Jenson Button hopes Fernando Alonso will continue racing in Formula 1 beyond 2026 as uncertainty grows over the two-time world champion’s Aston Martin future. Writing on the team’s official website, the 2009 world champion suggested that the opportunity to continue working with Adrian Newey could give his former McLaren team-mate a compelling reason to extend his career.
With several major pieces of the Formula 1 driver market already falling into place, Fernando Alonso’s decision represents one of the most intriguing questions still to be answered. The Spaniard must decide whether to give Aston Martin and Adrian Newey another season to realise their ambitions or bring one of the longest and most remarkable careers in F1 history to a close.
What next for Fernando Alonso at Aston Martin?
With Max Verstappen and then Lando Norris agreeing long-term contract extensions, the Formula 1 driver market appears to have cooled almost before it truly started. Max Verstappen’s new Red Bull deal removed one of the biggest potential variables, but at least one prestigious seat still has a question mark hanging over it.
The key issue is what Fernando Alonso intends to do with Aston Martin. The team’s difficult 2026 performances have undoubtedly reduced some of the appeal surrounding the project, leaving the Spaniard with several possible paths as he considers the next stage of his career.
Fernando Alonso could renew his contract for at least one more year, giving long-time rival Adrian Newey another opportunity to provide him with a competitive car. Alternatively, he could look elsewhere, although the Flavio Briatore-Alpine route has faded following the recent confirmation of Franco Colapinto. Another possibility would be for Fernando Alonso to stop racing and move into a non-operational ambassadorial role with Aston Martin.
The question has become increasingly significant as Fernando Alonso weighs his F1 future and whether to continue chasing another opportunity at the front of the grid.
Jenson Button hopes Fernando Alonso continues racing
There is no definitive answer yet, but Jenson Button has offered an indication of how he views the possibility of Fernando Alonso renewing with Aston Martin. The two drivers shared McLaren’s troubled Honda-powered period during the 2015 and 2016 seasons, while Button is now a brand ambassador for Aston Martin.
Writing in his Jenson’s Journal blog on the British team’s website, Jenson Button appeared to sense that Fernando Alonso may still have the motivation to continue his Formula 1 career. The presence of Adrian Newey and the challenge of helping Aston Martin recover from its difficult start to the new regulations remain central to the project, particularly after the AMR26’s difficult 2026 campaign.
“Fernando Alonso’s future is a very hot topic at the moment,” Jenson Button wrote. “I have no idea whether he will decide to continue racing, but I know for certain that, whenever he decides to retire, he will rightly be considered one of the greats of F1. Personally, I hope he stays a little longer. The biggest compliment I can give him is that racing against him was very similar to racing against Michael Schumacher.”
That comparison carries particular weight given Jenson Button’s experience competing against both multiple world champions across his own long Formula 1 career. For Fernando Alonso, however, the immediate question remains whether the Aston Martin project offers enough promise for him to commit to another season behind the wheel.
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