The first Spanish GP which will be held in Madrid, precisely the year until the two-time world champion has extended his relationship with the British team.
For the test that will be held in Valdebebas, north of the capital, having the Spaniard was a valuable argument. Especially since the 2026 season is expected to be Alonso’s final tour – at 42 years old – of the F1 World Championship. The Asturian was slow to react to the presentation of the new Spanish GP on January 23 of this year. Madrid took the name from Barcelona, but at least that season Montmeló and Valdebebas will coexist on the calendar.
New regulations and engines for Aston in 2026
The reason was precisely its renewal or not with Aston Martin, which would condition its presence on a track with which F1 has signed for ten years. “I will be happy to race in Barcelona, I will be happy to race in Madrid, if I am here in 2026. If I’m not here, I’ll watch it on TV and it doesn’t change much“, he assured with ambiguity. For Alonso and for Formula 1, 2026 is not just any year, because it will bring with it an important change in regulations.
The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), along with Max Verstappen (Red Bull). / Europa Press
The main changes affect the power units, which will use sustainable fuels. A measure that altered the plans of teams like Audi, who reconsidered their entry into F1. On the contrary, it encouraged Honda, a brand that trusts in developing a guaranteed turbohybrid engine. Precisely, the Japanese company will supply the engines to Aston Martin from 2026.
Another measure that will affect the British team, and consequently Fernando Alonso, is the reduction in the volume of the cars. One of the main complaints from manufacturers is the excessive weight of current cars. “The way we want to do it is related to what we have called the ‘agile car’ concept, because we believe that In recent years cars have become a little too bulky and heavy“, explained Nikolas Tombazis, head of FIA vehicles, in December last year.
Carlos Sainz, a Madrid native triumphing in Madrid?
In conversation with EL PERIÓDICO DE ESPAÑA, from the same editorial group, Jarno Zaffelli, designer of the Madrid circuit, highlighted that it will be a fast route in which there will be, at least, four overtaking options. The test is integrated into the commitment to urban events that combine sport and spectacle. Hence the importance of retaining relevant figures such as Fernando Alonso to maintain growth in markets such as Spain.
The Aston Martin driver’s last dance is not the only national incentive. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari driver until the end of the season, has vindicated himself, with the victory in Australia, as the only one capable of challenging the dictatorship of Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who seemed to be reeling from the ‘Horner case’. Although there are few external elements that destabilize the Dutchman. But the number that is most popular in the paddock is that of the Madrid native, free after confirming Hamilton’s signing for the ‘Scuderia’.
Carlos Sainz in Suzuka / FREDERIC LE FLOC H / DPPI / AFP7 / Europa Press
Sainz has all possibilities open. He could fill the Mercedes gap left by the aforementioned British driver. But Audithe brand with which his father has competed in the last editions of the Dakaris the one that has bid the hardest for the services of the Madrid native. Therein lies Sainz’s added value with respect to the Spanish GP, which for him will mean racing at home and not in a figurative or approximate way.
2024-04-12 05:08:24
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